On December 29, 1986, a Piper PA-32-301 (registration N8281Y) operated by Tradewinds Aviation, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Wheeling, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot attempted flight although PIREPs for icing had been issued during weather briefing from FSS and aircraft was not equipped for icing conditions. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot took off despite icing PIREPs and lacking de-icing equipment. After reporting instrument problems and ice accumulation, the pilot lost and regained control. A forced landing resulted in a runway overrun and collision with a guardrail.
Incident Summary
A pilot initiated a flight after receiving a weather briefing from a Flight Service Station that included PIREPs for icing conditions. The aircraft was not equipped for flight into known icing. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the aircraft's flight instruments were malfunctioning and subsequently reported accumulating approximately one-half inch of ice on the airframe.
Flight Details
During the flight, the pilot stated that he lost and then regained control of the aircraft at least once. The pilot remained in contact with ATC for about 45 minutes before deciding to perform a forced landing.
Landing and Aftermath
The forced landing was conducted on a runway. During the landing rollout, the aircraft overran the runway and collided with a guardrail. The pilot's decision to fly despite the icing PIREPs and the aircraft's lack of icing equipment was noted in the investigation.
Probable cause
The pilot attempted flight although PIREPs for icing had been issued during weather briefing from FSS and aircraft was not equipped for icing conditions.