What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft encountered severe icing approximately 80 miles east of kotzebue, enroute to Kobuk. The aircraft was unable to maintain minimum IFR altitude due to ice accumulation and had to turn to the south, towards lower terrain, where eventually the aircraft descended low enough to shed ice and maintain visual conditions. The aircraft then proceeded VFR back to the origin (kotzebue). During the emergency, at IFR enroute altitude, the PIC was unable to maintain radio communications directly with ATC due to lack of communications infrastructure in this area.
Occasional moderate icing was forecast for the area.
The aircraft may not have been released in accordance with the general operations manual risk assessment procedure for category 2, d: "no AWOS - this would indicate that there is not any official weather from an approved FAA source on the field". This would have increased the risk category for the operation, however, it would not have prevented release. The reason for non-compliance with their procedure is due to misinterpretation of 135.213(b), which was also discovered as a result of this investigation.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE ICING APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES EAST OF KOTZEBUE, ENROUTE TO KOBUK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM IFR ALTITUDE DUE TO ICE ACCUMULATION AND HAD TO TURN TO THE SOUTH, TOWARDS LOWER TERRAIN, WHERE EVENTUALLY THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED LOW ENOUGH TO SHED ICE AND MAINTAIN VISUAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED VFR BACK TO THE ORIGIN (KOTZEBUE). DURING THE EMERGENCY, AT IFR ENROUTE ALTITUDE, THE PIC WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN RADIO COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTLY WITH ATC DUE TO LACK OF COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS AREA.
OCCASIONAL MODERATE ICING WAS FORECAST FOR THE AREA.
THE AIRCRAFT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL OPERATIONS MANUAL RISK ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE FOR CATEGORY 2, D: "NO AWOS - THIS WOULD INDICATE THAT THERE IS NOT ANY OFFICIAL WEATHER FROM AN APPROVED FAA SOURCE ON THE FIELD". THIS WOULD HAVE INCREASED THE RISK CATEGORY FOR THE OPERATION, HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED RELEASE. THE REASON FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR PROCEDURE IS DUE TO MISINTERPRETATION OF 135.213(B), WHICH WAS ALSO DISCOVERED AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
Other reports on N3516A · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.