If there's frost on your plane, you need to get rid of it before you fly. Here's what the FAA and NTSB have to say about frost...

1) Frost the size of a grain of salt, distributed as sparsely as one per square centimeter over a wing's surface, can destroy enough lift to prevent your plane from taking off.

2) Small patches of ice or frost on your wings can result in asymmetrical stalls, resulting in roll control problems during takeoff.

3) Frost can reduce your wing's max lift by 30 percent or more.

4) It can also reduce your wing's critical angle-of-attack by several degrees.

5) Because frost disrupts airflow over your entire aircraft, it can increase drag by up to 40%.

6) In the past 10 years, there have been over 30 general aviation accidents related to aircraft taking off with frost. The FAA says it's likely that each accident could have been prevented by removing frost from the airplane.

Sources: FAA, NTSB

Protect your certificate with AOPA Pilot Protection Services. Learn more and get started here.