• In January 2006, two pilots flying an American Eagle Saab 340 out of San Luis County Regional Airport in San Luis Obispo, Calif., nearly lost control after the autopilot shut off during icing conditions on climb-out. The Saab 340 lost 5,000 feet during the recovery. NTSB recommendation: Require all operators of turboprop- driven airplanes to instruct pilots, except during intermittent periods of high workload, to disengage the autopilot and fly the airplane manually when operating in icing conditions.
• March 2001, West Palm Beach, Fla. A Comair Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia was cruising at 17,000 feet in icing conditions. The autopilot kept trimming the nose up as airspeed slowed then suddenly disconnected. The EMB-120 descended to 10,000 feet before the pilots regained control, and according to the NTSB, “the airplane sustained substantial damage to the elevators and horizontal stabilizer.”
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