Flight crew of large transport encountered heavy icing on approach to den.

Attributes
ACN	138154
Time
Date	199003
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	138154
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying from dtw to den. There were numerous reports of moderate icing from 8000' to 12000'. We held northeast of denver for about 20 mins. When cleared out of the holding pattern and below 12000' we indeed encountered moderate icing. I have flown the large transport in various seats for over 20 yrs and have never encountered worse icing. Fist sized clumps of ice formed on my windshield wipers in several places. We were vectored right in the middle of the icing altitudes. On final I heard several pilots expressing concern about the severity of the ice. I was concerned about the possibility of tail icing. On final we were told to go around -- that the airport was closed. We learned later that an aircraft had crashed. It appears to me that there is no procedure for ATC to use different altitudes if hazardous WX conditions exist at the normal vectoring altitude. It seems to me that procedures should be developed to change the altitudes used for vectoring for approach when WX conditions call for it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT ENCOUNTERED HEAVY ICING ON APCH TO DEN.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM DTW TO DEN. THERE WERE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF MODERATE ICING FROM 8000' TO 12000'. WE HELD NE OF DENVER FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. WHEN CLRED OUT OF THE HOLDING PATTERN AND BELOW 12000' WE INDEED ENCOUNTERED MODERATE ICING. I HAVE FLOWN THE LGT IN VARIOUS SEATS FOR OVER 20 YRS AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED WORSE ICING. FIST SIZED CLUMPS OF ICE FORMED ON MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN SEVERAL PLACES. WE WERE VECTORED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ICING ALTS. ON FINAL I HEARD SEVERAL PLTS EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THE ICE. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF TAIL ICING. ON FINAL WE WERE TOLD TO GO AROUND -- THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. WE LEARNED LATER THAT AN ACFT HAD CRASHED. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE IS NO PROC FOR ATC TO USE DIFFERENT ALTS IF HAZARDOUS WX CONDITIONS EXIST AT THE NORMAL VECTORING ALT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PROCS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED TO CHANGE THE ALTS USED FOR VECTORING FOR APCH WHEN WX CONDITIONS CALL FOR IT.

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.