There are many environmental factor that affect aircraft performance, however, for this blog post I have chosen to discuss icing. In a study conducted by the ACTF in the  2011 – 2015 period, they found that in LOC-I accidents, 42% met with meteorological threats, of this percentage, 40% encountered icing conditions. Hence, this threat plays a substantial part in the total number of LOC-I disasters. When big convective clouds hold vast amounts of super-cooled water liquid droplets being below 0 degrees Celsius, these droplets are inclined to freezing instantaneously and adhering to the airframe. When not overcome by in-place anti-icing systems, these droplets can result in a decrease of lift and an increase in weight of the airframe which due to the implications of aerodynamics, may lead to a decrease in aircraft performance, resulting in a catastrophe. Icing in engine intakes can disrupt the engine gas path, as well as icing in probes and sensors can cause system failures and automation loss. When an airplane is on the ground, significant icing can also develop. In order to prevent LOC-I accidents and accidents in general regarding accidents, the best practice is prevention. When on ground, during pre-flight checks, pilots and maintenance workers must be on the lookout for ice, frost, and snow contamination. If ice is seen, the required de-icing and anti-icing protocols must be completed prior to flight to safeguard the plane, its passengers and staff (IATA 2016). When in flight, exit the conditions immediately if you detect substantial performance reduction. Ice protection systems are best used as a security tactic to buy time until the icing conditions are no longer present or you are able to exit. In every in-flight icing emergency, there are normally 5 safety outlets and a priority handling device.  A pilot has the ability to climb, descend, continue, divert, and return (RocketRoute, 2021)


Resources:

RocketRoute. (2021, July 28). Flying in Icing Conditions and Useful Flight Planning Icing Reports. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.rocketroute.com/blog/flying-in-icing-conditions-and-useful-flight-planning-icing-reports


IATA. (2016). Environmental Factors Affecting Loss of Control In-Flight. FlightSafety. https://flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IATA-guidance-loci-environmental-factors-affecting-loci-1st-edition.pdf

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