Narrative:

While descending from cruise altitude, approach control notified me to expect a 5 min delay due to 'priority traffic' on arrival ahead of me. At this point conditions were solid IFR with light to moderate rime icing. About 5 min worth of radar vectoring passed when I was then advised to expect a 13 min delay and expect to hold at olste 'as published.' at this point it started to rain very hard (with the intimidating sound that large rain drops make on a windscreen) and an outside temperature of -1 degree celsius. Clear ice began forming on all leading edge surfaces at a horrifying rate. Cockpit tension began to rise. ILS runway 5 was being used and I had that approach plate out. I could not find the published hold pattern at olste on this plate. Later found it on ILS runway 23. Now cockpit tension was growing towards panic. I informed the controller of my situation. He was perceptive enough to notice the tension in my voice and immediately cleared me to land, complemented with a very friendly tone and some helpful vectors. Looking back on it, I realize I should've studied all plates more thoroughly before takeoff (of which I did but apparently not well enough). I also should've notified my friendly controller earlier of my predicament. Something that should not be different is controller attitude. I am assuming, somewhere along a controller's training, they are trained to perceive pilot tension (panic?) through voice communications. If my assumption is true, this part of the training should remain (and be complimented). If my assumption is incorrect, I believe that controllers should receive this training, hopefully to the level of skill that my friendly controller displayed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENCOUNTERS ICING WHILE BEING HELD FOR TRAFFIC.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING FROM CRUISE ALT, APCH CTL NOTIFIED ME TO EXPECT A 5 MIN DELAY DUE TO 'PRIORITY TFC' ON ARR AHEAD OF ME. AT THIS POINT CONDITIONS WERE SOLID IFR WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE RIME ICING. ABOUT 5 MIN WORTH OF RADAR VECTORING PASSED WHEN I WAS THEN ADVISED TO EXPECT A 13 MIN DELAY AND EXPECT TO HOLD AT OLSTE 'AS PUBLISHED.' AT THIS POINT IT STARTED TO RAIN VERY HARD (WITH THE INTIMIDATING SOUND THAT LARGE RAIN DROPS MAKE ON A WINDSCREEN) AND AN OUTSIDE TEMP OF -1 DEG CELSIUS. CLR ICE BEGAN FORMING ON ALL LEADING EDGE SURFACES AT A HORRIFYING RATE. COCKPIT TENSION BEGAN TO RISE. ILS RWY 5 WAS BEING USED AND I HAD THAT APCH PLATE OUT. I COULD NOT FIND THE PUBLISHED HOLD PATTERN AT OLSTE ON THIS PLATE. LATER FOUND IT ON ILS RWY 23. NOW COCKPIT TENSION WAS GROWING TOWARDS PANIC. I INFORMED THE CTLR OF MY SITUATION. HE WAS PERCEPTIVE ENOUGH TO NOTICE THE TENSION IN MY VOICE AND IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME TO LAND, COMPLEMENTED WITH A VERY FRIENDLY TONE AND SOME HELPFUL VECTORS. LOOKING BACK ON IT, I REALIZE I SHOULD'VE STUDIED ALL PLATES MORE THOROUGHLY BEFORE TKOF (OF WHICH I DID BUT APPARENTLY NOT WELL ENOUGH). I ALSO SHOULD'VE NOTIFIED MY FRIENDLY CTLR EARLIER OF MY PREDICAMENT. SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT BE DIFFERENT IS CTLR ATTITUDE. I AM ASSUMING, SOMEWHERE ALONG A CTLR'S TRNING, THEY ARE TRAINED TO PERCEIVE PLT TENSION (PANIC?) THROUGH VOICE COMS. IF MY ASSUMPTION IS TRUE, THIS PART OF THE TRNING SHOULD REMAIN (AND BE COMPLIMENTED). IF MY ASSUMPTION IS INCORRECT, I BELIEVE THAT CTLRS SHOULD RECEIVE THIS TRNING, HOPEFULLY TO THE LEVEL OF SKILL THAT MY FRIENDLY CTLR DISPLAYED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.