Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 135
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft
After leveling at 10;000 ft MSL; IMC; we had an ICE caution message appear. We turned on the wing anti-ice system. The cowl anti-ice was already on. Shortly after an ANTI-ICE DUCT warning message posted on ED1. While we were running the QRH checklist the warning message extinguished. It did not reoccur. Then an ANTI-ICE DUCT caution message posted on ED2 for approximately 15 seconds; then cleared. It did not reoccur. Approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rime was visible on the wiper arm at this time. We notified ATC and requested an emergency return to ZZZ and lower altitude to get out of the freezing precipitation. An intermittent R Wing A/I (anti-ice) caution message posted until landing. It did not stay up long enough to run the R WING A/I caution QRH checklist. We returned to ZZZ safely. No ice accumulation was noted on post flight inspection.  Apparent equipment failure. Wing anti-ice warning and caution messages in icing conditions with ice accumulating.
CRJ900 pilot reported experiencing intermittent R Wing A/I Caution messages during cruise.