Where is icing most critical on the 787?

Where is icing most critical on the 787?

• A. Wing leading edges, nacelle lips, and sensor probes
• B. Tail surfaces only
• C. Fuselage top
• D. Landing gear struts

Answer: (A)

Icing is most critical where it directly affects lift, propulsion, and air data, because those areas control the airplane’s safety margins and handling. Ice on the wing leading edges changes the airfoil shape and disrupts smooth airflow, increasing drag, raising stall speed, and reducing lift. That can lead to an abrupt loss of controllability or a more dangerous stall behavior. Ice on the lips of the engine nacelles interferes with engine intake and the surrounding flow, raising the risk of ice shedding into the engine, degraded performance, and potential engine damage or surge. Ice on sensor probes, such as pitot and static ports or angle-of-attack sensors, corrupts air data readings, giving the crew and the automated systems misleading information about airspeed, altitude, or angle of attack, which can drive incorrect stall warnings or control inputs. Because these areas directly govern lift, engine operation, and air data integrity, icing there is far more critical than icing on fuselage top, tail surfaces, or landing gear struts, which have less immediate impact on flight safety.

Icing is most critical where it directly affects lift, propulsion, and air data, because those areas control the airplane’s safety margins and handling. Ice on the wing leading edges changes the airfoil shape and disrupts smooth airflow, increasing drag, raising stall speed, and reducing lift. That can lead to an abrupt loss of controllability or a more dangerous stall behavior. Ice on the lips of the engine nacelles interferes with engine intake and the surrounding flow, raising the risk of ice shedding into the engine, degraded performance, and potential engine damage or surge. Ice on sensor probes, such as pitot and static ports or angle-of-attack sensors, corrupts air data readings, giving the crew and the automated systems misleading information about airspeed, altitude, or angle of attack, which can drive incorrect stall warnings or control inputs. Because these areas directly govern lift, engine operation, and air data integrity, icing there is far more critical than icing on fuselage top, tail surfaces, or landing gear struts, which have less immediate impact on flight safety.