Narrative:

I was flight instructing on an INS x-country flight. My student and I were on our last leg of the flight on vector 60 about 40 mi from gallup VOR going to abq. We flew into IMC where we encountered a snowstorm. The air was smooth and we started picking up a small amount of ice. I thought we would be out of IMC in a matter of mins, because we had just come from abq and I knew where the storm was hovering, so I didn't think the amount of ice that we were picking up would effect the aircraft. That was where I was wrong. We were unable to maintain our altitude and were already at the MEA 11000'. We were at vx and still descending. I told center that we were unable to hold our altitude. Center advised me that she couldn't give us a lower altitude. To the best of my recollection I think she (center) asked me what my intentions were and I told her that I would continue on my present heading and try to maintain my altitude the best I could. My student had been flying the plane and I was talking to center. I suddenly noted that the dg was stuck in 1 spot and we were actually in a right bank. I took the plane from my student and started using the magnetic compass. By this time we had lost radio communication with center and VOR navigation. Airliners started relaying messages from center and I. I told the airliners I lost my dg and VOR navigation. I continued to lose altitude while flying at best climb speed. Center asked me what I wanted to do. I said I would like vectors out of the storm. She said she couldn't see the storm on the screen but gave vectors in the direction I had previously come from. I finally broke out of IMC. I was at 10000', 1000' below the MEA and authority/authorized altitude while flying at vx. The ice started shedding, so I was able to climb. I circled in VMC until I was at my MEA 11000'. All the time I was below the MEA I didn't have radio reception with center, but was relaying all my communications with several different airliners. When I was at 11000' I regained my reception with center and VOR navigation. Center asked me what I wanted to do. I advised center that I would like to go back to gallup and rerte myself VFR because of the icing conditions. I got vectored back to gallup then I cancelled my IFR flight plan and proceeded VFR. That was the first time I had been in icing conditions. My perception of an small aircraft flying with what I thought was a small amount of ice were a lot different than what actually happened. I learned that any ice what so ever will effect the performance of an aircraft drastically. Once I started encountering ice I should have informed center and asked permission to execute a 180 degree turn and return to non icing conditions. When I had gotten my WX forecast from FSS. I was informed that the freezing level was at 11000', so once I started encountering any type of precipitation I should have turned around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON A DUAL CROSS-COUNTRY INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX ICE.

Narrative: I WAS FLT INSTRUCTING ON AN INS X-COUNTRY FLT. MY STUDENT AND I WERE ON OUR LAST LEG OF THE FLT ON VECTOR 60 ABOUT 40 MI FROM GALLUP VOR GOING TO ABQ. WE FLEW INTO IMC WHERE WE ENCOUNTERED A SNOWSTORM. THE AIR WAS SMOOTH AND WE STARTED PICKING UP A SMALL AMOUNT OF ICE. I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE OUT OF IMC IN A MATTER OF MINS, BECAUSE WE HAD JUST COME FROM ABQ AND I KNEW WHERE THE STORM WAS HOVERING, SO I DIDN'T THINK THE AMOUNT OF ICE THAT WE WERE PICKING UP WOULD EFFECT THE ACFT. THAT WAS WHERE I WAS WRONG. WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR ALT AND WERE ALREADY AT THE MEA 11000'. WE WERE AT VX AND STILL DSNDING. I TOLD CENTER THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD OUR ALT. CENTER ADVISED ME THAT SHE COULDN'T GIVE US A LOWER ALT. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION I THINK SHE (CENTER) ASKED ME WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE AND I TOLD HER THAT I WOULD CONTINUE ON MY PRESENT HDG AND TRY TO MAINTAIN MY ALT THE BEST I COULD. MY STUDENT HAD BEEN FLYING THE PLANE AND I WAS TALKING TO CENTER. I SUDDENLY NOTED THAT THE DG WAS STUCK IN 1 SPOT AND WE WERE ACTUALLY IN A RIGHT BANK. I TOOK THE PLANE FROM MY STUDENT AND STARTED USING THE MAGNETIC COMPASS. BY THIS TIME WE HAD LOST RADIO COM WITH CENTER AND VOR NAV. AIRLINERS STARTED RELAYING MESSAGES FROM CENTER AND I. I TOLD THE AIRLINERS I LOST MY DG AND VOR NAV. I CONTINUED TO LOSE ALT WHILE FLYING AT BEST CLB SPD. CENTER ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I SAID I WOULD LIKE VECTORS OUT OF THE STORM. SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T SEE THE STORM ON THE SCREEN BUT GAVE VECTORS IN THE DIRECTION I HAD PREVIOUSLY COME FROM. I FINALLY BROKE OUT OF IMC. I WAS AT 10000', 1000' BELOW THE MEA AND AUTH ALT WHILE FLYING AT VX. THE ICE STARTED SHEDDING, SO I WAS ABLE TO CLB. I CIRCLED IN VMC UNTIL I WAS AT MY MEA 11000'. ALL THE TIME I WAS BELOW THE MEA I DIDN'T HAVE RADIO RECEPTION WITH CENTER, BUT WAS RELAYING ALL MY COMS WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT AIRLINERS. WHEN I WAS AT 11000' I REGAINED MY RECEPTION WITH CENTER AND VOR NAV. CENTER ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I ADVISED CENTER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO GALLUP AND RERTE MYSELF VFR BECAUSE OF THE ICING CONDITIONS. I GOT VECTORED BACK TO GALLUP THEN I CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN AND PROCEEDED VFR. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD BEEN IN ICING CONDITIONS. MY PERCEPTION OF AN SMA FLYING WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF ICE WERE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. I LEARNED THAT ANY ICE WHAT SO EVER WILL EFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ACFT DRASTICALLY. ONCE I STARTED ENCOUNTERING ICE I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED CENTER AND ASKED PERMISSION TO EXECUTE A 180 DEG TURN AND RETURN TO NON ICING CONDITIONS. WHEN I HAD GOTTEN MY WX FORECAST FROM FSS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FREEZING LEVEL WAS AT 11000', SO ONCE I STARTED ENCOUNTERING ANY TYPE OF PRECIPITATION I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND.

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.