Ice and Planes

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By Nick Lough

Story Published: Mar 24, 2009 at 9:37 PM MST

Story Updated: Mar 24, 2009 at 9:37 PM MST

BILLINGS - NTSB investigators are looking into several factors including ice on the wings to determine what caused a plane to crash in Butte killing 14 people.

Rocky Mountain College Aviation Director Dan Hargrove says ice build-up can drastically change the aerodynamics of the wings. Ice increases the weight of the plane and can interrupt the flow of the air over the wings. Hargrove says the level of danger changes with the size of the plane.

"A small general aviation airplane can't fly in icy conditions so they are limited to good weather only. An airliner type airplane handles icy conditions very well because of the anti-ice systems on the wings," said Hargrove.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it's too early to tell whether icing was to blame in the Butte crash.

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