27 Feb 2017: SOCATA TBM700 B — 4197802 Manitoba Ltd.

27 Feb 2017: SOCATA TBM700 B — 4197802 Manitoba Ltd.

No fatalities • Bellingham, WA, United States

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to properly deice the airplane before takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the initial climb.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

The pilot reported that during the preflight it was snowing and he wiped the snow that had accumulated on the wings off "as best as [he] could". He added that while taxiing to the runway, "snow was falling heavily" and he observed "light accumulation of wet snow" on the wings. During the takeoff roll, he observed the snow "sloughing off" the wings as the airspeed increased. Subsequently, during the climb about 150 ft above the ground, the airplane yawed to the left, and he attempted to recover using right aileron. He reported that he "could see a stall forming" so he lowered the nose and reduced power to idle. The airplane impacted the general aviation ramp in a left wing down attitude and slid 500 to 600 ft.

The pilot reported on the National Transportation Safety Board Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report 6120.1 form that the airplane stalled and he recommended "better deicing" before takeoff.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station, located on the airport, revealed that about 27 minutes before the accident the wind was 010° at 8 knots, ½ mile visibility; moderate snow, freezing fog, sky condition broken at 500 ft above ground level (agl) and overcast at 1,500 ft agl. The airplane departed runway 16.

The Federal Aviation Administration Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) stated in part: "The presence of aircraft airframe icing during takeoff, typically caused by improper or no deicing of the aircraft being accomplished prior to flight has contributed to many recent accidents in turbine aircraft." The manual further stated: "Ensure that your aircraft's lift-generating surfaces are COMPLETELY free of contamination before flight through a tactile (hands on) check of the critical surfaces when feasible. Even when otherwise permitted, operators should avoid smooth or polished frost on lift-generating surfaces as an acceptable preflight condition."

The Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular, AC 135-17, stated in part: "Test data indicate that ice, snow, or frost formations having thickness and surface roughness similar to medium or course sandpaper on the leading edge and upper surfaces of a wing can reduce wing lift by as much as 30 percent and increase drag by 40 percent."

Included in the public docket for this report is a copy of a service bulletin from the airplane manufacturer, which describes de-icing and anti-icing ground procedures. It stated in part:

"During conditions conducive to aeroplane icing during ground operations, take-off shall not be attempted when ice, snow, slush or frost is present or adhering to the wings, propellers, control surfaces, engine inlets or other critical surfaces.

This is known as the "Clean Aircraft Concept". Any deposit of ice, snow or frost on the external surfaces may drastically affect its performance due to reduced aerodynamic lift and increased drag resulting from the disturbed airflow."

Contributing factors

  • cause Pilot
  • cause Pilot
  • cause Capability exceeded
  • cause Effect on equipment
  • Effect on operation
  • Pilot

Conditions

Weather
IMC, wind 010/08kt

Loading the flight search…

What you can do on Flight Finder

  • Search flights between any two airports with live fares.
  • By aircraft — pick a plane model (e.g. Boeing 787, Airbus A350) and see every route it flies from your origin.
  • Route map — click any airport worldwide to explore its destinations, or draw a radius to find nearby airports.
  • Global aviation safety — aviation accident database, 5,200+ records since 1980, with map and rankings by aircraft and operator.
  • NTSB safety feed — recent U.S. aviation accidents and incidents from the official NTSB CAROL database, updated daily.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search flights by aircraft type on FlightFinder?

Pick an aircraft model — Boeing 737, Airbus A320, A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and more — enter your origin airport, and FlightFinder shows every route that plane flies from there with live fares.

Which aircraft types can I filter by?

We support Boeing 737/747/757/767/777/787, the full Airbus A220/A319/A320/A321/A330/A340/A350/A380 family, Embraer E170/E175/E190/E195, Bombardier CRJ and Dash 8, and the ATR 42/72 turboprops.

Is FlightFinder free to use?

Search and schedules are free. Pro ($4.99/month, $39/year, or $99 one-time lifetime) unlocks the enriched flight card — on-time stats, CO₂ per passenger, amenities, live gate & weather — plus My Trips with push alerts.

Where does the route data come from?

Live schedules come from Amadeus, AeroDataBox and Travelpayouts. Observed routes (which aircraft actually flew a given city pair) are crowdsourced from adsb.lol ADS-B data under the Open Database License.