How the FAA Handled Aircraft De-Icing
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, seven U.S. accidents that killed at least 100 people during the past 12 years were caused at least in part by a buildup of ice on aircraft wings. Despite repeated warnings that some planes were more susceptible to icing, it took years and numerous fatal crashes before the Federal Aviation Administration changed de-icing rules.
* Dec. 27, 1968: Ozark Airlines DC-9 crashes on takeoff in Sioux City, Iowa; 3 injured.
* March 14, 1973: McDonnell Douglas reports several DC-9 “control problems that may be related to heavy and unexpected airframe icing.”
* Jan. 26, 1974: Turkish Airlines Fokker F-28 crashes; 66 dead.
* Nov. 14, 1980: NTSB makes de-icing-related recommendations in a letter to the FAA.
* February, 1981: FAA begins a study of problem, but stops for lack of resources and support.
* Sept. 24, 1981: NTSB, as a result of a special study on aircraft icing avoidance, makes four additional recommendations to FAA.
* Jan. 13, 1982: Air Florida Boeing 737 crashes in Washington, D.C.; 78 dead.
* Jan. 28, 1982: NTSB makes 10 more safety recommendations to FAA to prevent icing-related accidents.
* Aug. 10, 1982: NTSB says de-icing problems with Boeing 737s “were first reported over 10 years ago,” but preventive actions taken by both manufacturer and FAA have been limited to dissemination of advisory information.
* Dec. 17, 1982: FAA issues advisory emphasizing danger of icy wings and suggesting practices for flight crews.
* Jan. 4, 1983: NTSB letter to FAA says it is “unrealistic to expect” flight crews to detect small accumulations of ice or snow at night or during times of poor visibility.
* Feb. 5, 1985: After DC-9 freight liner crashes in Philadelphia, NTSB recommends that DC-9 flight manuals emphasize hazards of even a small amount of wing ice.
* Feb. 27, 1986: Airborne Express issues warning that “special precautions” must be taken when preparing a DC-9 for departure in freezing weather.
* Nov. 15, 1987: Continental Airlines DC-9 crashes in Denver; 28 dead.
* March 29, 1988: FAA, having learned that advisory issued after Air Florida crash was not widely distributed before Continental crash, reissues advisory.
* March 10, 1989: Air Ontario Fokker F-28 crashes in Dryden, Ontario; 24 dead.
* Feb. 17, 1991: NTSB issues third series of recommendations on de-icing after DC-9 cargo flight crashes in Cleveland; 2 dead.
* February, 1992: FAA decides to conduct survey to determine which aircraft have wings that are ice-sensitive.
* March 9, 1992: McDonnell Douglas acknowledges that DC-9s “are more susceptible to loss of lift due to wing icing.”
* March 22, 1992: After sitting in freezing temperatures for nearly 30 minutes after second de-icing, USAir Fokker F-28 crashes in New York; 27 dead.
* Sept. 25, 1992: FAA issues detailed ice-removal regulations affecting all airlines, says 16 accidents in 10 years attributable to this problem, many involving fatalities.
* Oct. 21, 1992: Air Line Pilots Assn. tells NTSB that cause of USAir crash was “failure of the FAA and airline operators to take adequate steps to improve aircraft de/anti-ice standards and procedures.”
Source: National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration
Researched by JEFF BRAZIL and SHELBY GRAD / Los Angeles Times
