CRJ And Second In Flight Of Two Reported Successfully Dealing With Ice Build-Up

The crew of a Bombardier CRJ holding near the airport at Pueblo, CO, reported icing shortly prior to landing, according to the NTSB. At the same time, a Cessna Citation 560 went down on the approach, killing all eight people on board. Although by no means a finding of probable cause, the icing report could shed light on why the Citation went down with no prior indication of trouble.

There were three aircraft in close proximity to the airport that morning. The Citation was one of two aircraft on a Part 91 mission on February 16th, carrying Circuit City employees from Richmond, VA, to Santa Ana, CA. The accident aircraft was operated by Martinair. The third aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-200, was holding near the airport, waiting for the other aircraft to land.

According to the NTSB report:

An AIRMET for icing conditions had been issued by the National Weather Service on the day of the accident and was valid at the time of the accident and included the accident location. It was issued at 1445 UTC and valid until 2100 UTC. In part, it forecasted occasional moderate rime and/or mixed icing in clouds and precipitation between the freezing level (i.e., the ground) and 22,000 feet.

As the accident aircraft and its "sister ship" (also a Citation), approached Pueblo, according to the NTSB report:

The captain of the sister ship stated that his flight was in and out of the clouds on their descent from 10,000 feet into PUB. He indicated that they were picking up some rime ice, but that operation of the deicing boots was effectively shedding the ice. The captain of the sister ship stated that after communication with the accident airplane had been lost, they were vectored around to land on runway 8L.

Ice was also an issue for the circling Bombardier, according to the preliminary report:

The captain of the holding airplane, a Bombardier CRJ-200, stated that he had requested a holding altitude of 8,000 feet over PUB. Air traffic control (ATC) informed him of icing conditions at 8,000 feet but he stated that he would try it. He stated that as the flight descended to 8,000 feet and into instrument meteorological conditions, the icing light in his airplane illuminated. He immediately requested and received 9,000 feet to exit the icing conditions. He said he was above the cloud layer and mostly in the clear at 9,000 feet. He characterized the icing as rime icing but couldn't state the accumulation rate or its severity.

The accident aircraft was briefly vectored south for separation from the CRJ, then cleared for the ILS approach. The radio log stated:

• 16:06:11, LC [Local Controller] citation zero alpha tango affirmative runway two six right for the ils traffic holding over the airport is a regional jet at niner thousand report if you get him in sight
• 16:06:20, N500AT [accident aircraft] ok i'll be looking and uh looking for the ils two six right
• 16:08:06, LC citation zero alpha tango roger that traffic is eleven moving twelve o'clock and niner miles turning northbound at niner thousand
• 16:08:14, N500AT ok we're out of ten now hurrying on down to seven and he must be imc
• 16:08:18, LC uh negative he's just on top
• 16:08:24, N500AT ok but we're imc now at ninety four hundred alpha tango
• 16:08:28, LC citation zero alpha tango turn left heading of one seven zero
• 16:08:55, LC citation zero alpha tango turn right heading two niner zero intercept the localizer inbound traffic is five miles west of your position level at niner thousand maintain seven thousand until established cleared approach
• 16:11:09, LC citation zero foxtrot uh or correction uh cita or correction citation zero alpha tango you're cleared approach just remain with me runway two six right cleared to land
• 16:11:19, N500AT ok five alpha tango cleared to land with you at seven thousand intercepting the glide slope

The accident occurred less than two minutes later.

The crew of the other Citation said they had flown the accident aircraft just the day before, noting no maintenance or operational problems.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov