AIRCRAFT ICING

SAWS Workshop II October 2008 Jamie Gudmestad - Meteorologist Intern WFO Midland, TX - Air Force Reserve Weather Forecaster Shaw AFB, SC

Aviation Safety Foundation

My employment
Full time Meteorologist WFO Midland Part time Forecaster for various areas in the Middle East
Wikipedia

Content of this presentation

- Why icing is SO important to aviation - Where and when icing commonly occurs - The types of icing - Type of aircraft most susceptible to icing - TAFs and other products - Future icing detection - Where more information can be found

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property.

Study by the National Transportation Safety Board "An estimated 819 people died in accidents related to in-flight icing between 1982 and 2000." Over 40 people/year
www.airport-technology.com

American Eagle 4184 October 31, 1994 Roselawn, Indiana Crashed after circling in icy weather

killed all 68 on board

Airlines.net

Air Florida Flight 90 January 13, 1992 Washington DC Aircraft was De-iced, then sat on the runway

killed all 78 on board

Airdisaster.com

A Cessna 208B Caravan November 8, 2002 Parks, Arizona Aircraft was in route from Las Vegas, NV on its way to Midland, TX Moderate mixed icing

aironline.com/wikipedia

Airfoil
Normal

Iced
Hanley Innovations: Airfoil Icing & Microtab Study

Icing of other aircraft parts

AOPA Aviation Safety Foundation

Icy Runways

Webshots.com

Key Ingredient
Near Saturated environment Favorable Atmospheric Conditions for Icing:
Temperature Dew point Depression Approx. RH 0 to -7C (32 to 18F) less than 2C (<3.6F) 85% -8 to -15C (17 to 5F) less than 3C (<5.4F) 80% -16 to -22C (4 to -8F) less than 4C (<7.2F) 75%

AFWA TN 98-002

Winter

Map from the Air Safety Foundation (AOPA)

Mountains
- Icing is more likely & more severe in clouds located near moisture sources & over mountainous regions

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (COMET)

Fronts

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (COMET)

Fronts

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (COMET)

Clouds
Icing Risk/Type of Clouds
Cumulus Stratiform Rain & Drizzle

HIGH MED LOW

0 to -20C 0 to -15C 0 C & below 20 0 15 (32 (32 to -4F) (32 to 5F) (32F & below) (32 (32 -20 to -40C -15 to -30C 20 40 15 30 (-4 to -40F) (-5 to -22F) 40 (22 < -40C 40 < -30C 30 (< -40F) 40 (< -22F) 22

AOPA Aviation Safety Foundation

Vertical Displacement increases Icing

AFWA TN 98-002

Icing Severity definitions

Trace when the rate of ice accumulation is just slightly greater than the rate of loss due to sublimation Light the rate of ice accumulation may create a problem if the aircraft remains in this environment for one hour or more Moderate when the rate of ice accumulation is so great that even a short encounter can become hazardous Severe whenever the rate of ice accumulation is such that deicing or anti-icing equipment cannot control or reduce the hazard
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (COMET)

Droplet Size
- Cloud droplets usually 40 microns or less - Supercooled liquid droplets (SLD) are 40 200 microns; MOST SIGNIFICANT to Aircraft Icing - SLD most often includes freezing rain & drizzle

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (COMET)

Fotosearch.com

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Type of aircraft

US Army Corps of Engineers; Wikipedia

Type of Icing
Temperature 32 to 18F Type Clear

18F to 15F

Mixed

Less than 15F

AFWA TN 98-002

Rime

TAFS
NWS TAF: CCCC TAF 011818 18020G28KT P6SM SCT030 BKN120 TEMPO 1822 BKN020 FM0400 16015KT P6SM BKN030 PROB30 0308 TSRA BKN030CB USAF TAF: CCCC TAF 011616 03008KT 0800 PRFG FEW000 BKN005 BKN012 WS015/12035KT QNH3001INS FG FEW002 TEMPO 1820 14012G18KT 3200 -SN BLSN FEW002 OVC006 620065 SN FEW000 BECMG 2324 15012G20KT 3200 -SN BLSN FEW002 OVC004 620046 QNH2983INS TM01/19Z TM04/11Z
NWS Instruction 10-813 / AFMAN 15-124

Reading the icing group

620065 6 2 006 5 The first digit icing group The second digit type of icing The third, fourth & fifth digits height of icing The last digit thickness of icing

AFMAN 15-124

http://adds.aviationweahter.noaa.gov/icing

http://adds.aviationweahter.noaa.gov/icing

http://adds.aviationweahter.noaa.gov/icing

Pireps

Altitude

Schultz-Politovich PIREP study - University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (COMET)

Research
- Supercooled large droplet - Heat transfer - Anti-icing protection

http://www.niar.wichita.edu/researchlabs/

Technology improvements
More advanced RADARs are being tested by National Center for Atmospheric Research

www.ucar.edu/communications

Where you can learn more

The Comet program http://www.meted.ucar.edu/ AOPA Air Safety Foundation http://www.aopa.org/asf/

Aircraft Icing

Thank you for your time!

Questions???
Sources were cited on each slide