Supercooled large droplets

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Supercooled large droplets has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Megyn Kelly (Nov 2026). Explains a specific icing mechanism (SLDs) that can accrete on wings at high altitude and lead to loss of lift; speaker highlights SLDs as a likely factor.

In aeronautics, icing is the formation of water ice on an aircraft. Icing has resulted in numerous fatal accidents in aviation history. Ice accretion and accumulation can affect the external surfaces of an aircraft – in which case it is referred to as airframe icing – or the engine, resulting in carburetor icing, air inlet icing or more generically engine icing. These phenomena may, but do not necessarily occur together.