Several Embraer Phenom 100 accidents in icing conditions have prompted Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to issue a special airworthiness bulletin regarding the twinjet’s ice protection system. It also alerts owners and operators about the “importance of proper adherence to the standard operating procedures established by the airplane manufacturer.”
Three accidents cited in the bulletin occurred in icing conditions when operators used non-icing landing speeds that were close to stall speed. Two non-fatal accidents—on Feb. 08, 2021, at Paris LeBourget Airport and Feb. 15, 2013, at Berlin Schonefeld Airport—resulted in both aircraft suffering substantial damage when they stalled just before touchdown.
On Dec. 8, 2014, a Phenom 100 on approach to Maryland’s Gaithersburg Airport stalled and crashed about three-quarters of a mile from the approach end of the runway. The pilot, two passengers, and three people on the ground were killed. According to the NTSB, the airplane flew in conditions favorable for structural icing for several minutes without the ice protection system activated.
The bulletin makes the following recommendations: ice protection systems must always be activated in low temperatures with visible moisture; they should be deactivated only after leaving ice conditions and if the pilot is certain that there is no ice formation on the airplane; if icing conditions exist or if they are forecast, landing and approach speeds must be consistent with ice protection systems activated; and ice protection systems must not be turned off to avoid a performance penalty. Additionally, ANAC recommends that Phenom 100 owners and operators view an Embraer video on the subject.