It appears that the March 22nd air tragedy in Butte, Montana, has raised more questions about weight and balance and icing conditions.   Fourteen children and adults on a ski trip died when the Pilatus PC-12, high-end, single-engine turbo prop nose dived into the ground while on approach.

                                                              
 
The pilot had spoken to ATC twice about diverting but gave no reason.  He apparently descended through an icing layer that may have created possible weight and balance problems.

Flying in freezing rain or freezing drizzle is strictly prohibited by FAA regulations.   By rule, we cannot continue flight in known icing conditions.  Descending through saturated air with temperatures a few degrees below freezing will quickly ice up an airplane.  Icing can affect load balance and cause uncertain flight paths and stalls.

The culture of freezing temperatures and saturated moisture is a recipe for icing.  Ice adheres on cold aircraft surfaces much like super-cooled droplets on cars and bridges when temperatures are not cold enough to prevent it or warm enough to melt it.

In aviation, we do not experiment with icing.  Icing altitudes must be vacated immediately.  Pilots do this everyday.  Look out your window.  It’s really that simple.  We should either climb or descend to colder or warmer air.  

Likewise, we are reminded in Revelation 3:15: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot:  I wish you were cold or hot.”  The Spirit is saying to the churches that truth mixed with error (some truth, some error) is more dangerous than outright lies . . . neither cold nor hot.  “I will spew you out of my mouth.”

Meanwhile, as man spews God out of culture, we see alarming and increasing acts of violence.  Our culture cannot provide coherent answers for our current dismal estate.

With family values and marriage under ferocious attack, our culture lies at an intolerable low altitude of icing.  We need to divert back to God before we crash and burn.

Wake up!  The greatest opportunity for the Christian church is now before us.   

Prayer:  Lord, increase our spiritual visibility.  Guide us with the clarity of the Gospel.  Let us not become lukewarm.   Let Your Word dwell with and in us.