Aircraft Icing
Abstract
In aviation, icing is one of the major weather hazards that cause a number of aircraft accidents. It is a hazard that can snowball out of control and cause problems such as reduce aircraft efficiency by increasing weight, reduce lift, decrease thrust and increase drag.
These effects can cause the aircraft to increase stalling speed or cause the aircraft to force downward in flight. Over the years, aircraft engines and airframes have changed dramatically.
Modern day aircraft are aerodynamically less accepting of airfoil contamination than planes preceding them thus, giving the newer era aircraft somewhat of a handicap, creating more avenues for icing problems to arise. Because of this, investigators need to understand the scope of how icing and how it affects aircraft. This paper will discuss the environments that are conducive to icing, ground and in-flight icing, structural and induction icing, how icing affects an aircraft’s system/performance and de-icing.
Airplanes fly all year round. When they fly, they usually go distances that are long and short. They are flown in weather that is warm, cold, rainy and snowy. Airplanes battle all different kinds of elements when on the ground and in the air. For this, there are many precautions taking to make sure these aircraft are safe for flight. But with all the precautions taken there is still one element that hinders aircraft safety. This element is called icing. What is icing? Icing is described to be conditions conducive to icing whenever near or below freezing temperatures and moisture exist together in a given area (www.ntsb.gov). It has been one of the most trying problems aviation has faced over the years. Studies have shown, from 1982-2000, eighty-one percent of all airframe icing accidents took place between the beginning of October and the end of March while month of January had the highest accidents occurring (www.ntsb.gov). Since 1994, the FAA
In aviation, icing is one of the major weather hazards that cause a number of aircraft accidents. It is a hazard that can snowball out of control and cause problems such as reduce aircraft efficiency by increasing weight, reduce lift, decrease thrust and increase drag.
These effects can cause the aircraft to increase stalling speed or cause the aircraft to force downward in flight. Over the years, aircraft engines and airframes have changed dramatically.
Modern day aircraft are aerodynamically less accepting of airfoil contamination than planes preceding them thus, giving the newer era aircraft somewhat of a handicap, creating more avenues for icing problems to arise. Because of this, investigators need to understand the scope of how icing and how it affects aircraft. This paper will discuss the environments that are conducive to icing, ground and in-flight icing, structural and induction icing, how icing affects an aircraft’s system/performance and de-icing.
Airplanes fly all year round. When they fly, they usually go distances that are long and short. They are flown in weather that is warm, cold, rainy and snowy. Airplanes battle all different kinds of elements when on the ground and in the air. For this, there are many precautions taking to make sure these aircraft are safe for flight. But with all the precautions taken there is still one element that hinders aircraft safety. This element is called icing. What is icing? Icing is described to be conditions conducive to icing whenever near or below freezing temperatures and moisture exist together in a given area (www.ntsb.gov). It has been one of the most trying problems aviation has faced over the years. Studies have shown, from 1982-2000, eighty-one percent of all airframe icing accidents took place between the beginning of October and the end of March while month of January had the highest accidents occurring (www.ntsb.gov). Since 1994, the FAA