Reporter and student in small aircraft encountered rapid buildup of icing. Difficulty obtaining clea...

Attributes
ACN	164352
Time
Date	199012
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gfk
State Reference	ND
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3600 msl bound upper : 3600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gfk tower : dtw
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1440 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	164352
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While approaching the cfk area from the southwest we were given a descent from 7000' to 5000'. Passing through 6100' we entered IMC. After leveling off at 5000' I noticed light rime icing on the aircraft. We asked for a lower altitude and we were allowed to descend to 3600'. Being #3 in the approach sequence we were vectored for about 15 mins where the ice began to accumulate at a faster rate when I reported moderate rime ice. (This ice had not been forecast nor had any other aircraft made pilot reports regarding any icing conditions). Because of the severity of the situation (moderate rime in an aircraft not certified for flight in known icing conditions), both the student and myself made requests to shoot the approach as soon as possible. While being radar vectored my student missed two calls from approach and answered a call from approach for another aircraft. The reason for his lack of radio discipline was two fold: first, he was stressed out from the icing situation, and second, there are many similar call signs in the grand forks area. The university of north dakota (und) has many small aircraft aircraft with similar call signs. There are small aircraft a with the call signs 170ND through 177ND, and 801ND through 812ND; small aircraft B with 190ND through 192ND, and 850ND through 854ND; along with about 25 small aircraft C with call sign such as 132ND. During local area operations these aircraft use a university call sign which is 'sioux' followed by the first 3 digits of the north number. This works fine in local operations but when these aircraft operate on x-countries or on some IFR flts they must use their full call signs. This creates confusion many times with students operating on approach frequency with dozens of aircraft using similar call signs. This is a recipe for disaster. I am afraid that someday there will be a mid air or conflict because one aircraft turned to a heading which was meant for another aircraft. New call signs must be made for use, both in the gfk local area and for use with und aircraft in the whole upper midwest area, not to limit the 'sioux XXX' call sign just to the local area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER AND STUDENT IN SMA ENCOUNTERED RAPID BUILDUP OF ICING. DIFFICULTY OBTAINING CLRNC TO APCH ASAP BECAUSE OF SIMILAR CALL SIGNS.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING THE CFK AREA FROM THE SW WE WERE GIVEN A DSNT FROM 7000' TO 5000'. PASSING THROUGH 6100' WE ENTERED IMC. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 5000' I NOTICED LIGHT RIME ICING ON THE ACFT. WE ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT AND WE WERE ALLOWED TO DSND TO 3600'. BEING #3 IN THE APCH SEQUENCE WE WERE VECTORED FOR ABOUT 15 MINS WHERE THE ICE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE AT A FASTER RATE WHEN I RPTED MODERATE RIME ICE. (THIS ICE HAD NOT BEEN FORECAST NOR HAD ANY OTHER ACFT MADE PLT RPTS REGARDING ANY ICING CONDITIONS). BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION (MODERATE RIME IN AN ACFT NOT CERTIFIED FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS), BOTH THE STUDENT AND MYSELF MADE REQUESTS TO SHOOT THE APCH ASAP. WHILE BEING RADAR VECTORED MY STUDENT MISSED TWO CALLS FROM APCH AND ANSWERED A CALL FROM APCH FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THE REASON FOR HIS LACK OF RADIO DISCIPLINE WAS TWO FOLD: FIRST, HE WAS STRESSED OUT FROM THE ICING SITUATION, AND SEC, THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR CALL SIGNS IN THE GRAND FORKS AREA. THE UNIVERSITY OF N DAKOTA (UND) HAS MANY SMA ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. THERE ARE SMA A WITH THE CALL SIGNS 170ND THROUGH 177ND, AND 801ND THROUGH 812ND; SMA B WITH 190ND THROUGH 192ND, AND 850ND THROUGH 854ND; ALONG WITH ABOUT 25 SMA C WITH CALL SIGN SUCH AS 132ND. DURING LCL AREA OPS THESE ACFT USE A UNIVERSITY CALL SIGN WHICH IS 'SIOUX' FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST 3 DIGITS OF THE N NUMBER. THIS WORKS FINE IN LCL OPS BUT WHEN THESE ACFT OPERATE ON X-COUNTRIES OR ON SOME IFR FLTS THEY MUST USE THEIR FULL CALL SIGNS. THIS CREATES CONFUSION MANY TIMES WITH STUDENTS OPERATING ON APCH FREQ WITH DOZENS OF ACFT USING SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. I AM AFRAID THAT SOMEDAY THERE WILL BE A MID AIR OR CONFLICT BECAUSE ONE ACFT TURNED TO A HDG WHICH WAS MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. NEW CALL SIGNS MUST BE MADE FOR USE, BOTH IN THE GFK LCL AREA AND FOR USE WITH UND ACFT IN THE WHOLE UPPER MIDWEST AREA, NOT TO LIMIT THE 'SIOUX XXX' CALL SIGN JUST TO THE LCL AREA.

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.

Reporter and student in small aircraft encountered rapid buildup of icing. Difficulty obtaining clearance to approach as soon as possible because of similar call signs.