Clear on Top

We are once again in that time of year when aviation magazines, FAA flyers, safety programs and recurrent training instructors are placing emphasis on “ICE” and “AIRPLANES”.  Why?  Unlike ice in your tea, ice and airplanes do not mix well together.  It is not our intent here to repeat all the information you may have received regarding the dangers of ice, but rather to touch on the highlights, offer some pointers and discuss some areas you may not have considered.

Your awareness of a hazard is the first step in managing it.  Here are some basic facts to help you see the overall picture of accidents relating to “ICE” and “AIRPLANES”.  The following statistics are based on General Aviation including personal and business operations.

First of all, to keep General Aviation flying safety in proper perspective:

• We can expect one accident for every 17,052 hours of flying. (stats from 2006)
• We can expect one fatal accident for every 82,958 hours of flying. (stats from 2006)

Considering this, the average pilot could expect to fly many lifetimes without having an accident.  At the same time, more than 1,500 General Aviation accidents are likely to occur this year.  Historically speaking, over two-thirds of General Aviation accidents involve personal flights conducted by non-professional pilots, while only a small fraction involve professional pilots flying corporate business aircraft.  One statistic that is of concern:

Seven out of ten General Aviation weather-related accidents are fatal. 

In accidents where icing is a contributing cause, the leading factors are:

Induction Icing – 52%
Structural Icing – 40%
Ground Accumulation – 8%

For some interesting reading, see National Transportation & Safety Board (NTSB) Accident number NYC04LA044 at www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.

To learn more about the basics of the different types of icing, click the article link below to find out how you need to prepare yourself and your aircraft to handle icing, or in some cases, to not handle it.

read more here: AIRM – ICE & Airplanes (Full Article)

 Find out more information about:

• Assess the possibility of icing conditions on your route of flight
• Evaluate your aircraft’s ability to handle icing – WHILE IT’S STILL ON THE GROUND
• PREPARE FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD

* Online weather sources you might want to try: http://www.aviationweather.gov/adds/icing/

If you would like more information about this article, click the link above or feel free to contact Brent Anderson at CS&A Insurance. Call us at 800.999.1109 or follow us on the web at http://www.AviationInsurance.com. Also check us out on Facebook and Twitter.