Narrative:

En route to mdw, a very good controller kept us advised that moderate to some severe mixed icing in the clouds had been reported, on descent into mdw we encountered moderate icing descending through 6000 ft. Controller was asked and he gave us 3000 ft which got us out of the ice. On departure from mdw we asked for expedited climb to 11000 ft (tops at 10000 ft) and the very, borderline rude, bad controller cleared us up to 4000 ft. At 4000 ft we had moderate mixed icing. We asked for either lower or higher and he said 'when he could get around to it.' he then cleared us up to 5000 ft. I went to 5000 ft against the judgement of that little voice inside me and promptly encountered severe mixed icing. The radar showed a small area of moderate precipitation which, considering the overall WX, was probably worse (in terms of intensity) than indicated. After 2 more requests for higher, we flew into an area of moderate freezing rain. The forward windshields, as well as all the other cockpit windows, became completely opaque. The controller was busy and I instructed the first officer to declare an emergency and tell chicago that we were leaving 5000 ft for 11000 ft now. The airplane began to slow down and we started the climb. The controller cleared us up to 11000 ft before we declared the emergency. Leaving 5700 ft we put the propellers from 86 percent to 100 percent. After several seconds of failing to climb we put the power management to maximum continuous. Even though we were 6000 pounds below gross with maximum power and slowed to red bug (VMLB0ICE) we still only climbed at about 400 FPM. I told the first officer to put the engines into the yellow to get more climb out of it and leaving 6500 ft or so we flew out of the freezing rain and at 7600 ft we flew out of the severe mixed icing. After breaking out on top at 10400 ft we began to shed some of the ice and the airplane began to accelerate. I had about a 2 1/2 inch horn of ice on the icing evidence probe, when my side window cleared enough so that I could see the probe. Important points. The only reason I flew this flight was for fear of being disciplined by my airline if I had said I wouldn't go because of the icing in the chicago area. After I reported to the chicago center controller a PIREP of moderate freezing rain and severe mixed icing, I was astonished to see that my airline was still dispatching people into the area. The center controller chose not to relate my PIREPS to FSS and thus they are on the tapes, but were not sent to other pilots. The first controller was aware of the unique concerns of ATR pilots on the inbound leg to mdw, while the arrogant, rude, uneducated controller on departure from mdw forced me to need to declare an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR 42 ENCOUNTERS ICING, REQUESTS ALT CHANGE. IT IS NOT ASSIGNED. WHEN THEY TRY TO CLB, THE CLB RATE IS EXTREMELY LOW EVEN WITH MAX PWR.

Narrative: ENRTE TO MDW, A VERY GOOD CTLR KEPT US ADVISED THAT MODERATE TO SOME SEVERE MIXED ICING IN THE CLOUDS HAD BEEN RPTED, ON DSCNT INTO MDW WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE ICING DSNDING THROUGH 6000 FT. CTLR WAS ASKED AND HE GAVE US 3000 FT WHICH GOT US OUT OF THE ICE. ON DEP FROM MDW WE ASKED FOR EXPEDITED CLB TO 11000 FT (TOPS AT 10000 FT) AND THE VERY, BORDERLINE RUDE, BAD CTLR CLRED US UP TO 4000 FT. AT 4000 FT WE HAD MODERATE MIXED ICING. WE ASKED FOR EITHER LOWER OR HIGHER AND HE SAID 'WHEN HE COULD GET AROUND TO IT.' HE THEN CLRED US UP TO 5000 FT. I WENT TO 5000 FT AGAINST THE JUDGEMENT OF THAT LITTLE VOICE INSIDE ME AND PROMPTLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE MIXED ICING. THE RADAR SHOWED A SMALL AREA OF MODERATE PRECIPITATION WHICH, CONSIDERING THE OVERALL WX, WAS PROBABLY WORSE (IN TERMS OF INTENSITY) THAN INDICATED. AFTER 2 MORE REQUESTS FOR HIGHER, WE FLEW INTO AN AREA OF MODERATE FREEZING RAIN. THE FORWARD WINDSHIELDS, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER COCKPIT WINDOWS, BECAME COMPLETELY OPAQUE. THE CTLR WAS BUSY AND I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER AND TELL CHICAGO THAT WE WERE LEAVING 5000 FT FOR 11000 FT NOW. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND WE STARTED THE CLB. THE CTLR CLRED US UP TO 11000 FT BEFORE WE DECLARED THE EMER. LEAVING 5700 FT WE PUT THE PROPS FROM 86 PERCENT TO 100 PERCENT. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS OF FAILING TO CLB WE PUT THE PWR MGMNT TO MAX CONTINUOUS. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE 6000 LBS BELOW GROSS WITH MAX PWR AND SLOWED TO RED BUG (VMLB0ICE) WE STILL ONLY CLBED AT ABOUT 400 FPM. I TOLD THE FO TO PUT THE ENGS INTO THE YELLOW TO GET MORE CLB OUT OF IT AND LEAVING 6500 FT OR SO WE FLEW OUT OF THE FREEZING RAIN AND AT 7600 FT WE FLEW OUT OF THE SEVERE MIXED ICING. AFTER BREAKING OUT ON TOP AT 10400 FT WE BEGAN TO SHED SOME OF THE ICE AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I HAD ABOUT A 2 1/2 INCH HORN OF ICE ON THE ICING EVIDENCE PROBE, WHEN MY SIDE WINDOW CLRED ENOUGH SO THAT I COULD SEE THE PROBE. IMPORTANT POINTS. THE ONLY REASON I FLEW THIS FLT WAS FOR FEAR OF BEING DISCIPLINED BY MY AIRLINE IF I HAD SAID I WOULDN'T GO BECAUSE OF THE ICING IN THE CHICAGO AREA. AFTER I RPTED TO THE CHICAGO CTR CTLR A PIREP OF MODERATE FREEZING RAIN AND SEVERE MIXED ICING, I WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE THAT MY AIRLINE WAS STILL DISPATCHING PEOPLE INTO THE AREA. THE CTR CTLR CHOSE NOT TO RELATE MY PIREPS TO FSS AND THUS THEY ARE ON THE TAPES, BUT WERE NOT SENT TO OTHER PLTS. THE FIRST CTLR WAS AWARE OF THE UNIQUE CONCERNS OF ATR PLTS ON THE INBOUND LEG TO MDW, WHILE THE ARROGANT, RUDE, UNEDUCATED CTLR ON DEP FROM MDW FORCED ME TO NEED TO DECLARE AN EMER.

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.