GA small aircraft encountered icing enroute from msn to rac at 5000'. Unable to get clearance for lo...

Attributes
ACN	159415
Time
Date	199010
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bae
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau tracon : mke artcc : zbw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 732 flight time type : 616
ASRS Report	159415
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Took off on IFR flight plan for msn to facility via the bae VOR. Msn tower assigned me right to ZAU because msn radar out. ZAU vectored me north and then direct to bae at 5000' MSL. Shortly after reaching 5000' I noticed light rime ice and asked center for 4000' because of ice. Center did not respond to that request, so I relayed through another aircraft that request. Center said he would have a new frequency very soon. ZAU was 133.6. He then gave me mke approach at 125.35. I tried mke first on #1 communication and then #2. Never made contact with mke. Tried juggling cords, etc. Rime ice was adding on. Freezing rain started. Windshield was totally obscured. Asked any aircraft to answer--no response. Stayed at 5000' for about 2 or 3 mins, but realized I could not proceed to rac at that level in the 45 min flight time. Declared emergency and intent to lower altitude. Squawked 7700 for 1 min and then 7600. Descended to 3000' MSL. Regular rain started peeling ice. Called mke several times, then dropped to about 1000' AGL (1900' MSL). Cloud layer was thinning. Dropped to about 900' AGL (1800' MSL) and broke out. Continued direct (090 degrees) to bae. Called mke and got radio contact for 2 xmissions, but no direction. Headed 270 degrees away from mke airspace and decided to divert to ues about 5 mi away. Called ues tower and got response. They said I was weak. Got to ues and was cleared to land on 36. Talked to ues tower and called mke by phone. They said they had received a lot of my xmissions, maybe all. They diverted an inbound aircraft from ues airspace after I declared emergency and dropped down. I had received an FAA WX briefing at XX00 am. PIREPS were saying no ice at 6000'. A final XB00 briefing did not forecast freezing rain. General outlook was actually marginal VFR C1500, occasional 1000, 4R-. Mke controller did not give any indication that I would be cited for infractions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENCOUNTERED ICING ENROUTE FROM MSN TO RAC AT 5000'. UNABLE TO GET CLRNC FOR LOWER PLT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, FOLLOWED EMERGENCY RADIO PROC AND DESCENDED TO LOWER ALT OUT OF ICING THEN DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE.

Narrative: TOOK OFF ON IFR FLT PLAN FOR MSN TO FAC VIA THE BAE VOR. MSN TWR ASSIGNED ME RIGHT TO ZAU BECAUSE MSN RADAR OUT. ZAU VECTORED ME N AND THEN DIRECT TO BAE AT 5000' MSL. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING 5000' I NOTICED LIGHT RIME ICE AND ASKED CENTER FOR 4000' BECAUSE OF ICE. CENTER DID NOT RESPOND TO THAT REQUEST, SO I RELAYED THROUGH ANOTHER ACFT THAT REQUEST. CENTER SAID HE WOULD HAVE A NEW FREQ VERY SOON. ZAU WAS 133.6. HE THEN GAVE ME MKE APCH AT 125.35. I TRIED MKE FIRST ON #1 COM AND THEN #2. NEVER MADE CONTACT WITH MKE. TRIED JUGGLING CORDS, ETC. RIME ICE WAS ADDING ON. FREEZING RAIN STARTED. WINDSHIELD WAS TOTALLY OBSCURED. ASKED ANY ACFT TO ANSWER--NO RESPONSE. STAYED AT 5000' FOR ABOUT 2 OR 3 MINS, BUT REALIZED I COULD NOT PROCEED TO RAC AT THAT LEVEL IN THE 45 MIN FLT TIME. DECLARED EMER AND INTENT TO LOWER ALT. SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN 7600. DSNDED TO 3000' MSL. REGULAR RAIN STARTED PEELING ICE. CALLED MKE SEVERAL TIMES, THEN DROPPED TO ABOUT 1000' AGL (1900' MSL). CLOUD LAYER WAS THINNING. DROPPED TO ABOUT 900' AGL (1800' MSL) AND BROKE OUT. CONTINUED DIRECT (090 DEGS) TO BAE. CALLED MKE AND GOT RADIO CONTACT FOR 2 XMISSIONS, BUT NO DIRECTION. HEADED 270 DEGS AWAY FROM MKE AIRSPACE AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO UES ABOUT 5 MI AWAY. CALLED UES TWR AND GOT RESPONSE. THEY SAID I WAS WEAK. GOT TO UES AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON 36. TALKED TO UES TWR AND CALLED MKE BY PHONE. THEY SAID THEY HAD RECEIVED A LOT OF MY XMISSIONS, MAYBE ALL. THEY DIVERTED AN INBND ACFT FROM UES AIRSPACE AFTER I DECLARED EMER AND DROPPED DOWN. I HAD RECEIVED AN FAA WX BRIEFING AT XX00 AM. PIREPS WERE SAYING NO ICE AT 6000'. A FINAL XB00 BRIEFING DID NOT FORECAST FREEZING RAIN. GENERAL OUTLOOK WAS ACTUALLY MARGINAL VFR C1500, OCCASIONAL 1000, 4R-. MKE CTLR DID NOT GIVE ANY INDICATION THAT I WOULD BE CITED FOR INFRACTIONS.

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.

GA small aircraft encountered icing enroute from msn to rac at 5000'. Unable to get clearance for lower pilot declared an emergency, followed emergency radio procedure and descended to lower altitude out of icing then diverted to an alternate.