Among the investigation reports listed on the National Transportation Safety Board's ("NTSB") website since January 1995 involving fatalities, 49 mention icing as a factor. Based on these accident reports, 105 people have died within the last five years in incidents related to aircraft icing.
Icing, the accumulation of super cooled liquid water on an aircraft, continues to be a persistent problem for aviation. An aircraft flying through a cloud containing super cooled droplets accumulates ice on the front portions of the airframe including, but not limited to, the wings, tail plane, and air intakes. Ice deposits on wing and tail plane surfaces can cause increased drag, decreased lift, and control problems. Ice accumulations in engine air intakes may result in power plant failure. |
