Section X
Safety Information
~ft
Twin Engine (Piston)
Approved Airplane Flight Manual, especially the sec-
tions on Normal Procedures, Emergency Procedures,
Abnormal Procedures, Systems, and Safety Informa-
tion.
• FAA Advisory Circulars 91-51 Airplane Deice and Anti-
ice Systems
• FAA Advisory Circulars 135-9
:-Icing Limitations
• Weather Flying by Robert N. Buck.
Finally, the most important ingredients to safe flight in icing
conditions - regardless of the airplane or the combination of
deicing/anti-icing equipment - are a complete and current
weather briefing, sound pilot judgement, close attention to
the rate and type of ice accumulations, and the knowledge
that "severe icing" as defined by the National Weather Ser-
vice is beyond the capability of modern airplanes and imme-
diate diversion must be made. It is the inexperienced or
uneducated pilot who presses on "regardless", hoping that
steadily worsening conditions will improve, only to find him-
self flying an airplane which has become so loaded with ice
that he can no longer maintain altitude. At this point he has
lost most, if not all, of his safety options, including perhaps a
180 degree turn to return along the course already traveled.
The responsible and well-informed pilot recognizes the limi-
tations of weather conditions, his airplane and its systems,
and reacts promptly.
WEATHER RADAR
Airborne weather avoidance radar is, as its name implies,
for avoiding severe weather--not for penetrating it. Whether
to fly into an area of radar echoes depends on echo inten-
sity and shape, spacing between the echoes, and the capa-
bilities of you and your airplane. Remember that weather
radar detects only precipitation drops. Therefore, the radar
scope provides no assurance of avoiding turbulence. The
radar scope also does not provide assurance of avoiding
10-36
May, 1994
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