Narrative:

Prior to the flight, and INS student's long x-country required for the INS rating, I instructed him to get the WX briefing prior to departure. Though he was a low-time pilot, I expected that he had sufficient experience with FSS to get and fully understand a standard WX briefing. He had already finished the required 50 hours of PIC x-country time, and each of those flts required a briefing. I trusted him. He told me of the SIGMET F6 that was in effect for our flight, and that it forecast moderate turbulence along our route of flight. I surveyed the sectional, found our 'outs' to land if the turbulence got too bad, and departed on our IFR flight plan. We topped the freezing level in the left.a. Basin at 8500' and climbed to 10000', VFR on top. After passing lhs and emn we descended to 9000', then proceeded direct to ayn. I had asked my student if the SIGMET was for santa ana conditions, and he said no. He also said it wasn't frontal, though he did say the briefer mentioned icing, but he didn't remember where. Over ayn we began picking up light rime ice. I requested a descent and was then given a routing to an arwy with a lower MEA to avoid further icing conditions. We never accumulated more than 1/8-1/16' of rime ice. Upon landing at sns, I went to the FSS to see what we had flown through, and learned it was a distinct frontal system that was affecting the entire region, a cold front, and there had been icing reports and forecasts in clouds and precipitation above the freezing level all day. I was aghast to find out my student did not convey this, and later found out he didn't get that information either, because the briefer was talking too fast, he didn't say it at all, or my student didn't understand it. My attempts to get the synopsis in flight were unsuccessful--that was part of a 'standard' briefing and flight watch didn't have time for that. This flight into known icing conditions could have been averted if I had gotten a WX briefing and didn't expect my student to get and understand his first x-country IFR WX briefing, let alone interpret it for IFR flight. Then I would have known that those clouds above ayn probably had ice, and could have gotten lower, gone around or rerouted prior to the occurrence. In the future, I will pay strict attention to WX briefing interpretation in all IFR training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON INS TRAINING CROSS-COUNTRY FLT FLIES INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE FLT, AND INS STUDENT'S LONG X-COUNTRY REQUIRED FOR THE INS RATING, I INSTRUCTED HIM TO GET THE WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEP. THOUGH HE WAS A LOW-TIME PLT, I EXPECTED THAT HE HAD SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE WITH FSS TO GET AND FULLY UNDERSTAND A STANDARD WX BRIEFING. HE HAD ALREADY FINISHED THE REQUIRED 50 HRS OF PIC X-COUNTRY TIME, AND EACH OF THOSE FLTS REQUIRED A BRIEFING. I TRUSTED HIM. HE TOLD ME OF THE SIGMET F6 THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR OUR FLT, AND THAT IT FORECAST MODERATE TURB ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT. I SURVEYED THE SECTIONAL, FOUND OUR 'OUTS' TO LAND IF THE TURB GOT TOO BAD, AND DEPARTED ON OUR IFR FLT PLAN. WE TOPPED THE FREEZING LEVEL IN THE L.A. BASIN AT 8500' AND CLBED TO 10000', VFR ON TOP. AFTER PASSING LHS AND EMN WE DSNDED TO 9000', THEN PROCEEDED DIRECT TO AYN. I HAD ASKED MY STUDENT IF THE SIGMET WAS FOR SANTA ANA CONDITIONS, AND HE SAID NO. HE ALSO SAID IT WASN'T FRONTAL, THOUGH HE DID SAY THE BRIEFER MENTIONED ICING, BUT HE DIDN'T REMEMBER WHERE. OVER AYN WE BEGAN PICKING UP LIGHT RIME ICE. I REQUESTED A DSCNT AND WAS THEN GIVEN A ROUTING TO AN ARWY WITH A LOWER MEA TO AVOID FURTHER ICING CONDITIONS. WE NEVER ACCUMULATED MORE THAN 1/8-1/16' OF RIME ICE. UPON LNDG AT SNS, I WENT TO THE FSS TO SEE WHAT WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH, AND LEARNED IT WAS A DISTINCT FRONTAL SYS THAT WAS AFFECTING THE ENTIRE REGION, A COLD FRONT, AND THERE HAD BEEN ICING RPTS AND FORECASTS IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL ALL DAY. I WAS AGHAST TO FIND OUT MY STUDENT DID NOT CONVEY THIS, AND LATER FOUND OUT HE DIDN'T GET THAT INFO EITHER, BECAUSE THE BRIEFER WAS TALKING TOO FAST, HE DIDN'T SAY IT AT ALL, OR MY STUDENT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. MY ATTEMPTS TO GET THE SYNOPSIS IN FLT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL--THAT WAS PART OF A 'STANDARD' BRIEFING AND FLT WATCH DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT. THIS FLT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS COULD HAVE BEEN AVERTED IF I HAD GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING AND DIDN'T EXPECT MY STUDENT TO GET AND UNDERSTAND HIS FIRST X-COUNTRY IFR WX BRIEFING, LET ALONE INTERPRET IT FOR IFR FLT. THEN I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THOSE CLOUDS ABOVE AYN PROBABLY HAD ICE, AND COULD HAVE GOTTEN LOWER, GONE AROUND OR REROUTED PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL PAY STRICT ATTN TO WX BRIEFING INTERP IN ALL IFR TRNING.

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.