WEATHER ACCIDENTS #10

This is our tenth weather-accident article in a series we started in 2015. Our intent is to examine some of the ways that seasoned pilots manage to get into deadly predicaments. Safety procedures are well-covered in training materials, your aircraft manual, and FAA publications, so we prefer to teach the aviation meteorology of these situations. Our goal is to give you a rich background to help you to make good decisions when things go wrong.

Key Takeaways:

• A pilot's "get-there-itis" and habitual risk-taking led to a fatal takeoff into rapidly deteriorating, severe weather conditions.
• The accident was primarily attributed to rapid clear icing accumulation shortly after takeoff, caused by supercooled droplets in unstable, cold, and moist air, which led to an aerodynamic stall.
• Official weather briefings can be inadequate for rapidly evolving and dynamic weather systems, as demonstrated by the briefer's confusion regarding freezing levels and the underestimation of severe icing potential.
• Pilots must proactively develop their own comprehensive weather picture using all available tools and cross-referencing data, as personal assessment of local conditions often provides a more accurate view than generalized briefings.

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