There’s Never a Good Time to Freeze Up When Flying

Dealing with unexpected icing conditions requires quick action.

Bill Little

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Key Takeaways:

The pilot rationalized flying with an inoperative pitot heat for a weekend ski trip, relying on favorable weather forecasts.
On the return flight, unexpected stationary weather led to severe in-flight icing, causing instrument failure and aircraft vibrations.
Through effective communication with air traffic control and skillful piloting, the pilot successfully landed the aircraft, later realizing the extreme danger when another de-icing equipped aircraft also diverted due to the same conditions.

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A guy I had flown on enough trips to turn him into a pretty good copilot called early one week in January to see if I could get a plane for the weekend.

I was flying out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport (KCLT) at the time. He wanted to bring a friend and pick up another friend at Dulles International Airport (KIAD), then we’d head to Somerset, Pennsylvania, to go skiing in the mountains beginning Friday night if we could get away in time.