Narrative:

Location: southbound on V151 direct to gdm direct to V14, 9000' descending to 7000' 8 NM north of gdm on IFR clearance; encountered freezing precipitation in descent, icing of airframe and loss of communication with bos center and initiated continued precautionary descent to 5000' MSL to safer, clear air known to exist in vicinity of worcester airport. (Via ATIS monitoring en route). Broke out at about 5500' MSL about 5 NM northwest of orh. Loss of communication with bos center occurred at the same time. Decision to continue descent below cleared altitude had to be made in the interest of safety. I continued to broadcast my descent to bos center (134.7) and the information was relayed by another aircraft who also relayed a change of frequency to me (123.75) where upon communication was restored. Bos center acknowledged my descent to 5000' and asked for a report of WX encountered in descent and cleared me to continue en route at 5000' MSL, then xferred me to bdl approach which reaffirmed 5000' altitude plus clearance direct to orw from present position (off V14) in vicinity of orh. Situation may have been available by climbing from original altitude of 9000' MSL to clear clouds in the distance at above 10000', 12000' (estimated). Knowing of the potential for icing at higher altitudes in southern portion of our route (from forecasts), I elected to descend to warmer air below and requested 5000' MSL, but mistakenly accepted a clearance to only 7000' MSL. Communication loss may have been due to some rime icing on the antennas but more likely bos center was so busy at that time with another aircraft experiencing icing that the frequency change to 123.75 was not made prior to or at the time of my clearance to descend was issued. (Loss of communication with bos center in this area has been lost on other flts in this area in the past, but in better WX conditions).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DESCENDS INTO ICING CONDITIONS AND LOSES COM WITH ZBW. NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT, REPORTER CONTINUES DESCENT WITHOUT AUTH INTO WARMER AIR.

Narrative: LOCATION: SBND ON V151 DIRECT TO GDM DIRECT TO V14, 9000' DSNDING TO 7000' 8 NM N OF GDM ON IFR CLRNC; ENCOUNTERED FREEZING PRECIP IN DSNT, ICING OF AIRFRAME AND LOSS OF COM WITH BOS CTR AND INITIATED CONTINUED PRECAUTIONARY DSNT TO 5000' MSL TO SAFER, CLR AIR KNOWN TO EXIST IN VICINITY OF WORCESTER ARPT. (VIA ATIS MONITORING ENRTE). BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 5500' MSL ABOUT 5 NM NW OF ORH. LOSS OF COM WITH BOS CTR OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME. DECISION TO CONTINUE DSNT BELOW CLRED ALT HAD TO BE MADE IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. I CONTINUED TO BROADCAST MY DSNT TO BOS CTR (134.7) AND THE INFO WAS RELAYED BY ANOTHER ACFT WHO ALSO RELAYED A CHANGE OF FREQ TO ME (123.75) WHERE UPON COM WAS RESTORED. BOS CTR ACKNOWLEDGED MY DSNT TO 5000' AND ASKED FOR A RPT OF WX ENCOUNTERED IN DSNT AND CLRED ME TO CONTINUE ENRTE AT 5000' MSL, THEN XFERRED ME TO BDL APCH WHICH REAFFIRMED 5000' ALT PLUS CLRNC DIRECT TO ORW FROM PRESENT POS (OFF V14) IN VICINITY OF ORH. SITUATION MAY HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE BY CLBING FROM ORIGINAL ALT OF 9000' MSL TO CLR CLOUDS IN THE DISTANCE AT ABOVE 10000', 12000' (ESTIMATED). KNOWING OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ICING AT HIGHER ALTS IN SOUTHERN PORTION OF OUR RTE (FROM FORECASTS), I ELECTED TO DSND TO WARMER AIR BELOW AND REQUESTED 5000' MSL, BUT MISTAKENLY ACCEPTED A CLRNC TO ONLY 7000' MSL. COM LOSS MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO SOME RIME ICING ON THE ANTENNAS BUT MORE LIKELY BOS CTR WAS SO BUSY AT THAT TIME WITH ANOTHER ACFT EXPERIENCING ICING THAT THE FREQ CHANGE TO 123.75 WAS NOT MADE PRIOR TO OR AT THE TIME OF MY CLRNC TO DSND WAS ISSUED. (LOSS OF COM WITH BOS CTR IN THIS AREA HAS BEEN LOST ON OTHER FLTS IN THIS AREA IN THE PAST, BUT IN BETTER WX CONDITIONS).

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.