I Have over 2000 hrs in Seneca fives so know them reasonably well. These are certified into light icing. I note the poster reported moderate ice. Was this infact moderate or his interpretation of moderate?
For me icing is a scary thing and that comes from experience of having been dripping in the stuff and getting away with it but through that experience I am much more cautious.
One occasion was flying up to Inverness. There was a line of storms crossing Scotland from West to East.
Moving up from the South I was flying airways on top of a solid overcast so that I could eyeball a way through the line of storms ahead. The solid overcast tops kept increasing in altitude. I was then held At FL110 and entered the clouds with a fairly rapid build up. I selected prop heat on and kept an eye on the buildup. I asked for a further climb and was cleared to FL130.
The climb rate was poor and there was a slight vibration.
On top at FL130 unbeknown to me there are three wires which serve the electrical heating on the props and these had sheared which meant there was no anti ice on the left prop( The shearing of the wires was a known problem and later fixed by a Piper approved mod)
The Seneca has counter rotating props and a very large chunk of ice flew off the left prop. It must have projected forwards as the chunk of ice flew across the nose and hit the right prop.
The right prop hurled the chunk of ice into the side of the nose where it punctured a hole and then flew back into the screen disintegrating into a snow storm. I made it into Inverness where it was disovered that the ice had bent one of the three right prop blades.
The above although a complete fluke is totally true.
Icing is a real danger and something not to mess with especially in a light twin deiced/anti iced or not.
Use the deice/anti ice to get out of it not to cruise in it and if controllers wont let you climb or descend get bossy and explain your situation clearly.
Also beware of days when you know you will carry that ice to the ground Its not quite the threat if you know you can loose a few thousand feet and be in warm air still safely above the MSA.
Pace
Last edited by Pace; 30th Oct 2008 at 12:02.