Narrative:

An aircraft over the mountains got into severe icing; he couldn't hold altitude and descended down to around 3000 ft where he was able to level; but could not climb back up in an area with an MVA of 3800 ft; and he was still IMC. The r-side controller told him the MVA and how to the east it raises to 4500 ft; how there is another mountain to the south and basically the pilot is stuck in an area that is in a valley. A long story short this controller was able to vector him calmly to an airport to try to shoot an ILS; mind you he wasn't able to let him shoot the entire thing due to the MVA's and the mountains that raise up east; (the pilot never actually got the localizer either). What the r-side controller did do was listen to the pilot scream 2 times on frequency that he had lost control of the aircraft and was going down; the pilot was able to gain control back and the r-side controller calmly tried to line him up to centerline and since he couldn't get the localizer he just told him to descend. The aircraft broke out several hundred ft above the airport and finally made it to a safe landing at the airport. Start to finish this took about 30 mins. However; myself; the r-side; the immediate supervisors and the operational manager involved all told each other what a great job was done; but no one wants qa; the region or upper management to know about it; in fear that they will only come back and discipline or criticize the actions of the controller for vectoring below the MVA or trying to shoot an ILS at or inside the FAF; etc. The r-side controller found himself taking sick leave immediately after the event and not talking about it to anyone. I found myself as the d-side asking the supervisor to leave it alone and not pull a satori after he came to me and asked if we did everything right and how he wanted to put us in for an assist. Another controller who was acting as a tracker told the same supervisor to leave it alone. Supervisor #1 found himself seeking advice from the OM who told him to also leave it alone. Supervisor #2 ignored everyone and pulled a satori and then came back and said what a great job everyone did and how he wants to also put us all in for an aircraft assist; but fears qa would look at it and nail us for something; and that he was going to erase the satori. So with that background; what I watched was in reality a hero on the controller side and a pilot that should be sitting dead on a side of a mountain. What I watched was a chain of events that in a real safety culture we would learn from; not fear the reprisal from stepping up doing what we get paid for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADAR ASSOC CTLR DESCRIBED ICING EVENT REQUIRING IMMEDIATE CTLR ACTION; SUSPECTS QA/MGMNT REVIEW MAY RESULT IN UNFAVORABLE CRITIQUE.

Narrative: AN ACFT OVER THE MOUNTAINS GOT INTO SEVERE ICING; HE COULDN'T HOLD ALT AND DSNDED DOWN TO AROUND 3000 FT WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO LEVEL; BUT COULD NOT CLB BACK UP IN AN AREA WITH AN MVA OF 3800 FT; AND HE WAS STILL IMC. THE R-SIDE CTLR TOLD HIM THE MVA AND HOW TO THE E IT RAISES TO 4500 FT; HOW THERE IS ANOTHER MOUNTAIN TO THE S AND BASICALLY THE PLT IS STUCK IN AN AREA THAT IS IN A VALLEY. A LONG STORY SHORT THIS CTLR WAS ABLE TO VECTOR HIM CALMLY TO AN ARPT TO TRY TO SHOOT AN ILS; MIND YOU HE WASN'T ABLE TO LET HIM SHOOT THE ENTIRE THING DUE TO THE MVA'S AND THE MOUNTAINS THAT RAISE UP E; (THE PLT NEVER ACTUALLY GOT THE LOC EITHER). WHAT THE R-SIDE CTLR DID DO WAS LISTEN TO THE PLT SCREAM 2 TIMES ON FREQ THAT HE HAD LOST CTL OF THE ACFT AND WAS GOING DOWN; THE PLT WAS ABLE TO GAIN CTL BACK AND THE R-SIDE CTLR CALMLY TRIED TO LINE HIM UP TO CTRLINE AND SINCE HE COULDN'T GET THE LOC HE JUST TOLD HIM TO DSND. THE ACFT BROKE OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED FT ABOVE THE ARPT AND FINALLY MADE IT TO A SAFE LNDG AT THE ARPT. START TO FINISH THIS TOOK ABOUT 30 MINS. HOWEVER; MYSELF; THE R-SIDE; THE IMMEDIATE SUPVRS AND THE OPERATIONAL MGR INVOLVED ALL TOLD EACH OTHER WHAT A GREAT JOB WAS DONE; BUT NO ONE WANTS QA; THE REGION OR UPPER MGMNT TO KNOW ABOUT IT; IN FEAR THAT THEY WILL ONLY COME BACK AND DISCIPLINE OR CRITICIZE THE ACTIONS OF THE CTLR FOR VECTORING BELOW THE MVA OR TRYING TO SHOOT AN ILS AT OR INSIDE THE FAF; ETC. THE R-SIDE CTLR FOUND HIMSELF TAKING SICK LEAVE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENT AND NOT TALKING ABOUT IT TO ANYONE. I FOUND MYSELF AS THE D-SIDE ASKING THE SUPVR TO LEAVE IT ALONE AND NOT PULL A SATORI AFTER HE CAME TO ME AND ASKED IF WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT AND HOW HE WANTED TO PUT US IN FOR AN ASSIST. ANOTHER CTLR WHO WAS ACTING AS A TRACKER TOLD THE SAME SUPVR TO LEAVE IT ALONE. SUPVR #1 FOUND HIMSELF SEEKING ADVICE FROM THE OM WHO TOLD HIM TO ALSO LEAVE IT ALONE. SUPVR #2 IGNORED EVERYONE AND PULLED A SATORI AND THEN CAME BACK AND SAID WHAT A GREAT JOB EVERYONE DID AND HOW HE WANTS TO ALSO PUT US ALL IN FOR AN ACFT ASSIST; BUT FEARS QA WOULD LOOK AT IT AND NAIL US FOR SOMETHING; AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO ERASE THE SATORI. SO WITH THAT BACKGROUND; WHAT I WATCHED WAS IN REALITY A HERO ON THE CTLR SIDE AND A PLT THAT SHOULD BE SITTING DEAD ON A SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. WHAT I WATCHED WAS A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT IN A REAL SAFETY CULTURE WE WOULD LEARN FROM; NOT FEAR THE REPRISAL FROM STEPPING UP DOING WHAT WE GET PAID FOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.