Narrative:

Flying from cyyr to bgr, had reviewed the WX report. Had not noticed any reports of icing in maine. Had noticed icing in new york, new hampshire, vermont. The WX in bgr at the time was 100 and 1/4 mi in snow and blowing snow, wind 340 degrees/18 KTS gusting 28 KTS. The forecast at fta was 700 ft overcast and 4 mi, snow and blowing snow. On descent started picking up ice. Upon receiving ATIS, the WX was 200 and 1/2 mi. Asked center for city with better WX. The WX in portland was VFR. Portland was our alternate. Asked for clearance to portland. Center advised that portland customs was closed and would not accept the flight. Asked center for clearance to boston. Center advised they would check boston customs. Center advised to stand by. In the interim, was being vectored and descended for the approach into bgr. Before center came back with clearance to boston, picked up the runway at bgr. Had accumulated substantial ice on the windscreen. Forward visibility was greatly restr due to ice. Was able to see runway through narrow windshield wiper slit. Landed successfully without incident. Even though was filed to bgr for customs clearance, believe that customs' uncooperative spirit endangered our flight. Provisions should be made to divert without having to declare an emergency. Perhaps when filing a flight plan customs can review the clearance for their needs and deny the clearance based on their schedule. Supplemental information from acn 602670: while on an IFR flight from cyyr to bgr, during the landing portion of the flight into bgr, the aircraft slid off the runway edge during the landing roll. The aircraft became stuck in the snow on the side of the runway. While descending from 12000 ft under approach control, the unheated front windshields became iced over to a point where it was very difficult to see. On approach, we asked ATC to divert to pwm, our alternate, which was VFR, but were told that customs was already closed and would not accept us. We then asked about bos when we were cleared for the approach to bgr. While taking the tow bar from the aircraft, the tow pin was lost in the snow and it took ground and firemen 3 hours to locate the pin and tow the aircraft to a parking location. The airport was closed during this period. The forecast for bgr for our arrival was 4 mi and light snow. The aircraft has now been issued a ferry permit to continue to its final destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DO228 CREW WAS PREVENTED FROM GOING TO THEIR ALTERNATE ARPT BECAUSE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS THERE WAS CLOSED. THE FILED ARPT WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS.

Narrative: FLYING FROM CYYR TO BGR, HAD REVIEWED THE WX RPT. HAD NOT NOTICED ANY RPTS OF ICING IN MAINE. HAD NOTICED ICING IN NEW YORK, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT. THE WX IN BGR AT THE TIME WAS 100 AND 1/4 MI IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW, WIND 340 DEGS/18 KTS GUSTING 28 KTS. THE FORECAST AT FTA WAS 700 FT OVCST AND 4 MI, SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. ON DSCNT STARTED PICKING UP ICE. UPON RECEIVING ATIS, THE WX WAS 200 AND 1/2 MI. ASKED CTR FOR CITY WITH BETTER WX. THE WX IN PORTLAND WAS VFR. PORTLAND WAS OUR ALTERNATE. ASKED FOR CLRNC TO PORTLAND. CTR ADVISED THAT PORTLAND CUSTOMS WAS CLOSED AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE FLT. ASKED CTR FOR CLRNC TO BOSTON. CTR ADVISED THEY WOULD CHK BOSTON CUSTOMS. CTR ADVISED TO STAND BY. IN THE INTERIM, WAS BEING VECTORED AND DSNDED FOR THE APCH INTO BGR. BEFORE CTR CAME BACK WITH CLRNC TO BOSTON, PICKED UP THE RWY AT BGR. HAD ACCUMULATED SUBSTANTIAL ICE ON THE WINDSCREEN. FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS GREATLY RESTR DUE TO ICE. WAS ABLE TO SEE RWY THROUGH NARROW WINDSHIELD WIPER SLIT. LANDED SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT INCIDENT. EVEN THOUGH WAS FILED TO BGR FOR CUSTOMS CLRNC, BELIEVE THAT CUSTOMS' UNCOOPERATIVE SPIRIT ENDANGERED OUR FLT. PROVISIONS SHOULD BE MADE TO DIVERT WITHOUT HAVING TO DECLARE AN EMER. PERHAPS WHEN FILING A FLT PLAN CUSTOMS CAN REVIEW THE CLRNC FOR THEIR NEEDS AND DENY THE CLRNC BASED ON THEIR SCHEDULE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 602670: WHILE ON AN IFR FLT FROM CYYR TO BGR, DURING THE LNDG PORTION OF THE FLT INTO BGR, THE ACFT SLID OFF THE RWY EDGE DURING THE LNDG ROLL. THE ACFT BECAME STUCK IN THE SNOW ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY. WHILE DSNDING FROM 12000 FT UNDER APCH CTL, THE UNHEATED FRONT WINDSHIELDS BECAME ICED OVER TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. ON APCH, WE ASKED ATC TO DIVERT TO PWM, OUR ALTERNATE, WHICH WAS VFR, BUT WERE TOLD THAT CUSTOMS WAS ALREADY CLOSED AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT US. WE THEN ASKED ABOUT BOS WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH TO BGR. WHILE TAKING THE TOW BAR FROM THE ACFT, THE TOW PIN WAS LOST IN THE SNOW AND IT TOOK GND AND FIREMEN 3 HRS TO LOCATE THE PIN AND TOW THE ACFT TO A PARKING LOCATION. THE ARPT WAS CLOSED DURING THIS PERIOD. THE FORECAST FOR BGR FOR OUR ARR WAS 4 MI AND LIGHT SNOW. THE ACFT HAS NOW BEEN ISSUED A FERRY PERMIT TO CONTINUE TO ITS FINAL DEST.

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.