OOPS

For most of the upper Midwest the high temps have been in the 40s and 50s after the initial cold snap around Thanksgiving. Why in the world would anyone put anything on the ice is beyond me? We just had someone go through our lake last night!
 
It’d be interesting to hear the pilot explain the ADM process leading up to this situation.
 
I have some friends who live up there and know the people that were involved in this incident. The people I know are saying that there's 10ish inches of ice on the lakes, which if true would make sense on why someone would try landing on a lake for some ice fishing. Further, there was a fly in on a lake not too far away this past weekend and the organizers were showing 9-10" on that lake.

Obviously it didn't work out well in this case but the people involved got lucky and were able to exit the aircraft without too much difficulty.
 
I have some friends who live up there and know the people that were involved in this incident. The people I know are saying that there's 10ish inches of ice on the lakes, which if true would make sense on why someone would try landing on a lake for some ice fishing. Further, there was a fly in on a lake not too far away this past weekend and the organizers were showing 9-10" on that lake.

Obviously it didn't work out well in this case but the people involved got lucky and were able to exit the aircraft without too much difficulty.
My sources tell me that yes, there are lakes with 9"-10" of ice, but it's not consistent. Plenty of thin ice out there and difficult to know that until you get out there. We simply haven't had a prolonged period of daytime zub-zero temps to create a consistent, thick layer of ice on the lakes.
 
My sources tell me that yes, there are lakes with 9"-10" of ice, but it's not consistent. Plenty of thin ice out there and difficult to know that until you get out there. We simply haven't had a prolonged period of daytime zub-zero temps to create a consistent, thick layer of ice on the lakes.

That’s what I’ve assumed the real case was. I personally wouldn’t be landing on any lakes until there was a few days of sub zero temperatures, but I’m pretty conservative when it comes to playing around on the ice.

I just figured I’d pass along the report from the locals.
 
The thickness of the ice is important but so is the quality of the ice. Frozen slush can be thick but not very strong.

I also worry about having a mechanical problem that delays a takeoff for a few days and having the conditions change dramatically during that time, especially landing in a remote area. (Like this, landing the C206 on an island off the coast of Maine. I've never kept such a close eye on the weather for a few days during that visit.)
 
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