Small aircraft private aircraft on IFR flight plan encountered icing which resulted in breaking off ...

Attributes
ACN	399446
Time
Date	199804
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	399446
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

I was flying a trip from louisville, ky, to denver, co, with a fuel stop at topeka, ks. The louisville-topeka leg was uneventful, but I did note activity developing west of topeka was appearing on the stormscope when I was approaching topeka. My attention during the duats WX brief for the topeka- denver leg was focused on determining where the thunderstorm activity was and which way it was moving. I also consulted a dtn WX center commercial WX radar display. All of that plus the stormscope and consulting with flight watch allowed me to avoid the kansas thunderstorms. About 100 mi east of denver, I flew into clouds and soon noticed clear ice running back from the leading edge. I requested lower and the ice melted. Approaching denver, I had to climb to clear terrain and immediately began to accumulate clear to mixed ice. I determined my best alternative was to continue to denver. When I was vectored onto the localizer at apa, neither course deviation indicator was stable enough for navigation despite being able to identify the signal. I suspected ice was interfering with navigation reception and abandoned the approach. Den approach said bjc (20 mi northwest) was reporting VFR conditions with scattered clouds. I was vectored to bjc and landed uneventfully. When I deplaned I was stunned to see that ice had snapped off both ears of the navigation antenna. I guess ice is where you find it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PVT ACFT ON IFR FLT PLAN ENCOUNTERED ICING WHICH RESULTED IN BREAKING OFF THE NAV ANTENNAE. UNABLE TO FLY AN INST APCH THE TRACON VECTORED RPTR PLT TO A VFR ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A TRIP FROM LOUISVILLE, KY, TO DENVER, CO, WITH A FUEL STOP AT TOPEKA, KS. THE LOUISVILLE-TOPEKA LEG WAS UNEVENTFUL, BUT I DID NOTE ACTIVITY DEVELOPING W OF TOPEKA WAS APPEARING ON THE STORMSCOPE WHEN I WAS APCHING TOPEKA. MY ATTN DURING THE DUATS WX BRIEF FOR THE TOPEKA- DENVER LEG WAS FOCUSED ON DETERMINING WHERE THE TSTM ACTIVITY WAS AND WHICH WAY IT WAS MOVING. I ALSO CONSULTED A DTN WX CTR COMMERCIAL WX RADAR DISPLAY. ALL OF THAT PLUS THE STORMSCOPE AND CONSULTING WITH FLT WATCH ALLOWED ME TO AVOID THE KANSAS TSTMS. ABOUT 100 MI E OF DENVER, I FLEW INTO CLOUDS AND SOON NOTICED CLR ICE RUNNING BACK FROM THE LEADING EDGE. I REQUESTED LOWER AND THE ICE MELTED. APCHING DENVER, I HAD TO CLB TO CLR TERRAIN AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE CLR TO MIXED ICE. I DETERMINED MY BEST ALTERNATIVE WAS TO CONTINUE TO DENVER. WHEN I WAS VECTORED ONTO THE LOC AT APA, NEITHER COURSE DEV INDICATOR WAS STABLE ENOUGH FOR NAV DESPITE BEING ABLE TO IDENT THE SIGNAL. I SUSPECTED ICE WAS INTERFERING WITH NAV RECEPTION AND ABANDONED THE APCH. DEN APCH SAID BJC (20 MI NW) WAS RPTING VFR CONDITIONS WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS. I WAS VECTORED TO BJC AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN I DEPLANED I WAS STUNNED TO SEE THAT ICE HAD SNAPPED OFF BOTH EARS OF THE NAV ANTENNA. I GUESS ICE IS WHERE YOU FIND 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.

Small aircraft private aircraft on IFR flight plan encountered icing which resulted in breaking off the navigation antennae. Unable to fly an instrument approach the TRACON vectored reporter pilot to a VFR airport.