Author Topic: Cessna 172 Skyhawk icing emergency KBTV 2015-12-04  (Read 15435 times)

Offline ashawley

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Cessna 172 Skyhawk icing emergency KBTV 2015-12-04
« on: December 07, 2015, 10:35:43 PM »
On Friday, 4 December at 11:15am EST, a new IFR pilot experienced icing conditions in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk 10 miles out from Burlington International Airport (KBTV).  Light rime had been reported to ATC by regional jet aircraft between 4000 and 6000 feet MSL.   A second Skyhawk would declare another emergency after experiencing severe engine roughness.  ATC approach controller would declare emergencies for both pilots and vectored the first pilot to a safe and uneventful landing.  Ground operations would report seeing ice falling from the plane on final.  The second emergency plane would cancel its emergency and land safely as well.  Some transmissions are missing since the LiveATC feed monitors both approach, tower, clearance and ground frequencies.  Running time is 8 minutes.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2015, 10:39:53 PM by ashawley »



Offline Sus_pilot

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Re: Cessna 172 Skyhawk icing emergency KBTV 2015-12-04
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2015, 05:38:08 PM »
And why, in heaven's name, is a 172 in the clouds in icing conditions, asked the the old, gray-haired instrument instructor.

Offline StuSEL

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Re: Cessna 172 Skyhawk icing emergency KBTV 2015-12-04
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2015, 12:31:31 AM »
The controllers did an extremely professional job here. I was quite impressed with the even composure maintained by the approach controller and the pilot of 5DW. Kudos to them!

Offline InterpreDemon

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Re: Cessna 172 Skyhawk icing emergency KBTV 2015-12-04
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2015, 01:36:39 PM »
And why, in heaven's name, is a 172 in the clouds in icing conditions, asked the the old, gray-haired instrument instructor.

Ahhh.... maybe because he was afraid to cancel IFR and duck out of the soup? This could be one of those examples of an instrument rating providing a false sense of security and putting the deceived at greater risk than he would have been had he planned VFR... but there again, like runway behind you there is nothing less useful than an under-utilized rating, so at least he was trying to build up instrument experience. That's why I don't recommend anybody going for their instrument rating until they have at least several hundred hours of mixed weather, night, and scud-running in their log book. Learning how to read and fly around weather is at least as important as learning how to fly through it, and that skill and experience gives you very useful options later when you do get your rating, IME.