Narrative:

Following normal departure from sjc runway 12R, aircraft entered IMC at 6500 ft. Engine anti-ice turned on shortly thereafter as icing conditions were imminent. Right engine anti-ice valve would not open. Repeated attempts at cycling the valve failed. ATC notified that a special requirement existed and a request was made for a descent to 6000 ft (to maintain VMC and a temperature not conducive to icing). We maintained track for the altam departure (200 KIAS), then notified ATC that we would need an area to troubleshoot in. We found a patch of VMC east of sunol intersection and south of lvk airport that suited us well. OM procedure was completed and we were left with the requirement to avoid icing conditions. After contacting operations, sjc and maintenance, and discussing the situation, the decision was made to return to sjc. ATC operations, flight attendants, and passenger informed of this and an ILS runway 12R IAP was accomplished to normal landing and taxi in. No adverse passenger reactions noted by flight crew or flight attendants. Crash fire rescue equipment was present at landing turnoff, probably as a precautionary measure by ATC. Fire crew representative arrived in cockpit shortly after docking and informed us that a thermal scan of our starboard engine revealed no abnormalities. Landing was made approximately 1000 pounds over maximum landing weight, and this was recorded in the log and the requisite inspection completed. Air interrupt was required because of WX conditions in the departure, en route, and terminal regimes. Flight dispatcher was not contacted as it was somewhat busy with a new first officer and communicating with ATC, flight attendants, passenger, operations, maintenance. Being low to the terrain at or near MVA, captain elected to limit communications to 5 parties.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 ENCOUNTER ICING CONDITIONS ON DEP FROM SJC, INCUR ENG ANTI-ICE FAILURE AND RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: FOLLOWING NORMAL DEP FROM SJC RWY 12R, ACFT ENTERED IMC AT 6500 FT. ENG ANTI-ICE TURNED ON SHORTLY THEREAFTER AS ICING CONDITIONS WERE IMMINENT. R ENG ANTI-ICE VALVE WOULD NOT OPEN. REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT CYCLING THE VALVE FAILED. ATC NOTIFIED THAT A SPECIAL REQUIREMENT EXISTED AND A REQUEST WAS MADE FOR A DSCNT TO 6000 FT (TO MAINTAIN VMC AND A TEMP NOT CONDUCIVE TO ICING). WE MAINTAINED TRACK FOR THE ALTAM DEP (200 KIAS), THEN NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WOULD NEED AN AREA TO TROUBLESHOOT IN. WE FOUND A PATCH OF VMC E OF SUNOL INTXN AND S OF LVK ARPT THAT SUITED US WELL. OM PROC WAS COMPLETED AND WE WERE LEFT WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO AVOID ICING CONDITIONS. AFTER CONTACTING OPS, SJC AND MAINT, AND DISCUSSING THE SIT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO SJC. ATC OPS, FLT ATTENDANTS, AND PAX INFORMED OF THIS AND AN ILS RWY 12R IAP WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO NORMAL LNDG AND TAXI IN. NO ADVERSE PAX REACTIONS NOTED BY FLT CREW OR FLT ATTENDANTS. CFR WAS PRESENT AT LNDG TURNOFF, PROBABLY AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE BY ATC. FIRE CREW REPRESENTATIVE ARRIVED IN COCKPIT SHORTLY AFTER DOCKING AND INFORMED US THAT A THERMAL SCAN OF OUR STARBOARD ENG REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES. LNDG WAS MADE APPROX 1000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT, AND THIS WAS RECORDED IN THE LOG AND THE REQUISITE INSPECTION COMPLETED. AIR INTERRUPT WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE OF WX CONDITIONS IN THE DEP, ENRTE, AND TERMINAL REGIMES. FLT DISPATCHER WAS NOT CONTACTED AS IT WAS SOMEWHAT BUSY WITH A NEW FO AND COMMUNICATING WITH ATC, FLT ATTENDANTS, PAX, OPS, MAINT. BEING LOW TO THE TERRAIN AT OR NEAR MVA, CAPT ELECTED TO LIMIT COMS TO 5 PARTIES.

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.