Narrative:

I was planning a flight from palmer, ak to minchumina, ak. I checked WX at a, B, C, and D am. All indicated the passes were closed. Tops were estimated at 20,000'. The a, B, and C am included possibility of ice between 8-14,000'. MEA = 10,000'. The D am report had no ice precautions. I filed IFR requesting an immediate climb to 10,000' to check for ice before continuing over mountains. No ice was encountered and flight was completed in smooth air. After approximately 1 hour on ground I departed for the return home retracing exact route and altitude. Upon reaching 10,000' and joining the airway approximately 50 south of nenana, I noticed a trace (less than 1/16') of ice. About the same time I began losing altitude slowly. After trying unsuccessfully to hold altitude, I told zan I was going to execute a 180 degree turn back to lower terrain. At this point I thought the trace of ice was my problem. I encountered an area of VFR between layers and continued to descend to approximately 7500' until all ice (it looked more like frost) was gone. I again attempted to climb in a southerly direction (back toward the mountain) but still was unable to gain any altitude even at maximum power. When I encountered an area of good VFR down to the surface, I cancelled IFR and descended into the pass near mckinley park. I continued to palmer, VFR, providing progress and PIREPS until after just giving talkeetna FSS a position/PIREP 10 north of tka. He mentioned nothing of his control zone being below VFR minimums and when I reported abeam of the airport (but several miles west of it), he said in a very sarcastic manner that I had just violated his airspace. After that treatment, that's the last pilot/position report I'll give voluntarily. I strongly believe I had been caught in a large area of downdraft, or mountain wave earlier when I couldn't maintain altitude. I believe when the upper winds are from the south, the area forecast should provide a warning under 'flight precautions' concerning possible wave action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ENCOUNTERED ICING AND MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WAS PLANNING A FLT FROM PALMER, AK TO MINCHUMINA, AK. I CHECKED WX AT A, B, C, AND D AM. ALL INDICATED THE PASSES WERE CLOSED. TOPS WERE ESTIMATED AT 20,000'. THE A, B, AND C AM INCLUDED POSSIBILITY OF ICE BETWEEN 8-14,000'. MEA = 10,000'. THE D AM REPORT HAD NO ICE PRECAUTIONS. I FILED IFR REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE CLIMB TO 10,000' TO CHECK FOR ICE BEFORE CONTINUING OVER MOUNTAINS. NO ICE WAS ENCOUNTERED AND FLT WAS COMPLETED IN SMOOTH AIR. AFTER APPROX 1 HR ON GND I DEPARTED FOR THE RETURN HOME RETRACING EXACT ROUTE AND ALT. UPON REACHING 10,000' AND JOINING THE AIRWAY APPROX 50 S OF NENANA, I NOTICED A TRACE (LESS THAN 1/16') OF ICE. ABOUT THE SAME TIME I BEGAN LOSING ALT SLOWLY. AFTER TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO HOLD ALT, I TOLD ZAN I WAS GOING TO EXECUTE A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO LOWER TERRAIN. AT THIS POINT I THOUGHT THE TRACE OF ICE WAS MY PROBLEM. I ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF VFR BETWEEN LAYERS AND CONTINUED TO DSND TO APPROX 7500' UNTIL ALL ICE (IT LOOKED MORE LIKE FROST) WAS GONE. I AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION (BACK TOWARD THE MOUNTAIN) BUT STILL WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ANY ALT EVEN AT MAX POWER. WHEN I ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF GOOD VFR DOWN TO THE SURFACE, I CANCELLED IFR AND DESCENDED INTO THE PASS NEAR MCKINLEY PARK. I CONTINUED TO PALMER, VFR, PROVIDING PROGRESS AND PIREPS UNTIL AFTER JUST GIVING TALKEETNA FSS A POSITION/PIREP 10 N OF TKA. HE MENTIONED NOTHING OF HIS CTL ZONE BEING BELOW VFR MINIMUMS AND WHEN I REPORTED ABEAM OF THE ARPT (BUT SEVERAL MILES W OF IT), HE SAID IN A VERY SARCASTIC MANNER THAT I HAD JUST VIOLATED HIS AIRSPACE. AFTER THAT TREATMENT, THAT'S THE LAST PLT/POSITION REPORT I'LL GIVE VOLUNTARILY. I STRONGLY BELIEVE I HAD BEEN CAUGHT IN A LARGE AREA OF DOWNDRAFT, OR MOUNTAIN WAVE EARLIER WHEN I COULDN'T MAINTAIN ALT. I BELIEVE WHEN THE UPPER WINDS ARE FROM THE SOUTH, THE AREA FORECAST SHOULD PROVIDE A WARNING UNDER 'FLT PRECAUTIONS' CONCERNING POSSIBLE WAVE ACTION.

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.