The FAA issued a final rule on Wednesday expanding icing certification standards for transport-category airplanes. The new measure requires Part 25 (transport category) aircraft that weigh less than 60,000 pounds to be certified for flight in icing caused by supercooled large droplets — which make up freezing drizzle and freezing rain — as well as ice crystal conditions. The new rule also covers engines, engine installations and some systems of transport airplanes. For example, angle of attack and airspeed indicators must be shown to function in SLD and ice crystal conditions.
“This rule assures that our future U.S. fleet will be able to safely withstand unexpected encounters with icing conditions,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement. The mandates stem from the 1994 icing-related crash of an ATR 72 in Roselawn, Indiana. The FAA estimates the cost of compliance is $61.3 million.
