The FAA registry says that N252DL is a 1975 Cessna 310R, serial number 310R0242. The same plane was previously N5122J, until maybe 2015. I wonder if it was painted then, and note that repainting is an opportune time to remove deicing boots, which some people hate because they slow the plane down.Not saying icing is causal, but it's a sketchy situation regardless if the aircraft was non-FIKI. From the few pictures I could find of the accident aircraft, I couldn't discern any boots.
I'm gonna say FIKI started with 1977 R models; when I flew night freight in 310s we had a fleet of '75-79 year models. The '77-79 ships were FIKI certified. Not to be nitpicky though...FIKI for the 310R started about 1978. IIRC, the FIKI birds also had a boot on the vertical fin, where the earlier "deiced" birds did not.
I think you're right about the vertical fin. IceShield sells a boot for the vertical fin on serial numbers 801 and up. That would match @jbDC9's post regarding the 1977 model year. Incidentally, the IceShield part numbers are different for the lower serial numbers and higher serial numbers, even on the places where they both have boots. I don't know if that means the boots differ or just that IceShield's certifications differ.FIKI for the 310R started about 1978. IIRC, the FIKI birds also had a boot on the vertical fin, where the earlier "deiced" birds did not.
It may have, perhaps mid-year. Might also be that Cessna starts producing the next model year, in the later months of the previous year, like the automakers do, and some aircraft manufacturers do, i.e. Piper.I'm gonna say FIKI started with 1977 R models; when I flew night freight in 310s we had a fleet of '75-79 year models. The '77-79 ships were FIKI certified. Not to be nitpicky though...
True, suppose they’ll get a look at the engines, or what’s left of them and eliminate the obvious. Hindsight 2020 made a great point in his post with disappearing forensics with proof of icing. Can only consider the flight conditions and issue a report. Unless there was ATC communication near time of accident.Seems like all recent NTSB final statements end up in "pilot loss of control, failing to maintain separation from nearest planet"
Seems like all recent NTSB final statements end up in "pilot loss of control, failing to maintain separation from nearest planet"
You’d need to know if they were in a layer or between and it’s hard to know now without going deep into sounding archives, and even then it’s not easy to tell. If I recall, they were in a G-Airmet for icing in clouds and precip from the surface level to the flight levels. Cloud tops, as usual, were not directly indicated, but models had them from FL270 to FL300 along the entire route (and bases from 020 to 030).Sad.
Any idea how long they were flying IMC or in icing conditions?