# Incident 20150422006369I: Bombardier Inc DHC-8-311, Newark, NJ, April 22, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 22, 2015, 14:50 local time
- Place: Newark, NJ
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: JJBA
- Location: 40.7242° N, 74.1726° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Newark, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7242&lon=-74.1726&mi=10
- Aircraft: N857CA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N857CA-2021-09-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bombardier DHC-8-311 (registry code 1390010, https://openairdocs.org/model/bombardier-dhc-8-311) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 (registry code 52129, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw123) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BOMBARDIER INC DHC-8-311
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW123
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150422006369I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

- [Incident 20151225019199I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151225019199I), Dec 25, 2015: Bombardier Inc DHC-8-311 (N857CA), Rochester, NY, No damage. On 12/25/2015 at approx. 15:13 jjba flight 3585 returned and landed at roc rwy 04 after declaring an emergency due to an uncommanded propeller feathering event…
- [Incident 20120729013549I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120729013549I), Jul 29, 2012: Bombardier Inc DHC-8-311 (N857CA), Baltimore, MD, Substantial damage. On July 29, 2012 commutair flight dba united express # 853 a DHC-8-300, landed on runway 33R at 17:27 EST and taxied to gate D12. At 18:44 EST united dispatch…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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