Unforecasted icing conditions leads to hard landing for Cessna 182

The pilot reported that, during a cross-country flight, the Cessna 182 encountered ice that began to accumulate on the wing and landing gear. He then attempted to divert to another airport.

Ice continued to accumulate rapidly on the windshield and obscured the pilot’s vision.

He maneuvered the plane near the diversion airport for about 45 minutes, however the weather deteriorated, so he diverted to another airport.

While attempting to land at the airport in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the pilot said he was looking out the side window when the airplane stalled about 30′ above the ground, which resulted in a hard landing.

A review of weather information for the area where the reported icing encounter occurred revealed no probability of icing at the reported time and altitude of the encounter and only about a 10% chance of trace icing during the hour following the encounter.

Based on the available information, the plane likely encountered unforecast icing during the flight, which resulted in structural icing that obscured the pilot’s vision and increased the airplane’s stall speed. When the pilot attempted to land, the airplane stalled at a higher-than-expected speed, which resulted in a hard landing.

Probable cause: The airplane’s encounter with unforecast icing conditions, which led to structural icing that obscured the pilot’s vision, an aerodynamic stall, and a subsequent hard landing.

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA076

This January 2017 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.