Unexpected Icing

[TWinter]

I started my trip to Kerrville this morning. Was going to spend a few days in Kerrville and the Mooney factory tour. A whole different thread, this is about icing..

I've watched the weather with a vengeance, took a look at all the usual weather sources with diligence. The trip was looking "iffy" as far as clouds and overcast..still MVFR conditions with conditions looking to improve later today. We actually moved our departure time up to 10 am central giving the clouds even more time to lift and temps to rise. The route was KDYR-M18-KTPL-KERV.

As we leave Dyersburg it was in the 40s outside and we knew we would be flying low altitude for a while until the clouds really lifted and parted, according to all the weather sites and briefs it was predicted to lift to solid VFR later in the day the entire route. It would be low altitude, but VFR.

All is well and we are flying along at about 3000', staying below the clouds. The clouds were very tall so climbing above to get out of the moisture was not an option. There was obvious moisture in the air as we got some residual on the windshield, but still MVFR conditions. As we get south of Little Rock we start to notice icing, it was starting to accumulate on the wing leading edge pretty quickly..The Aspen was showing 32 outside air temp. There was about ( I'm just guessing), but thinking about 1/4" of ice covering leading edge of both wings full length and getting thicker in certain places. We had been in the air maybe an 1.2 hrs and still had about another 45 minutes to go before our fuel stop.  

The obvious choice would be to go to a lower altitude for warmer temps..we were already around 3000' so that was not really an option, the E model does not have boots so...short of returning to warming climate (back home) were I knew temps were warmer, less moisture and less clouds..was there any other options that I might have considered other than landing someplace close when I noticed the ice and waiting it out. Climbing higher would have not gained anything ( I don't think) since there was so much moisture just in the air. 

In the end I did decide to head back to Dyersburg and called the trip a bust because of icing. Pushing through would have been catastrophic, I'm sure the ice would have continued to build, If I went higher there was still clouds and moisture and even colder temps.

I headed home kept altitude as low as legal and safe seeking warmer air temps. As we turned back we could see ice falling off the leading edges and by the time I was back to KDYR there was little to no ice left.

I flown in New England snow storms as a low time pilot years ago, not a big deal. Flown through rain etc.. no big deal, but I'll admit I've never seen ice accumulate that fast within an hour and half. Pretty amazing and eye opening. I know some will suggest IFR and so forth..yes, I'm working on it, but this was in MVFR and VFR conditions. I was surprised to see the ice accumulate so quickly. I did not see any changes of the handling or characteristics of the plane.

We aborted the trip and called the good folks at Mooney and told them we had icing in the area..They were very understanding and said we could reschedule when we were ready..

Any other ideas that might have helped the icing or what would you have done? Just curious if I overlooked the obvious. By turning back and getting to warm weather we missed the vacation, but live to fly another day..

 

-Tom    

[peevee]

All us we that ends well. It's disappointing for sure but probably the right choice. I would have turned back also I think. I'm not big on climbing through icing. 

Edited December 15, 2016 by peevee

[Zwaustin]

Can't speak about the conditions to the north but flew from Austin to Kerrville today around lunch and although I held for 30 minutes due to weather and traffic I saw no issues that would turn me around. I'm sure it was colder up north!!

[TWinter]

4 minutes ago, Zwaustin said:

Can't speak about the conditions to the north but flew from Austin to Kerrville today around lunch and although I held for 30 minutes due to weather and traffic I saw no issues that would turn me around. I'm sure it was colder up north!!

I know...I called Austin at the FBO at Kerrville to cancel the rental car and told him the trip was a bust because of ice up here. I asked how's your weather was..he said "great weather" here!! All the weather apps, FF and GPilot still showed MVFR there.. I thought to myself well crap..Wondering should I have pushed on or done something different..hence the post.

 

-Tom

[Hank]

4 minutes ago, Zwaustin said:

Can't speak about the conditions to the north but flew from Austin to Kerrville today . . . I saw no issues that would turn me around. I'm sure it was colder up north!!

Gee, I've never though of Memphis as being "up north."  

[201er]

Did you get a briefing? Were there airmets for icing and what was the freezing level? Preps? Pay attention to temperatures aloft and check out the skewt logp ruc soundings. It may actually be warmer to climb and hang in the soup! Sounds counterintuitive but I've had trips along the east coast where it would be barely above freezing on the ground, lower as you go up, and then warmer again higher still in the inversion layer. The problem is climbing/descending because you may be picking up ice in the colder air below. But if it happens that it is VMC at departue/destination or warmer there, it may be possible to stay in the warm inversion layer all the way without one bit of ice. 

I don't know what the situation was for you or if this would have been possible. Certainly not advising it. You have to evaluate on a case by case basis. But if you pay close attention to the weather information, ask for pireps, and have an out, there are ways to get IFR through some winter weather without icing.

You definitely made the right decision if you are back unharmed and you were comfortable with it. Just sharing some experience for conversation and ideas.

Edited December 15, 2016 by 201er

[Piloto]

This is were having icing info onboard helps: http://www.aviationweather.gov/icing/fip At 3,000ft should be no problem getting the website. You could have change your heading to get out of the icing or maybe the icing area ahead was small. Either way you needed to know the icing conditions around  you. It helps to know before departure the icing areas along the route so you can plan deviations or postpone the trip.

José

[Cruiser]

17 minutes ago, TWinter said:

Wondering should I have pushed on or done something different..hence the post.

One thing is certain, you did the right thing by not continuing on in known icing conditions. Once you start getting ice it is time to react, which you did. Nice job.

There will be lots of opinions on how to react, but you did the right thing.

[TWinter]

1 minute ago, Piloto said:

This is were having icing info onboard helps: http://www.aviationweather.gov/icing/fip At 3,000ft should be no problem getting the website. You could have change your heading to get out of the icing or maybe the icing area ahead was small. Either way you needed to know the icing conditions around  you. It helps to know before departure the icing areas along the route so you can plan deviations or postpone the trip.

José

Good website..Unfortunately, west was worse as there was still cold temps, residual moisture and low clouds, to the east it was stalled and moving out slowly, slower than they predicted I think. Nothing was showing when we left with respect to ice..actually the forecasts were warmer along the route. Just seeing what others would have done. We've always been taught during PPL and even most recently during IFR work to get lower to warmer temps when you encounter ice.When your already on the deck there are not many options..It was just interesting how quickly nothing became full ice coverage along the leading edge. Something to take in consideration this time of year..

 

-Tom

[Zwaustin]

19 minutes ago, Hank said:

Gee, I've never though of Memphis as being "up north."  

North to us Texans yes, to anyone else no not at all!!

[takair]

Tom

You probably did the right thing.  Do you have ADS-B or XM?  Since you were VMC and in visible moisture, it should have shown up in a radar image....but not always.  In the clouds, it may not have shown up as precip but still caused icing. Anyway, if you had an image of the precip you may have been able to determine if there was a way around the precip or if you were nearly through.  

[PTK]

38 minutes ago, TWinter said:

I know...I called Austin at the FBO at Kerrville to cancel the rental car and told him the trip was a bust because of ice up here. I asked how's your weather was..he said "great weather" here!! All the weather apps, FF and GPilot still showed MVFR there.. I thought to myself well crap..Wondering should I have pushed on or done something different..hence the post.

 

-Tom

Tom, you did absolutely the right thing. Excellent decision making.

Job number one is to act and exit the icing conditions. This means alter course, altitude or both.

Altitude change was not an option so you  elected to turn back. Typically you would need to climb at least 2-3K feet above the freezing level in hopes of getting out of icing.

I would've done exactly the same thing in those circumstances.

 

[201er]

Here is a perfect example of a skewt logp sounding that shows increasing temperatures aloft in the inversion layer. So between 900-700mb, 3000-10000ft in this case, it is above freezing. The warmest temperature is around 5000ft. So in a case like this, climbing up from 3000 to 5000 would actually stop/reduce the icing!

This doesn't happen all the time. Certain air masses lead to this more than others. You have to use all available information and analyze each flight on a case by case basis. Always have an out. And if things aren't going as forecast or you are in over your head, use your out. And then come back to Mooneyspace where the Monday night quarterbacks can suggest what to do.

Edited December 15, 2016 by 201er

[TWinter]

1 minute ago, takair said:

Tom

You probably did the right thing.  Do you have ADS-B or XM?  Since you were VMC and in visible moisture, it should have shown up in a radar image....but not always.  In the clouds, it may not have shown up as precip but still caused icing. Anyway, if you had an image of the precip you may have been able to determine if there was a way around the precip or if you were nearly through.  

I actually had both..GDL88 and still have XM on the 560. The only areas showing any precip was much further SW of us..several hundred miles.

[peevee]

2 minutes ago, PTK said:

Tom, you did absolutely the right thing. Excellent decision making.

Job number one is to act and exit the icing conditions. This means alter course, altitude or both.

Altitude change was not an option so you  elected to turn back. You would've had to climb at least 2-3K feet above the freezing level in hopes of getting out of icing.

I would've done exactly the same thing in those circumstances.

 

Even if he climbed out of it no telling if he could shed that ice, and then had to carry it until the fuel stop and risk accumulating more on the way down until in warmer air. 

I agree getting out ASAP was the way to go. 

[201er]

Just now, peevee said:

Even if he climbed out of it no telling if he could shed that ice, and then had to carry it until the fuel stop and risk accumulating more on the way down until in warmer air. 

I agree getting out ASAP was the way to go. 

I wasn't suggesting climbing out. Climbing out can be risky if you run out of power or the icing gets worse. However, if you know it is warmer higher, you file that higher altitude and fly in it in the first place and don't get any ice to begin with.

[TWinter]

Thanks for all the input..I knew it would a good topic to toss out as I was sitting here at home wondering if there was something different I could have done..like pressing on and having a big thick steak in Kerrville at McStealth's Steak House, instead I sit here in Tennessee re-evaluating the flight eating a lousy tuna sandwich  

 

-Tom

[carusoam]

Summary...

1) Climb to warmer or drier air.

2) descend to warmer or drier air.

3) turn towards warmer or drier or air.

4) U-turn.  The standard of VFR practices

5) Sources of weather ADSB or XM. nice for its pictorial nature while aloft.

6) Talk to somebody on the radio.  There is a weather resource called Flight Watch ( I believe ) on a standard frequency.  Look this up in your IFR books.

7) Don't be afraid to ask ATC for some help.  They are pretty good at handing you a frequency.

8) expect that there is a time when a Mooney can't get directly from point A to Point B.

9) Planning in advance is all about knowing where the freezing level is.  The days when it is near freezing on the ground really starts to get dangerous with low clouds.

10) land and planmthe next steps...

Nicely handled, Tom.  Even with an expensive FIKI system, we all still need to climb, descend, or go around.  FIKI gives an IFR pilot the ability To climb through a known layer into dryer, colder or warmer air...

PP advice, not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

 

[mccdeuce]

Flying a helicopter with anti-ice and de-ice equipment I am terrified of icing.  Flying a single engine airplane with no de-ice equipment I am more than terrified and I just don't do it.  

This is where the discussion of IR on another thread is something of importance.  The IR training should teach you more about weather, where to get information and how to process that information.  For this flight having an IR should not have changed your decision.  Go warmer or land. Only options and need that to be done ASAP.  So you made the right decision. 

There is no flying condition called MVFR.  Recommend removing it from your planning process.  IMC or VMC. 

[201er]

1 minute ago, carusoam said:

6) Talk to somebody on the radio.  There is a weather resource called Flight Watch ( I believe ) on a standard frequency.  Look this up in your IFR books.

Hate to break it to you but that's been decommissioned since you've been gone...

[peevee]

I beleive flight watch is no more. 

[carusoam]

I celebrated five years just yesterday! 

Next thing you know my ADF approach is going to be decommissioned.

Best regards,

-a-

[1964-M20E]

safe flight even if you had to return home = right choice

 

 

[Marauder]

I celebrated five years just yesterday! 
Next thing you know my ADF approach is going to be decommissioned.
Best regards,
-a-

But you made it to a flyin without getting lost! That's progress.


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[Jeev]

Thanks for sharing and good call on turning back I would have done the same.  Best course of action in icing is to get out ASAP.