How does icing cause a plane to crash?

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Ice builds up on aircraft in two ways: in flight or on the ground. On the ground, precipitation falls onto the airplane and freezes on upper surfaces much like what happens if you leave your car out overnight. On planes, ground icing forms on the upper surfaces of the wing and tail. read more

It wouldn’t be unusual for an ice laden aircraft to be at full power and still not able to hold altitude because of the weight of the ice and/or the loss of lift on the wings from ice accumulation. Pilots of ice laden aircraft have been known to lose control from unconsciously trying to hold altitude or pitch. read more

there are a number of ways that ice can cause an airplane to crash; 1: as ice forms on the aircraft, it increases the weight of the aircraft, thus requiring more lift capacity which an aircraft might not have. read more