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Pitot heat failed on a King Air run to Boise and I had to pick: turn back or trust the backup
Ten minutes out of Boise last Tuesday, the pitot heat breaker popped and I could smell that hot insulation smell, so I had to decide right there whether to divert to Twin Falls or keep going with the standby system in a known-icing layer. Some guys in my shop say a popped breaker is a no-brainer turn-back, others say if the standby pitot is reading clean you finish the flight and write it up on the ground. Where do you all draw that line?
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kaid5917h ago
Realistically the standby pitot reading clean is exactly what it's there for, and a popped breaker with a smell could just be an old breaker getting tired, not the heat element actually shorting. Ten minutes from Boise with a working backup and a clear read, that's not the same as flying blind into ice with nothing. Guys who turn back on every breaker pop are the same ones who divert for every little flicker and then wonder why they never make their duty time. The backup system exists so you don't have to treat every fault like an emergency, and writing it up on the ground with the standby confirming good air data seems like the reasonable call. Turning back sounds safe but it's also a decision made on fear, not on what the panel is actually telling you.
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