What the profile screens for
Temperature, anti-ice state, speed, drag, and aircraft-performance changes indicate possible exposure to icing conditions.
Why it matters
Ice accretion can change lift, drag, stall margin, sensor reliability, engine performance, and handling qualities.
Build the event around relationships—not one number.
Define the operating context
Identify the climb / cruise / descent / approach state, aircraft configuration, location, and any required external data before applying logic.
Screen the signal relationship
Use validated combinations of total air temperature, anti-ice status, airspeed; avoid treating one isolated value as the whole event.
Confirm it is a genuine event
Check polarity, units, source, recording rate, dropouts, air/ground logic, persistence, and false-positive mechanisms.
Connect data to the safety question
Review procedures, reports, weather, airport and traffic context, exposure, recurrence, and the strength of the related barriers.
Recorded signals that may help explain the event.
Vertical speed
The aircraft's vertical rate. Different recorded sources and smoothing can produce materially different values, especially during flare and touchdown.
Open parameter guide ↗ktCalibrated airspeed
Indicated airspeed corrected for instrument and position error, as provided by the aircraft data system.
Open parameter guide ↗% / ratio / aircraft-specificEngine thrust
One or more recorded measures of commanded or produced propulsion; the correct signal depends on engine and aircraft type.
Open parameter guide ↗Questions before conclusions
- Q1
Are total air temperature, anti-ice status, airspeed valid, correctly decoded, time-aligned, and sampled well enough for this event?
- Q2
What changed immediately before, during, and after the in-flight icing encounter candidate indication?
- Q3
How do aircraft configuration, weather, airport geometry, automation state, and crew reports change the interpretation?
- Q4
Which current flight manual, SOP, maintenance, or operator event definition controls the final conclusion?
Safety topics that broaden the event review.
Stall prevention and recovery
Maintaining angle-of-attack margin, recognizing stall cues, reducing angle of attack, managing thrust, and restoring a safe flight path.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-048 · Aircraft systems & airworthinessIce protection systems
Availability, selection, performance, indication, and limitations of engine, wing, probe, windscreen, and propeller ice protection.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-063 · Weather & environmentIn-flight icing
Ice accretion on aircraft surfaces, sensors, engines, or propellers and its effects on lift, drag, control, stall margin, and system reliability.
Open topic profile ↗Crosswind Operations
Manage alignment, drift, bank, gust response, touchdown sequence, and directional control using aircraft- and operator-specific techniques.
Open topic brief ↗WeatherWindshear and Microburst
Recognize rapid changes in wind vector and the resulting airspeed, path, thrust, and vertical-energy effects close to the ground.
Open topic brief ↗Flight OperationsControlled Flight Into Terrain
Understand how a controllable aircraft can be flown into terrain or an obstacle through path, altitude, navigation, monitoring, or situational-awareness breakdowns.
Open topic brief ↗12 useful starting points
Terminology and topic relationships select these links; the publisher source remains authoritative.
SAFO 10006 — In-Flight Icing Operations and Training Recommendations
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for weather and human factors. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 06016 — In-Flight Icing, Turbo Propeller Powered Airplanes
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for weather. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceStatistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, 1959–2024
Boeing's 56th annual statistical summary organizes commercial-jet accident data using stated definitions and the CAST/ICAO occurrence taxonomy.
Open official sourceIATA Annual Safety Report — 2024
IATA's 61st annual report provides an interactive, method-defined view of commercial aviation accident performance and contributing-factor classifications.
Open official sourceAirbus Crosswind Development and Certification
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for aviation safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceNear CFIT event during Non Precision Approach
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceRadio Altimeter erroneous values
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for navigation and surveillance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceTerrain Awareness and Warning Systems operations based on GPS data
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for navigation and surveillance and human factors. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceWind shear: an invisible enemy to pilots?
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for weather. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceNTSB Safety Alert SA-013 — Controlled Flight Into Terrain in Visual Conditions
Official U.S. National Transportation Safety Board material indexed for navigation and surveillance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceNTSB Safety Alert SA-020 — Reduced Visual References Require Vigilance
Official U.S. National Transportation Safety Board material indexed for aviation safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceNTSB Safety Alert SA-033 — Landing at the Wrong Airport
Official U.S. National Transportation Safety Board material indexed for approach and landing. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official source