Delay Gear Extension in icing?

[Checks]

I flew with a guy who insists that you should wait to extend the landing gear while in icing conditions. He said the brakes could not work if you leave the gear down in icing. Being a former frieght dog I was surprised I had never heard of this. What say you guys?

 

[Checks]

What do you guys think?

 

[overseas boy]

Never heard of it, but to leave the gear down for a while after t/o on a contaminated runway to allow slush to dispersed and hence not freeze the brakes at altitude enroute, now that i have heard of!!

 

[Jar Jar]

it'd have to be some good fzra or clear ice to freeze ur brakes. a dusting of rime ice won't do anything cold temps in the wheel wells wouldn't already have done.

 

[semperfido]

You got to ask yourself is it worth disrupting the normal flow in the cockpit? I have never done this and never had an issue. It could be a consideration in heavy icing conditions, but not normally.

 

[onionluvr]

I flew with a guy who insists that you should wait to extend the landing gear while in icing conditions. He said the brakes could not work if you leave the gear down in icing. Being a former frieght dog I was surprised I had never heard of this. What say you guys?

I've never heard of brakes freezing up and not working. I have however heard of them freezing up after application and then not being able to move.

 

[WayBack]

You got to ask yourself is it worth disrupting the normal flow in the cockpit?

Have you ever had a day where the normal flow of the cockpit wasn't distracted?

As to the original question, it would have to be some pretty heavy icing to get into your brakes and lock 'em up.

 

[semperfido]

Have you ever had a day where the normal flow of the cockpit wasn't distracted?

Actually, yes. Almost every flight. I try to do things the same way every flight. Not to say I don't adapt, but routine things like when I put the gear down etc, samo samo. Some icing wouldn't change that was my point.

 

[WSurf]

I fly the Dash 8 and only once did I hold off on the gear. It was really good icing. But then again look how the Dash 8's Landing gear hangs out.

I believe the CommutAir 1900D's were equiped with Brake Deice. Hot Bleed air Lines ran down to the brakes. Great option for flying in the North East.

 

[pilotyip]

Unauthorized Procedures = Death

How many accidents have been caused by iced up brakes? By changing procedures to aviod a non-problem you may be introducing a greater problem. Remember Hibbing, MN and the Express One JetStream-31 fatal accident. Express One pilots had developed an unauthroized procedure to fly through icing, it was called the slam dunk. Fly over the IAF at about 6.000' over the published altitude, and then flt idle descent in an unstablized apporach to cross the FAF on altitude. Icing was never problem, but slamming the airplane into the ground at 2,500/min descent was the result. 18 dead, 2 crew 16 pax

 

[buscap]

Certification requires transport category aircraft demonstrate a lack of problems with this. But of course if you are in severe icing, by definition you shouldn't be trying to land anyway.

Now, if you are talking about a Piper Cadet...what the heck are you doing in icing in the first place?

 

[crj567]

Certification requires transport category aircraft demonstrate a lack of problems with this. But of course if you are in severe icing, by definition you shouldn't be trying to land anyway.

Now, if you are talking about a Piper Cadet...what the heck are you doing in icing in the first place?

If you have gear extension problems in a Piper Cadet, you have some serious issues.

 

[say again]

If you have gear extension problems in a Piper Cadet, you have some serious issues.

hahahaha, i was thinking the same thing.

 

[veneratio]

Do what you get paid to do, follow the SOP procedures.

 

[rjacobs]

I have never heard of delaying dropping the gear. I wouldn't think they would be problematic because they are not really an aerodynamic surface. When you fly through real bad icing, where there is still some on the plane when you land, have you ever seen it on any parts of the plane that are not aerodynamic surfaces? I have only really seen it left on the radome and the wing nav light covers, usually the fuselage is clean.

Never heard of it, but to leave the gear down for a while after t/o on a contaminated runway to allow slush to dispersed and hence not freeze the brakes at altitude enroute, now that i have heard of!!

We were specifically told, at least for the EMB-145, in our winter ops this year to not leave the gear down and to retract at a normal time. Other planes may have different procedures.

 

[Dutch]

I would think the greater concern would be building a large amount of ice on the gear and then retracting it during a go-around. The chances of disturbing brake operation seems remote. I don't delay extension of the gear, just thinking out loud.

 

[CX880]

Throw em out there son.

 

[doh]

I seem to remember something from the EMB-120 about holding clean because of ice accumulation. But on approach? Just fly it normally.

 

[Cardinal]

If I'm so iced up I'm power limited, that seems like a prudent occasion to delay gear extension. But if a/c performance is nominal, gear extension should be at the normal time = as late as possible within the confines of a stable approach.

 

[701EV]

Never heard of it!