The pilot reported that, during a night cross-country flight, the Socata TB21 encountered icing conditions while on an instrument approach.
He observed about four inches of ice had formed on the wing, running about one foot aft.
He told investigators he put the landing gear down about five miles from the runway at the airport in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
He continued the approach, reporting he broke out of the clouds about 300-400 feet AGL and had “minimal control.”
The airplane hit snow-covered ground and came to rest about a half mile from the runway.
The airplane was destroyed by a post-impact fire.
The pilot sustained serious injuries in the crash.
At the time of the accident there was an icing AIRMET that covered the location of the accident site. The Socata TB21 Pilot Information Manual states “Flight into known icing conditions is prohibited.”
Probable Cause: The pilot’s continued flight into icing conditions in an airplane that was not equipped for icing, which led to structural icing, subsequent loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.
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This March 2023 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.
Airmen Z current at the time of accident. Good grief.
A night, IMC flight , in winter…a bad idea, and usually no very survivable .
A day IMC flight might have allowed the pilot to save the aircraft…maybe.?
I’m glad to hear that all 3 got out ok.
An illiterate pilot who couldn’t read the aircraft manual that specifically prohibits flying in icing conditions. The consequence were to be expected.
Paul:
What is not in the NTSB report is when this pilot hit icing. Did he run into icing 30 minutes earlier and just kept going, or did it come on suddenly? Icing after he started the ILS? Was it that he hadn’t gotten any ice until he descended below the altitude for FAF? If you run into freezing precipt at that point, you probably will not have the horse power to climb back up out of it and you will not be able to go missed. You are pretty much committed once you get airframe icing. Even with FIKI, this is really bad news. And if it were me, I would not have put the gear down until I really needed it, because once it is out, it is catching that freezing stuff and weighing you down even more.
Probably should have left the gear up. He might have made it.
That is so true exactly what I was thinking