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Safety Hot Spot: Winter Preflight |
Wintertime takeoffs with a frosted wing can be a drag. Literally. An almost-imperceptible layer of frost or snow can make your takeoff run just slightly longer than the runway available or your initial climb just a few feet lower than a 50-foot obstacle. In fact, a frost- or ice-contaminated wing can cause perils so severe that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) just issued an alert letter to all pilots.
Does your standard winter preflight include being "in touch" with your wing surface? Find out, with the resources provided in this special AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Hot Spot.
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Get Started |
| Here's a review of what you need to know — and bring — before you go. |
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Great Learning Tools |
| Articles and videos from AOPA, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, and the FAA that get you ready for takeoff. |
| Publications
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Videos
Video clips from Icing for General Aviation Pilots, courtesy of the Icing Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center. |
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Take a Checkride |
| Think you're ready? Find out if you're prepared for a winter flight. |
Sporty's Safety Quizzes
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Resources |
Related Web Sites |
- General Aviation Accidents in Takeoff and Climb: Wing Contamination
- Accidents cited in NTSB alert letter to pilots
- Ryan International Airlines
Cleveland, OH (February 17, 1991)
- USAir
Flushing, NY (March 22, 1992)
- Comair
Monroe, MI (January 9, 1997)
- Cessna 208
Dillingham, AK (October 10, 2001)
- Bombardier Challenger
Montrose, CO (November 28, 2004) |
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Updated Tuesday, March 4, 2008 10:55 AM
