More should be done to protect the Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia from icing, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has told the US Federal Aviation Administration, recommending improved crew training and operational techniques.
The NTSB agrees with the FAA's proposal to require the installation of ice-detection systems on the Brasilia (Flight International, 28 May-3 June), commenting that "-as the EMB-120 event history demonstrates, in certain conditions the flightcrew may not recognise, or act on, visual and/or performance cues of ice accretion. The safety of the EMB-120 would be greatly enhanced by the installation of automated ice-detection and alerting equipment."
The NTSB insists, nevertheless, that flight-operational measures are required also. It now recommends minimum airspeeds for all flap settings and phases of flight, especially in icing conditions.
Past EMB-120 incidents show that "-flightcrews-either were not aware of ice accretion, or did not believe that it was severe enough to activate the de-ice boots. This suggests that better information is needed to recognise conditions that warrant activating the de-ice boots," says the NTSB.
Source: Flight International
