Narrative:

We were flying at an altitude of 14000', south of elkins VOR, when I saw a stratus layer of clouds which we were about to enter. At this time I asked the captain to turn on all of the anti-ice heat. In less than 5 seconds, the left intake heat fault light came on. The captain reset the left engine intake heat and the fault light came on again. About this time we were in the clouds and began to pick up a trace of rime ice. Due to engine design, the engine is very susceptible to icing and flaming out. Therefore, it was an immediate concern for us. The captain asked for a descent to 8000' because of inoperative anti-ice equipment and was told to standby. A few moments later the captain requested 8000' and got no response. He then ordered me to leave our assigned altitude of 14000'. As we started our descent, the captain said 'I'll get his attention,' and squawked 7700 and idented on the transponder. As we were passing through 12300' the controller came back and asked us the nature of the emergency. The captain then explained the problem and the controller cleared us to 8000'. Once we returned to pit, I was talking with another crew member who said that there was a pilot who was lost and needed assistance on another frequency, but was talking to the same controller we were talking to. Apparently our problem was at the same time as the pilot who was lost was getting help from the controller. It seems for a short period of time the controller was overextended trying to find the pilot who was lost, while trying to work traffic on 2 separate frequencys at the same time. The situation might have been alleviated if a supervisor had taken over the controller's traffic responsibilities and let the controller focus on helping the lost pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ENCOUNTERING ICING CONDITIONS DECLARES EMERGENCY AND BEGINS DESCENT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING AT AN ALT OF 14000', S OF ELKINS VOR, WHEN I SAW A STRATUS LAYER OF CLOUDS WHICH WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER. AT THIS TIME I ASKED THE CAPT TO TURN ON ALL OF THE ANTI-ICE HEAT. IN LESS THAN 5 SECS, THE LEFT INTAKE HEAT FAULT LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAPT RESET THE LEFT ENG INTAKE HEAT AND THE FAULT LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. ABOUT THIS TIME WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS AND BEGAN TO PICK UP A TRACE OF RIME ICE. DUE TO ENG DESIGN, THE ENG IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICING AND FLAMING OUT. THEREFORE, IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN FOR US. THE CAPT ASKED FOR A DSCNT TO 8000' BECAUSE OF INOP ANTI-ICE EQUIP AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE CAPT REQUESTED 8000' AND GOT NO RESPONSE. HE THEN ORDERED ME TO LEAVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000'. AS WE STARTED OUR DSCNT, THE CAPT SAID 'I'LL GET HIS ATTN,' AND SQUAWKED 7700 AND IDENTED ON THE XPONDER. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 12300' THE CTLR CAME BACK AND ASKED US THE NATURE OF THE EMER. THE CAPT THEN EXPLAINED THE PROB AND THE CTLR CLRED US TO 8000'. ONCE WE RETURNED TO PIT, I WAS TALKING WITH ANOTHER CREW MEMBER WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS A PLT WHO WAS LOST AND NEEDED ASSISTANCE ON ANOTHER FREQ, BUT WAS TALKING TO THE SAME CTLR WE WERE TALKING TO. APPARENTLY OUR PROB WAS AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PLT WHO WAS LOST WAS GETTING HELP FROM THE CTLR. IT SEEMS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THE CTLR WAS OVEREXTENDED TRYING TO FIND THE PLT WHO WAS LOST, WHILE TRYING TO WORK TFC ON 2 SEPARATE FREQS AT THE SAME TIME. THE SITUATION MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALLEVIATED IF A SUPVR HAD TAKEN OVER THE CTLR'S TFC RESPONSIBILITIES AND LET THE CTLR FOCUS ON HELPING THE LOST PLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.