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Seg Voo Airspeed Failures

An airspeed indicator failure can occur if the pitot tube or static ports ice over. [1] If the static ports ice over but the pitot tube remains clear, the airspeed will initially read correctly but will decrease if climbing or increase if descending as altitude changes. [2] If the entire pitot tube ices over but the static ports remain clear, the airspeed will freeze but will read too high if climbing or too low if descending as altitude changes. [3] If both the pitot tube and static ports ice over, the airspeed will freeze regardless of other changes.

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52 views8 pages

Seg Voo Airspeed Failures

An airspeed indicator failure can occur if the pitot tube or static ports ice over. [1] If the static ports ice over but the pitot tube remains clear, the airspeed will initially read correctly but will decrease if climbing or increase if descending as altitude changes. [2] If the entire pitot tube ices over but the static ports remain clear, the airspeed will freeze but will read too high if climbing or too low if descending as altitude changes. [3] If both the pitot tube and static ports ice over, the airspeed will freeze regardless of other changes.

Uploaded by

Haliunaa Batbold
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Airspeed Failures: What Happens When Your Pitot Tube

Ices Over?

Instrument failures may be one of the toughest parts of instrument training ­ and can
quickly spark confusion if they happen when you're in the clouds. In fact, an
airspeed indication failure brought down Air France flight 447 ­ most likely caused by
ice crystals blocking the pitot tubes.

Basinbah

Now that it's getting colder, airspeed failures are a very real possibility ­ especially if
you inadvertently enter icing conditions. What can happen, and how will your
airspeed indicator react?

How Your Airspeed Indicator Works


Before you can understand the failures, you need to understand how an airspeed
indicator works. It's an incredibly simple instrument; the round­dial and glass­panel
systems both use the same principles.

Your airspeed indicator measures dynamic pressure ­ the pressure caused by your
movement through the air. However, you can't measure dynamic pressure directly ­
static pressure is always in the mix, as well.

Your pitot tube measures "ram pressure," which is a combination of dynamic and
static pressure. If you're parked on the ramp, your ram pressure only includes the
static component. As you start to move, ram pressure includes both static and
dynamic pressure.

Your airspeed indicator is really a scale, which compares the static pressure from your
static ports to ram press pressure (static + dynamic) from your pitot tube. The two static
pressures cancel each other out, and you're left with dynamic pressure.
Dynamic pressure translates into your airspeed

The traditional round­dial instrument uses an aneroid wafer filled with ram pressure,
inside a case filled with static pressure.

A glass­panel system uses digital sensors, which might as well be powered by magic
mice.
Either way, they both compare static to ram pressure. How they do it really isn't
important.

The Failures
When your airspeed indicator fails, it's usually caused by a clogged pitot tube or static
ports. In each case, your airspeed indicator may freeze, drop to zero, or gradually
change.

You can figure out what happens by thinking about how the static and ram pressures
change on each side.

Case 1: Your Static Ports Clog And Your Pitot Tube Is Open
This could happen if your static ports ice over. Your airspeed indicator receives
accurate ram pressure, but it compares the ram pressure to the trapped ­ and
unchanging ­ static pressure.

As long as the barometric pressure doesn't change, and you stay at the same altitude,
your airspeed indicator indicates correctly. However, things get wonky if you climb or
descend.

If you climb at a constant airspeed, your ram pressure's static component decreases.
Since your static ports are clogged, they have too much static pressure ­ they're stuck
at a lower altitude. The difference between ram and static pressure is smaller, and
your indicated airspeed decreases. Now you're flying faster than indicated. The
opposite is true if you descend.

Your Pitot Tube Clogs, And Your Static Ports Are Open
What happens if your pitot tube ices over, but your static ports remain open? There's
actually a couple of different scenarios to consider, depending on what parts of the
tube ice over.
In the pitot tube above, ram air enters through the front of the tube, flows to the back
of the chamber, and flows through plumbing to your airspeed indicator.

The pitot tube also has drain holes. If water enters the front of the tube or condenses
inside the ram air chamber, it can drain out.

Many pitot tubes also include a static port. But, on most IFR certified aircraft, separate
static ports on either side of your fuselage measure static pressure. They're more
accurate, and the static port on your pitot tube is left unconnected.

What Happens If The Entire Pitot Tube Ices Over, And The Static
Ports Remain Open?
In this case, the ram pressure is trapped. As long as you stay at the same altitude,
your airspeed freezes as well.
What happens if you climb? Since the static ports are still open, the static pressure will
start to decrease. The trapped static pressure in the pitot tube is now greater than the
actual static pressure, and your airspeed indicator starts to speed up. You're now
flying slower than indicated.. The opposite happens if you descend.

What Happens If The Ram Air Inlet Ices Over, But The Drains And
Static Ports Remain Open?

In this situation, the pitot tube becomes a relatively inaccurate static port.
Your airspeed indicator is now comparing inaccurate static pressure to accurate static
pressure, and would read nearly zero. It may read slightly below zero, or slightly
above zero, depending on the drain hole's position.

What Happens If The Pitot Tube And Static Ports Completely


Ice Over?
This one is easy ­ all of the pressure is trapped and your airspeed indicator freezes.
Whether you climb or descend, speed up or slow down, your airspeed won't change.

Keeping Your Ports Clear


Icing isn't the only way to clog a pitot tube or static port, but it can be a common one.
Using pitot heat is a great plan; but unless your airplane's certified for flight into known
icing, your static ports are probably unheated and vulnerable. Staying out of freezing
moisture ­ unless your plane's known ice certified ­ is your best bet.

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