In our last issue (#886, October 12, 2022), we covered icing conditions that can affect a carburetor. Today, via a report from the TSB, we want to make you aware of another form of icing, that of the airframe and control surfaces of your aircraft. It's the season for that. We hope that the lessons learned from this unfortunate accident can put you on the lookout for such flight conditions and assist you in your decision-making.
On April 22, 2022, a Mooney M20K (C-GQMS) was operating on a round-trip IFR flight plan from Springbank (CYBW), Alberta with 2 pilots on board. During the approach to runway 35, the aircraft descended and struck the ground 0.6 NM short of the runway. The pilot seated on the left was fatally injured and the pilot seated on the right sustained serious injuries. There was no post-impact fire.
The TSB's safety message at the conclusion of this report is as follows:
Pilots must be diligent when checking the weather before a flight by consulting all available weather resources, including NAV CANADA flight information centres, and reviewing all available weather products, including pilot reports and special weather reports, for the area of the planned flight.
Weather conditions that are conducive to icing are difficult to predict. If icing is encountered when flying aircraft that are not certified for icing conditions, it is imperative that pilots exit the icing conditions immediately. Additionally, pilots should treat this situation as an emergency and declare it as such in order to obtain all available assistance.
You can view the TSB report HERE
Photo: Transportation Safety Board Report A22W0027
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