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Ice brings down Diamond

By NTSB · January 16, 2017 ·

The student pilot reported that he was practicing solo ground reference maneuvers about 1,600 feet above ground level when the Diamond DA-20’s engine began operating erratically.

He added the airplane might have entered an aerodynamic stall.

He advanced the throttle to full forward, but the engine did not respond and subsequently experienced a total loss of power.

He attempted to restart the engine by completing the emergency procedures that he remembered. The engine “turned over” but did not restart.

He then prepared for a forced landing to a nearby field. During the base-to-final turn, he lost control of the plane, and it descended to the ground near Shipshewana, Indiana. It hit a field and continued into a propane tank and then a house, where it came to rest.

A post-accident examination revealed that most of the induction air filter was obstructed by ice. The engine was test run with and without the ice in the air filter, and the engine produced full power under both conditions.

The alternate air lever, which selects a second induction air intake in case the primary air intake (air filter) becomes restricted, was found in the “off” position.

The aircraft flight manual states that, in the event of an in-flight engine failure, the alternate air control should be opened (or “on”).

An FAA advisory circular warns pilots of induction system icing known as “impact ice,” which can build up on components like the air filter when moisture-laden air is near freezing.

Based on the near-freezing outside air temperature and clouds in the area in which the flight was operating and the lack of any apparent engine malfunctions, it is likely that the primary air induction system became obstructed with impact ice during the flight.

When asked about the airplane’s alternate air lever, the student pilot indicated that he was unfamiliar with the lever and did not know its intended use.

If the student pilot had opened the alternate air control during the initial power loss, it is likely that engine power would have been restored.

The NTSB determined the probable cause as the total loss of engine power due to impact ice obstructing the primary air induction system, which resulted from the student pilot’s failure to operate the alternate air control. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s lack of knowledge about using the alternate air control during an engine power loss.

NTSB Identification: CEN15LA106

This January 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. Chuck Watson Jr says

    January 21, 2017 at 10:31 am

    I encountered the same exact scenario with an instructor on a trip from New York to Maryland. The differences were that we were in vet conditions, but it was snowing. An emergency landing was made after ATC vectors to a nearby airport because our airplane, a Piper arrow began to shake and the engine became very rough. After a good landing in snow, the next days examination by a mechanic revealed that the lever that controlled alternate air was inoperative, and the air filter was so clogged with ice and snows as to make incoming air so clogged that had we not landed the engine would most certainly have stopped.

  2. Ian says

    January 21, 2017 at 8:58 am

    High humidity even with high OAT can give you carb ice.

  3. Max says

    January 21, 2017 at 8:18 am

    How in the heck do you get ice on the air induction inlet on the front of the airplane, but then no ice on the windshield or wings? I understand ice in VMC, in freezing rain or from light mist over time, but the other areas of the airplane would collect ice exactly the same as the air induction.

    • Mike says

      May 3, 2017 at 4:50 am

      Venturi’s principle.

      • gbigs says

        May 3, 2017 at 6:54 am

        Correct. The inlets have a lower air pressure due to the rapid movement of the air flowing into a narrower opening and thus colder.

  4. GBigs says

    January 20, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    You do not get ice in VMC. Period.

    • John Wesley says

      January 20, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      Worst case of ice I ever saw was in VMC

      • Wylbur Wrong says

        January 21, 2017 at 8:18 am

        Yep, me too. I had it happen in Severe Clear at about 75F in NE Ohio. Was a mile or so away from the airport where I’d just had maint done when I started having “engine” problems after setting up for cruise flight. Carb heat was all that was needed. And I was flying a Piper Cherokee 180 which I’d never had any carb ice problems before.

    • Douglas says

      January 21, 2017 at 11:16 am

      Of course you can.
      I’ve experienced induction icing in clear VFR at 8K’ over NYC, and airframe ice in light mist (still VFR) at 3K’.

      • GBigs says

        January 21, 2017 at 3:32 pm

        The basic point being no VFR pilot is allowed to fly when ice may be present. Thus if you see and or get ice on the plane as a VFR pilot you have already violated the rules of flying VMC….ice is the number one killer aside from severe thunderstorms where hail is a hazard.

        Icing condition are IMC by definition. This student should not have been allowed to go up solo when icing condtions are present….the CFI has the responsibility to have each student check with them before going on any solo flight.

        • Skywagon Driver says

          January 22, 2017 at 10:03 am

          GBigs… you have some interesting ideas about VMC and IMC. What FAR regulation defines “the possibility of icing being present” as IMC? I can’t find that anywhere in the FARs. Also, I can’t find anything that supports your second comment that “ice on the plane … violates the rules of flying VMC”. Can you provide some enlightenment on that (such as an FAR)?

          Also what data do you have that “ice is the number one killer”. That also seems hard to defend. It may be your opinion, but do you have any sources to back that up?

          • GBigs says

            January 22, 2017 at 10:26 am

            Start here: FAR Part 91.527 http://www.flightsimaviation.com/data/FARS/part_91-527.html

            (1) under IFR into known icing conditions, or
            (2) under VFR into light or moderate icing conditions…..

            • Skywagon Driver says

              January 22, 2017 at 11:52 am

              Thank you for the referenced FAR 91.527

              However, you in no way answered my original question to you.

              The FAR that you referenced describes prohibitions of “Operations in Icing Conditions” as it’s title states. The wording of that section describes what is allowed and what is not, and has nothing to do with defining VMC, or IMC.

              The original article, the NTSB report, and many commenters think that the student pilot took off and was flying in VMC, yet you insist that he was in IMC. I ask you again, why do you think that he was in IMC, since your statement that, “Icing condition are IMC by definition.” does not appear to be true.

    • Leonardo says

      January 22, 2017 at 3:24 am

      Really? you should give back your license if you have one…

  5. John Wesley says

    January 20, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Actually the young man did an admirable job. He was well trained by a top quality teaching staff and put his training to good use. He was in VFR conditions and the impact ice was totally unexpected. Cut him some slack.

    • Leonardo says

      January 22, 2017 at 3:25 am

      Can you explain which part you find admirable? The part that he allowed ice in the engine, the part he didn’t know his airplane systems or the prt he lost control and crashed the plane?

      • Jordan says

        January 22, 2017 at 10:38 am

        Go back to when you had 11 hours of total flight time and you lose your engine at a low altitude over a reasonably populated area and let me know how things go.

        • Leonardo says

          January 22, 2017 at 4:33 pm

          When I had 11 hours I knew what ice was and how to prevent it even on nice sunny days…and also knew how to make an emergency landing without lose control which I had to apply not many hours later and landed the plane without a scratch…sorry nothing to admire here.

  6. Paul says

    January 18, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    Maybe the instructor was also unfamiliar with the alternate air source but there’s no excuse for not knowing the procedure

  7. GBigs says

    January 18, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    The NACA inlets were jammed with ice…and the wings were no doubt covered with intermittant rime.

    • Jordan says

      January 19, 2017 at 12:04 am

      Where did you hear that? Are you just making this stuff up? lol!

  8. GBigs says

    January 18, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    It’s not VMC if ice formes on the wings and elevator. No way a student should be allowed into the air under icing conditions.

    • Jordan says

      January 18, 2017 at 12:33 pm

      There was no ice on the wings or elevator. It was VMC. So is it the instructor’s fault then?

  9. Citabriabob says

    January 17, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    Where was the instructor during all of this?????

  10. Andy says

    January 17, 2017 at 9:07 am

    How do you know it was a kid? Lots of non-kid student pilots out there….

    Lucky for him, that propane tank he hit appeared to be empty….

  11. GBigs says

    January 17, 2017 at 7:59 am

    The kid was flying in IMC with no training and no instrument rating. And worse? He committed the sin of not knowing his plane.

    • Jordan says

      January 18, 2017 at 10:54 am

      It was VFR conditions, It was his first unsupervised solo, and he had 11 hours of flight time. He’s lucky to be alive.

    • SkywagonDriver says

      January 21, 2017 at 9:03 am

      GBigs…Where did you get the ideas that he was flying in IMC, and had airframe icing? The NTSB report does not say that. Were you there at the time? Or do you have some knowledge of the accident not available to the NTSB?

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