---
title: "CAT.OP.MPA.255 Ice and other contaminants – flight procedures — Part-CAT · Avioverse"
description: "The operator shall establish procedures for flights in expected or actual icing conditions."
url: "https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/air-ops/part-cat/subpart-b/cat-op-mpa-255"
---

# CAT.OP.MPA.255 Ice and other contaminants – flight procedures

ANNEX IV (Part-CAT) · Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

Official sources: [EASA Easy Access Rules (opens in a new tab)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-air-operations) · [EUR-Lex 2012/965 (opens in a new tab)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0965)

IR Implementing rule

## CAT.OP.MPA.255 Ice and other contaminants – flight procedures

(a) The operator shall establish procedures for flights in expected or actual icing conditions.

(b) The commander shall only commence a flight or intentionally fly into expected or actual icing conditions if the [aircraft](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/aircraft) is certified and equipped to cope with such conditions.

(c) If icing exceeds the intensity of icing for which the aircraft is certified or if an aircraft not certified for flight in known icing conditions encounters icing, the commander shall exit the icing conditions without delay, by a change of level and/or route, if necessary by declaring an emergency to ATC.

IR · CAT.OP.MPA.255 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

AMC Acceptable means of compliance

## AMC1 CAT.OP.MPA.255 Ice and other contaminants – flight procedures

FLIGHT IN EXPECTED OR ACTUAL ICING CONDITIONS — AEROPLANES

(a) In accordance with Article 2(a)5. of Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 (Essential requirements for air operations), in case of flight into known or expected icing conditions, the [aircraft](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/aircraft) must be certified, equipped and/or treated to operate safely in such conditions. The procedures to be established by the operator should take account of the design, the equipment, the configuration of the aircraft and the necessary training. For these reasons, different aircraft types operated by the same company may require the development of different procedures. In every case, the relevant limitations are those which are defined in the AFM and other documents produced by the manufacturer.

(b) The operator should ensure that the procedures take account of the following:

(1) the equipment and instruments which must be serviceable for flight in icing conditions;

(2) the limitations on flight in icing conditions for each phase of flight. These limitations may be imposed by the aircraft’s de-icing or anti-icing equipment or the necessary performance corrections that have to be made;

(3) the criteria the flight crew should use to assess the effect of icing on the performance and/or controllability of the aircraft;

(4) the means by which the flight crew detects, by visual cues or the use of the aircraft’s ice detection system, that the flight is entering icing conditions; and

(5) the action to be taken by the flight crew in a deteriorating situation (which may develop rapidly) resulting in an adverse effect on the performance and/or controllability of the aircraft, due to:

(i) the failure of the aircraft’s anti-icing or de-icing equipment to control a build-up of ice; and/or

(ii) ice build-up on unprotected areas.

(c) Training for dispatch and flight in expected or actual icing conditions. The content of the operations manual should reflect the training, both conversion and recurrent, which flight crew, cabin crew and all other relevant operational personnel require in order to comply with the procedures for dispatch and flight in icing conditions:

(1) For the flight crew, the training should include:

(i) instruction on how to recognise, from weather reports or forecasts which are available before flight commences or during flight, the risks of encountering icing conditions along the planned route and on how to modify, as necessary, the departure and in-flight routes or profiles;

(ii) instruction on the operational and performance limitations or margins;

(iii) the use of in-flight ice detection, anti-icing and de-icing systems in both normal and abnormal operation; and

(iv) instruction on the differing intensities and forms of ice accretion and the consequent action which should be taken.

(2) For the cabin crew, the training should include:

(i) awareness of the conditions likely to produce surface contamination; and

(ii) the need to inform the flight crew of significant ice accretion.

AMC · AMC1 CAT.OP.MPA.255 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2014/015/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

AMC Acceptable means of compliance

## AMC2 CAT.OP.MPA.255 Ice and other contaminants – flight procedures

FLIGHT IN EXPECTED OR ACTUAL ICING CONDITIONS — HELICOPTERS

(a) The procedures to be established by the operator should take account of the design, the equipment and the configuration of the [helicopter](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/helicopter) and also of the training which is needed. For these reasons, different helicopter types operated by the same company may require the development of different procedures. In every case, the relevant limitations are those that are defined in the AFM and other documents produced by the manufacturer.

(b) For the required entries in the operations manual, the procedural principles that apply to flight in icing conditions are referred to under Subpart MLR of Annex III (ORO.MLR) and should be cross-referenced, where necessary, to supplementary, type-specific data.

(c) Technical content of the procedures

The operator should ensure that the procedures take account of the following:

(1) CAT.IDE.H.165;

(2) the equipment and instruments that should be serviceable for flight in icing conditions;

(3) the limitations on flight in icing conditions for each phase of flight. These limitations may be specified by the helicopter’s de-icing or anti-icing equipment or the necessary performance corrections which have to be made;

(4) the criteria the flight crew should use to assess the effect of icing on the performance and/or controllability of the helicopter;

(5) the means by which the flight crew detects, by visual cues or the use of the helicopter’s ice detection system, that the flight is entering icing conditions; and

(6) the action to be taken by the flight crew in a deteriorating situation (which may develop rapidly) resulting in an adverse effect on the performance and/or controllability of the helicopter, due to either:

(i) the failure of the helicopter’s anti-icing or de-icing equipment to control a build-up of ice; and/or

(ii) ice build-up on unprotected areas.

(d) Training for dispatch and flight in expected or actual icing conditions

The content of the operations manual, Part D, should reflect the training, both conversion and recurrent, which flight crew, and all other relevant operational personnel will require in order to comply with the procedures for dispatch and flight in icing conditions.

(1) For the flight crew, the training should include:

(i) instruction on how to recognise, from weather reports or forecasts that are available before flight commences or during flight, the risks of encountering icing conditions along the planned route and on how to modify, as necessary, the departure and in-flight routes or profiles;

(ii) instruction on the operational and performance limitations or margins;

(iii) the use of in-flight ice detection, anti-icing and de-icing systems in both normal and abnormal operation; and

(iv) instruction on the differing intensities and forms of ice accretion and the consequent action which should be taken.

(2) For crew members other than flight crew, the training should include;

(i) awareness of the conditions likely to produce surface contamination; and

(ii) the need to inform the flight crew of significant ice accretion.

AMC · AMC2 CAT.OP.MPA.255 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2014/015/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

[All rules in SUBPART B: OPERATING PROCEDURES](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/air-ops/part-cat/subpart-b)

Consolidated from the EASA Easy Access Rules (revision 27 Mar 2026, extracted 2 Nov 2026) for convenience. Not the official publication — verify against the Official Journal of the European Union and the EASA publications before operational use.