Narrative:

I departed eagle, co, to aspen after briefing with FSS on VFR flight. I proceeded in ssw direction climbing to 10500', following the road to intersect I-70 near carbondale. When 17 min out of ase attempt was made to contact aspen ATC. They advised me of negative radar contact and suggested that I climb. Still negative contact after a short while sight-seeing, and assessing a large mesa for emergency landing if necessary. I was told to contact denver center which suggested a flight directly over red table VOR (113.0) and I informed of 120 degree heading to the VOR. On this heading with a circuit breaker buildup in sight an IFR clearance was requested. Shortly one was granted, all of which happened about the same time taken over by center. Oxy was in use per mask, and seeing that I was going to be in the soup, pitot heat was activated. Although the distance was only 15 min or so to my destination of ase airport, apparently no radar contact with aspen ATC was made. That was disconcerting. Then upon entering the clouds there was a good deal of turbulence. Slush was collecting on the windscreen and additionally the manifold pressure was dropping....below the green line. Although never having experienced such, I had read and studied about induction system icing. Carburetor heat, defrost, and cabin heat were applied as well as adding throttle. Almost simultaneously upon recognizing induction system icing, I made a left turn 180 degree. In the process of backtracking to daylight and VMC I had climbed several hundred ft. ATC notified me that I was at FL190. That may have been the case, although I do not recall that the altimeter read that high. In retrospect an emergency should have been declared. In addition I realize that clearance should have been obtained prior to course or altitude deviation. My concentration however was so intent upon maintaining control of the aircraft in the turbulence and icing, plus having sufficient altitude until back in VMC. I do not know whether static port icing was a factor, but it was apparent from the rough running of the aircraft that icing was still a factor almost the entire distance back to eagle, albeit short. In retrospect FSS could have mentioned freezing level in the briefings (2). My not having altitude and heading deviation clearance was a lesson learned in the heat of 'battle'. Another lesson was in the rapidity in which circuit breaker buildup occurs in co, summers. This fact was stressed in my mtn flying instruction and has been indelibly imprinted. Never having been close to emergency, my advise to myself would be to declare one a little too early rather then a little too late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLEX, TURBOCHARGED SMA, VFR OVER MOUNTAIN TERRAIN, ENCOUNTERS WX AT DESTINATION AND REQUESTS POPUP IFR TO GET IN BUT AFTER ENTERING CLOUD ICES UP AND DOES 180 DEGREE TURN WITHOUT CLRNC TO GET BACK TO VMC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED EAGLE, CO, TO ASPEN AFTER BRIEFING WITH FSS ON VFR FLT. I PROCEEDED IN SSW DIRECTION CLBING TO 10500', FOLLOWING THE ROAD TO INTERSECT I-70 NEAR CARBONDALE. WHEN 17 MIN OUT OF ASE ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CONTACT ASPEN ATC. THEY ADVISED ME OF NEGATIVE RADAR CONTACT AND SUGGESTED THAT I CLB. STILL NEGATIVE CONTACT AFTER A SHORT WHILE SIGHT-SEEING, AND ASSESSING A LARGE MESA FOR EMER LNDG IF NECESSARY. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DENVER CTR WHICH SUGGESTED A FLT DIRECTLY OVER RED TABLE VOR (113.0) AND I INFORMED OF 120 DEG HDG TO THE VOR. ON THIS HDG WITH A CB BUILDUP IN SIGHT AN IFR CLRNC WAS REQUESTED. SHORTLY ONE WAS GRANTED, ALL OF WHICH HAPPENED ABOUT THE SAME TIME TAKEN OVER BY CTR. OXY WAS IN USE PER MASK, AND SEEING THAT I WAS GOING TO BE IN THE SOUP, PITOT HEAT WAS ACTIVATED. ALTHOUGH THE DISTANCE WAS ONLY 15 MIN OR SO TO MY DEST OF ASE ARPT, APPARENTLY NO RADAR CONTACT WITH ASPEN ATC WAS MADE. THAT WAS DISCONCERTING. THEN UPON ENTERING THE CLOUDS THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF TURB. SLUSH WAS COLLECTING ON THE WINDSCREEN AND ADDITIONALLY THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS DROPPING....BELOW THE GREEN LINE. ALTHOUGH NEVER HAVING EXPERIENCED SUCH, I HAD READ AND STUDIED ABOUT INDUCTION SYS ICING. CARB HEAT, DEFROST, AND CABIN HEAT WERE APPLIED AS WELL AS ADDING THROTTLE. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY UPON RECOGNIZING INDUCTION SYS ICING, I MADE A L TURN 180 DEG. IN THE PROCESS OF BACKTRACKING TO DAYLIGHT AND VMC I HAD CLBED SEVERAL HUNDRED FT. ATC NOTIFIED ME THAT I WAS AT FL190. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE CASE, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT RECALL THAT THE ALTIMETER READ THAT HIGH. IN RETROSPECT AN EMER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DECLARED. IN ADDITION I REALIZE THAT CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED PRIOR TO COURSE OR ALT DEV. MY CONCENTRATION HOWEVER WAS SO INTENT UPON MAINTAINING CTL OF THE ACFT IN THE TURB AND ICING, PLUS HAVING SUFFICIENT ALT UNTIL BACK IN VMC. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER STATIC PORT ICING WAS A FACTOR, BUT IT WAS APPARENT FROM THE ROUGH RUNNING OF THE ACFT THAT ICING WAS STILL A FACTOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE DISTANCE BACK TO EAGLE, ALBEIT SHORT. IN RETROSPECT FSS COULD HAVE MENTIONED FREEZING LEVEL IN THE BRIEFINGS (2). MY NOT HAVING ALT AND HDG DEV CLRNC WAS A LESSON LEARNED IN THE HEAT OF 'BATTLE'. ANOTHER LESSON WAS IN THE RAPIDITY IN WHICH CB BUILDUP OCCURS IN CO, SUMMERS. THIS FACT WAS STRESSED IN MY MTN FLYING INSTRUCTION AND HAS BEEN INDELIBLY IMPRINTED. NEVER HAVING BEEN CLOSE TO EMER, MY ADVISE TO MYSELF WOULD BE TO DECLARE ONE A LITTLE TOO EARLY RATHER THEN A LITTLE TOO LATE.

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.