What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While operating flight 4855 from ewr to iad the crew encountered severe icing which caused equipment failures and a diversion to abe.
During the climb out of ewr, the crew noticed an area of moderate precipitation northeast of the etx VOR on the weather radar. The crew requested a turn to the left (direct to lrp) to avoid the build up and go through an area of little to no precipitation. The request was denied twice. Upon switching frequencies to 120.85 (NY app) the left turn request to lrp was granted. The crew changed heading to go direct to the lrp VOR. The crew then leveled off at 14,000 feet. Upon reaching 14000 the crew began to fly into light precipitation, the icing equipment was then turned on. The captain then noticed a very rapid change in the OAT. The temperature dropped from -1C to -17 c in less than 10 seconds. The captain then looked over his shoulder at the wing and saw the airplane gathering ice extremely quickly. Before the flight crew could react, they noticed the airspeed plummeting to zero. The pitot heat 1 and 2 caution lights then illuminated. The flight crew immediately requested a lower altitude while declaring an emergency for encountering severe icing. A descent was given to 12,000 feet. At 12,000 feet, the crew stated the airplane was still picking up ice, with zero airspeed indicated. The crew then descended to 8,000 feet where they broke out of the clouds and encountered positive air temperatures. Shortly after, the ice blocking the pitot tubes broke off and airspeed indications returned. The flight landed overweight, but without incident.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE OPERATING FLIGHT 4855 FROM EWR TO IAD THE CREW ENCOUNTERED SEVERE ICING WHICH CAUSED EQUIPMENT FAILURES AND A DIVERSION TO ABE.
DURING THE CLIMB OUT OF EWR, THE CREW NOTICED AN AREA OF MODERATE PRECIPITATION NORTHEAST OF THE ETX VOR ON THE WEATHER RADAR. THE CREW REQUESTED A TURN TO THE LEFT (DIRECT TO LRP) TO AVOID THE BUILD UP AND GO THROUGH AN AREA OF LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED TWICE. UPON SWITCHING FREQUENCIES TO 120.85 (NY APP) THE LEFT TURN REQUEST TO LRP WAS GRANTED. THE CREW CHANGED HEADING TO GO DIRECT TO THE LRP VOR. THE CREW THEN LEVELED OFF AT 14,000 FEET. UPON REACHING 14000 THE CREW BEGAN TO FLY INTO LIGHT PRECIPITATION, THE ICING EQUIPMENT WAS THEN TURNED ON. THE CAPTAIN THEN NOTICED A VERY RAPID CHANGE IN THE OAT. THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED FROM -1C TO -17 C IN LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. THE CAPTAIN THEN LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDER AT THE WING AND SAW THE AIRPLANE GATHERING ICE EXTREMELY QUICKLY. BEFORE THE FLIGHT CREW COULD REACT, THEY NOTICED THE AIRSPEED PLUMMETING TO ZERO. THE PITOT HEAT 1 AND 2 CAUTION LIGHTS THEN ILLUMINATED. THE FLIGHT CREW IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE WHILE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY FOR ENCOUNTERING SEVERE ICING. A DESCENT WAS GIVEN TO 12,000 FEET. AT 12,000 FEET, THE CREW STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL PICKING UP ICE, WITH ZERO AIRSPEED INDICATED. THE CREW THEN DESCENDED TO 8,000 FEET WHERE THEY BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND ENCOUNTERED POSITIVE AIR TEMPERATURES. SHORTLY AFTER, THE ICE BLOCKING THE PITOT TUBES BROKE OFF AND AIRSPEED INDICATIONS RETURNED. THE FLIGHT LANDED OVERWEIGHT, BUT WITHOUT INCIDENT.
Other reports on N857CA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.