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Flight crew encounters icing in cloud, unable to request immediate deviation due frequency congestion.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 113621 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198906 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 18600 msl bound upper : 19000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 1400 |
| ASRS Report | 113621 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
At 19,000' we encountered ice in the tops of the clouds. We asked for a lower altitude but due to frequency congestion the controller was not able to get back to us before we accumulated a large amount of ice. Due to the heavy weight and slow airspeed our de-ice boots were not able to shed enough ice to keep us at altitude. When we asked for a vector for descent the controller gave us a 90 degree turn to the left. In the turn we lost 400' of altitude because I did not want to slow the aircraft down any more to stay at altitude due to the ice. Shortly after the controller gave us a lower altitude and we were able to shed the ice and encountered no further problems. The big problem was that the frequency was so congested that we were unable to get through our request for lower for about 10 minutes. If we could have descended earlier we would not have had a problem. The frequency was 125.20, chicago center southeast of chicago.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS ICING IN CLOUD, UNABLE TO REQUEST IMMEDIATE DEVIATION DUE FREQ CONGESTION.
Narrative: AT 19,000' WE ENCOUNTERED ICE IN THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS. WE ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT BUT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION THE CTLR WAS NOT ABLE TO GET BACK TO US BEFORE WE ACCUMULATED A LARGE AMOUNT OF ICE. DUE TO THE HEAVY WEIGHT AND SLOW AIRSPEED OUR DE-ICE BOOTS WERE NOT ABLE TO SHED ENOUGH ICE TO KEEP US AT ALT. WHEN WE ASKED FOR A VECTOR FOR DSCNT THE CTLR GAVE US A 90 DEG TURN TO THE LEFT. IN THE TURN WE LOST 400' OF ALT BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO SLOW THE ACFT DOWN ANY MORE TO STAY AT ALT DUE TO THE ICE. SHORTLY AFTER THE CTLR GAVE US A LOWER ALT AND WE WERE ABLE TO SHED THE ICE AND ENCOUNTERED NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE BIG PROBLEM WAS THAT THE FREQ WAS SO CONGESTED THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THROUGH OUR REQUEST FOR LOWER FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. IF WE COULD HAVE DESCENDED EARLIER WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A PROBLEM. THE FREQ WAS 125.20, CHICAGO CENTER SE OF CHICAGO.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.