I don't want to get my head ripped off, but FWIW I was on with Madison tonight and heard ASH7099 make an emergency landing due to some sort of an anti-ice failure...

Things like this are a interesting to us guys that still cruise around the skies in pistons...

Ayep...well that's pucker factor for anybody on a night like tonight in the Midwest!

I'll second that ... that's one nasty storm that's moving through!

The only reason this thread exists is because Mesa is in the title.

Perhaps you missed the COEX aircraft in the snow, or the CAL off the runway, or the Avantair off the taxiway, or the Colgan being towed at IAH...

No, the only reason why this thread exists is because I happened to be there when it happened and was just wondering what caused it and how they ended up in CHO ... I would have posted it for any airline. I'm not judging Mesa because they had to make an emergency landing.

At what point into the flight did you know you were going to fly into your 1900lb (or whatever SKW uses) reserve fuel in order to make destination?

Given reported winds at various altitudes, the box was showing us landing with just over 2000 FOB (what company likes to plan for, by the way). Unfortunately, those calmer winds failed to materialize, leaving us at low altitude over the Sea of Michigan. Taken with adverse winds and the hub's "bank" at the same time, nothing happened quickly. Min-fuel was declared, and at 1200 as per SOP, Emergency would have been declared as well.

We followed all company guidance regarding the matter, did not divert unnecessarily, and even got the folks at the gate within A:14. Remember, it is not a requirement to land with specified reserves. Would you have immediately diverted at 2000 lbs FOB??

I know that you are not typically argumentative, so if you are going to question my crew's judgement, please be a bit more tactful?

All I did was ask a question - a plenty tactful one at that. Don't read anything into the words I typed other than the aforementioned question.

If I were questioning your crew's judgment, I've have come right out and done so.

Here are the deets on the ROA-CHO flight: Flight departed ROA for IAD, the gear would not retract and a significant fuel burn was added. On approach into IAD the non existant visability would not allow for landing, so the flight diverted and due to the gear extended burn factor, CHO was left as the only suitable alternate. IAD ATC declared the emergancy for the flight and had crash and rescue waiting at CHO.

The captain was very shaken up by the entire gear issue and bad weather conditions at IAD.