Tailplane icing may be indicated by which elevator-related symptom?

Tailplane icing may be indicated by which elevator-related symptom?

• A. Loss of elevator effectiveness
• B. Increased elevator effectiveness
• C. No change in elevator feel
• D. Elevator stalls confirmed by stick shaker

Answer: (A)

Tailplane icing reduces the aerodynamic effectiveness of the horizontal stabilizer by disrupting the smooth airflow over it. Since the elevator moves this tailplane to control pitch, ice buildup makes the elevator less responsive to control inputs. The most reliable symptom you’d notice is a loss of elevator effectiveness—the controls feel sluggish, and pitch changes are harder to achieve than normal. The other options don’t fit as well: icing typically doesn’t increase elevator effectiveness, and a completely unchanged control feel would ignore the icing effect. While a tailplane stall with a stick shaker is a serious condition, it’s a more extreme scenario and not the common early indicator of tailplane icing.

Tailplane icing reduces the aerodynamic effectiveness of the horizontal stabilizer by disrupting the smooth airflow over it. Since the elevator moves this tailplane to control pitch, ice buildup makes the elevator less responsive to control inputs. The most reliable symptom you’d notice is a loss of elevator effectiveness—the controls feel sluggish, and pitch changes are harder to achieve than normal.

The other options don’t fit as well: icing typically doesn’t increase elevator effectiveness, and a completely unchanged control feel would ignore the icing effect. While a tailplane stall with a stick shaker is a serious condition, it’s a more extreme scenario and not the common early indicator of tailplane icing.