Extreme warm frontal icing on 25 February 1994 causes an aircraft accident near Uttoxeter

An active, double warm-frontal zone, aligned WNW-ESE over the British Isles, produced copious precipitation over a wide area from southern Scotlant to the English Midlands during the evening of 25 February 1994. A turboprop cargo aircraft carrying Royal Mail parcels from Edinburgh to the intended destination of Coverntry suffered severe icing during its descent from 18000 ft over Manchester Airport, flying SSE wards in frontal nimbostratus. Then, some freezing rain was encountered below about 3000 ft over snow-covered ground during the final stages of the flight. At one time, three of the four engines had ‘flamed-out’, and subsequent attempts to re-start both of the failed starboard (windward) side engines were unsuccessful. While the official report criticises the crew for following incorrect drills, and for not using their weather radar; eventually the asymmetric build-up of ice on the windward-side airframe and dead engines made the aircraft uncontrollable.