Pitot static system heaters are provided to prevent icing.

Pitot static system heaters are provided to prevent icing.

• A. Prevent icing
• B. Improve engine efficiency
• C. Reduce fuel consumption
• D. Decrease altitude measurement error

Answer: (A)

Pitot-static system heaters exist to keep the Pitot tube and static ports free from ice. When these openings ice over, the instruments that rely on those pressures—especially the airspeed indicator and the altimeter—can give faulty readings. An iced Pitot tube blocks dynamic pressure, making the airspeed indication unreliable, while iced static ports distort static pressure, leading to incorrect altitude (and sometimes vertical speed) indications. The heater’s job is to prevent that icing from forming in the first place, preserving accurate readings. So the primary purpose is to prevent icing. The other options don’t address the main function of the heater—improving engine efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, or directly decreasing altitude measurement error are not the heater’s intended roles, even though icing could indirectly affect altitude readings if it occurs.

Pitot-static system heaters exist to keep the Pitot tube and static ports free from ice. When these openings ice over, the instruments that rely on those pressures—especially the airspeed indicator and the altimeter—can give faulty readings. An iced Pitot tube blocks dynamic pressure, making the airspeed indication unreliable, while iced static ports distort static pressure, leading to incorrect altitude (and sometimes vertical speed) indications. The heater’s job is to prevent that icing from forming in the first place, preserving accurate readings.

So the primary purpose is to prevent icing. The other options don’t address the main function of the heater—improving engine efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, or directly decreasing altitude measurement error are not the heater’s intended roles, even though icing could indirectly affect altitude readings if it occurs.