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We all know certain weather can cause ice to form on an aircraft, and the danger it poses. Obviously the best way is to avoid flying near these areas in the first place.

Let's say I happen to fly into one. Aircrafts have de-ice equipment such as de-icing boots, pitot heat, engine de-ice etc; but sitting there and flying through the ice-cold cloud does not seem to be a good idea. So something must be done to get the aircraft out of icing conditions asap.

What is the best course of action? Should I descend at normal speed? Or descend and pick up speed? Climb? Perform a 180? Would a weather radar (which reflects precipitations) help?

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    $\begingroup$ Chapter 8.2.2 Normal Procedures section of CAA Aircraft Icing Handbook (New Zealand) and AOPA Aircraft Icing $\endgroup$
    – mins
    Oct 1, 2015 at 6:43
  • $\begingroup$ Depends on the aircraft. In Schweizer 2-32, a terminal-velocity vertical dive with spoilers open might be wise. $\endgroup$
    – quiet flyer
    Jan 6, 2022 at 19:43

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well, you'd have to fly in whatever is the shortest route out of the icing conditions, obviously.
What that would be depends on your speed, wind, climb/descent performance, and how you entered icing conditions.
If you entered icing by climbing, diving may well get you out of it (but if you were climbing to avoid terrain...).
If you were turning left, turning right might do it (but were you turning left to avoid collisions?).
Etc. Etc.
IOW there's no universal answer, it's way too situational.

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Aircrafts have de-ice equipment such as de-icing boots, pitot heat, engine de-ice etc;

Not all aircraft (in particular light GA ones) have equipment to deal with structural ice, and ones without it account for most icing-related crashes.

Carb ice does cause a crash now and then, but forgetting to apply carb heat is obvious pilot error. Pitot ice won’t directly cause a crash, but likewise, forgetting to apply pitot heat is obvious pilot error.

but sitting there and flying through the ice-cold cloud does not seem to be a good idea.

If you’re equipped for the rate of ice accumulation, then there’s no problem. Airliners knowingly fly into trace, light and even moderate icing conditions every day. They monitor the situation to make sure the ice is not building up faster than the plane can shed it, but in most cases, it’s a non-event.

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