Narrative:

I had completed 4 hours of my trip and had started to encounter heavy turbulence and immediately called denver flight watch, to question what he had in pilot reports. Prior to this turbulence I called denver flight watch 100 mi prior, to discuss the impending clouds and that I was painting electrical discharges on my storm scope. Flight watch said that there was no problem ahead, and relayed my concerns. I entered the line of clouds and overflew them at an altitude of 16,500. It was becoming apparent that I would have to ask for permission to climb to 17,500 to avoid the rising cloud layer. I told ZDV I would have to move up in altitude. ZDV was totally aware of my situation, but continued to say that I had to stay VFR and offered no assistance to my impending crisis. The clouds had pushed my plane up to 17,900 and I asked for his assistance, but received the normal partyline about staying VFR. My altitude violation was inadvertent and not deliberate in the sense that I needed assistance and center offered nothing. There was known icing conditions in the cloud layer underneath me. Do I break the VFR cloud rule and fly into known icing? Or descend with the mountains lurking 4000 below or ask center to clear the way for 10-15 mi so that I could descend through the openings I was beginning to see ahead? They did nothing to help my situation and seemed only interesting in the rules and not my safety or the surrounding airspace. They clearly could have cleared a path for the 10-15 mi I needed, to get to the openings required for a VFR descent. Even with the opening on my descent back to lower altitudes I encountered icing on my windscreen. If I were in a high traffic area I can understand the difficulty of my request for a 'special VFR clearance'. They should have reviewed my situation and not let it get progressively worse. Center had the ability to work with my crisis of the 18,000 VFR ceiling, and the experience and ability to assist me in this most difficult situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF PCA.

Narrative: I HAD COMPLETED 4 HRS OF MY TRIP AND HAD STARTED TO ENCOUNTER HEAVY TURBULENCE AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED DENVER FLT WATCH, TO QUESTION WHAT HE HAD IN PLT REPORTS. PRIOR TO THIS TURBULENCE I CALLED DENVER FLT WATCH 100 MI PRIOR, TO DISCUSS THE IMPENDING CLOUDS AND THAT I WAS PAINTING ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES ON MY STORM SCOPE. FLT WATCH SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AHEAD, AND RELAYED MY CONCERNS. I ENTERED THE LINE OF CLOUDS AND OVERFLEW THEM AT AN ALT OF 16,500. IT WAS BECOMING APPARENT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO ASK FOR PERMISSION TO CLIMB TO 17,500 TO AVOID THE RISING CLOUD LAYER. I TOLD ZDV I WOULD HAVE TO MOVE UP IN ALT. ZDV WAS TOTALLY AWARE OF MY SITUATION, BUT CONTINUED TO SAY THAT I HAD TO STAY VFR AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE TO MY IMPENDING CRISIS. THE CLOUDS HAD PUSHED MY PLANE UP TO 17,900 AND I ASKED FOR HIS ASSISTANCE, BUT RECEIVED THE NORMAL PARTYLINE ABOUT STAYING VFR. MY ALT VIOLATION WAS INADVERTENT AND NOT DELIBERATE IN THE SENSE THAT I NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND CENTER OFFERED NOTHING. THERE WAS KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS IN THE CLOUD LAYER UNDERNEATH ME. DO I BREAK THE VFR CLOUD RULE AND FLY INTO KNOWN ICING? OR DESCEND WITH THE MOUNTAINS LURKING 4000 BELOW OR ASK CENTER TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR 10-15 MI SO THAT I COULD DSND THROUGH THE OPENINGS I WAS BEGINNING TO SEE AHEAD? THEY DID NOTHING TO HELP MY SITUATION AND SEEMED ONLY INTERESTING IN THE RULES AND NOT MY SAFETY OR THE SURROUNDING AIRSPACE. THEY CLEARLY COULD HAVE CLRED A PATH FOR THE 10-15 MI I NEEDED, TO GET TO THE OPENINGS REQUIRED FOR A VFR DSCNT. EVEN WITH THE OPENING ON MY DSCNT BACK TO LOWER ALTS I ENCOUNTERED ICING ON MY WINDSCREEN. IF I WERE IN A HIGH TFC AREA I CAN UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY OF MY REQUEST FOR A 'SPECIAL VFR CLRNC'. THEY SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED MY SITUATION AND NOT LET IT GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. CENTER HAD THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH MY CRISIS OF THE 18,000 VFR CEILING, AND THE EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY TO ASSIST ME IN THIS MOST DIFFICULT SITUATION.

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.