Narrative:

While awaiting takeoff, with aircraft landing and departing, confusion arose over reports of icing on departure. All of us on frequency heard 'there are no official reports of severe icing.' moderate icing was mentioned. We were cleared for takeoff with no mention of icing at all from the tower controller. On departure, we PIREP of light icing, as did other aircraft. Later I heard that pilots were reporting severe icing on approach to cleveland, then were landing with no ice on their aircraft. Severe icing is defined by our operations manual as 'unable to control the accumulation with anti-ice/deice equipment and in-flight diversion is required.' obviously, as the aircraft did not divert, there was no severe icing. I feel that invalid meteorological reports are hazardous as they could, in this case, require aircraft following to divert prior to entering severe deicing conditions, and perhaps cause low fuel problems at alternates. I would recommend ATC inquire simply 'is the ice accumulation ctlable and are you requiring a divert?' then they could report, accurately, if severe or moderate. Of course, pilots need to be more precise in this reporting also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CAPT REGRETS THAT OTHER ACR PLTS CANNOT RPT ICING PROPERLY IN THEIR REQUIRED PIREPS.

Narrative: WHILE AWAITING TKOF, WITH ACFT LNDG AND DEPARTING, CONFUSION AROSE OVER RPTS OF ICING ON DEP. ALL OF US ON FREQ HEARD 'THERE ARE NO OFFICIAL RPTS OF SEVERE ICING.' MODERATE ICING WAS MENTIONED. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF WITH NO MENTION OF ICING AT ALL FROM THE TWR CTLR. ON DEP, WE PIREP OF LIGHT ICING, AS DID OTHER ACFT. LATER I HEARD THAT PLTS WERE RPTING SEVERE ICING ON APCH TO CLEVELAND, THEN WERE LNDG WITH NO ICE ON THEIR ACFT. SEVERE ICING IS DEFINED BY OUR OPS MANUAL AS 'UNABLE TO CTL THE ACCUMULATION WITH ANTI-ICE/DEICE EQUIP AND INFLT DIVERSION IS REQUIRED.' OBVIOUSLY, AS THE ACFT DID NOT DIVERT, THERE WAS NO SEVERE ICING. I FEEL THAT INVALID METEOROLOGICAL RPTS ARE HAZARDOUS AS THEY COULD, IN THIS CASE, REQUIRE ACFT FOLLOWING TO DIVERT PRIOR TO ENTERING SEVERE DEICING CONDITIONS, AND PERHAPS CAUSE LOW FUEL PROBS AT ALTERNATES. I WOULD RECOMMEND ATC INQUIRE SIMPLY 'IS THE ICE ACCUMULATION CTLABLE AND ARE YOU REQUIRING A DIVERT?' THEN THEY COULD RPT, ACCURATELY, IF SEVERE OR MODERATE. OF COURSE, PLTS NEED TO BE MORE PRECISE IN THIS RPTING ALSO.

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.