NTSB -- NTSB CHAIRMAN HERSMAN TESTIFIES ON AIRCRAFT ICING

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 24, 2010

SB-10-04

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NTSB CHAIRMAN HERSMAN TESTIFIES ON AIRCRAFT ICING

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NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman today, in testimony

before the House Aviation Subcommittee, Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure, discussed the dangers of

aircraft flying in icing conditions and highlighted

longstanding Safety Board recommendations that have yet to

be adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration to address

the issue.

Reducing the dangers of flying in icing conditions has been

on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety

Improvements since 1997. Last week, the NTSB voted to keep

the issue area, along with its four open recommendations to

the FAA, on the 2010 Most Wanted List with a "red"

classification. The red classification indicates an

unacceptable response by the FAA.

"Although the NTSB relies on others to implement these

recommendations, we have worked to educate the pilot

community about some of the hazards associated with icing

conditions through our Safety Alerts," Hersman said.

In 1981, the NTSB published a report titled "Aircraft Icing

Avoidance and Protection" and recommended the FAA review

icing certification criteria. The special study followed a

series of icing-related accidents where aircraft operating

in icing conditions and the varying consequences that ice

accretion had on different types of aircraft raised concern,

In the 1990s the NTSB re-examined the issue of airframe

structural icing and concluded that the icing certification

process continues to be inadequate. The Board also became

concerned about airplanes that fly in supercooled large

droplet conditions and that used pneumatic boots to deice

the aircraft in flight. In the last decade, the Board has

investigated more than 50 accidents involving aircraft

icing, resulting in over 200 fatalities and it continues to

investigate accidents where icing is a factor.

In the last few years, the FAA has addressed some of the

recommendations related to icing by issuing a number of

final and proposed regulations. However, not all of the

NTSB's recommendations on icing have been addressed.

The full text of Chairman Hersman's testimony is available

on the Board's web site at:

http://ntsb.gov/Speeches/hersman/daph100224.html

NTSB Media Contact: Terry N. Williams

(202) 314-6126

williat@xxxxxxxx

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