Aircraft Icing

When preparing to fly there are many factors you should consider that could jeopardize the safety of your flight. Weather conditions play a huge role in whether or not you can safely execute a flight. One weather condition that I'd like to focus on is the cold and wet conditions required to cause aircraft icing. Aircraft icing happens when an aircraft travels through visible water such as rain or cloud droplets, and the temperature must be zero degrees Celsius, or colder, (FAA, n.d.). Any cloud at subfreezing temperatures has the potential to form ice, but there are several factors that contribute to the formation of hazardous ice. The conditions that contribute to the most dangerous type of icing are when the presence of large, supercooled water droplets are in the air, (FAA, n.d.). Thick, stratified clouds producing continuous rain, where the temperature is just below freezing are very susceptible to producing ice. Aircraft icing is not only inconvenient, but also effects performance by decreasing thrust, increasing drag, lessening lift, and increasing weight. All the factors result in an unwieldy aircraft.

The incident I will be discussing is the crash of a Piper PA-23-250, N2345R, on October 17th, 2025. According to the NTSB investigation preliminary report, the pilot requested to climb 14,000 ft mean sea level (msl) at 1541 due to concerns about icing. The pilot had previously been advised about potential icing conditions. Shortly after, the pilot requested vectors towards lower terrain and reported that he was unable to maintain altitude, before declaring an emergency due to icing and an issue with the left engine, (NTSB, 2025). Salt Lake Center lost radar contact with the aircraft at 1615, and family members notified the FAA that the flight did not arrive, and an Alert Notice was issued at 1629. The crash was found northeast of Goat Mountain, the pilot and two passengers suffered fatal injuries. This tragedy is an unfortunate example of what can happen when flying through icing conditions, and why the utmost caution must always be taken.

Aircraft icing was an issue I dealt with frequently when I was stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan. Misawa winters were often brutal, seeing as it is the snowiest U.S. military installation in the DOD. If the engine anti-ice valve on the F16 failed, or the pilot failed to turn it on, ice could form on the intake strut, potentially breaking off and becoming ingested by the engine. The ingested ice could damage the fan and core blades, which could potentially result in insufficient airflow through the engine, and even a possible engine stall. Aircraft icing can be a fatal condition, and very costly if not taken seriously.

 

References:

Federal Aviation Administration (N.D.) Icing FAA https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac%2000-6a%20chap%2010-12.pdf

National Transportation Safety Board (2025, October 17) Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report NTSB file:///C:/Users/RobertGrower/Downloads/Report_WPR26LA020_201889_12_16_2025%207_21_27%20AM.pdf


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