Narrative:

I was in an small aircraft filed IFR from columbia, sc to portage county, oh. In my WX briefing I was told that there was a fast moving cold front moving across the mountains, which was along my route. Included in that cold front was turbulence and icing. I am a college student, and I wanted to get back to oh, so I made the decision to take the flight. This is where I made the wrong judgement. I departed columbia around xx, so it was getting dark. After about 1 hour of fighting a strong headwind, I ran into turbulence. For an small aircraft it was severe turbulence. Not long after encountering the turbulence, I went into actual IFR and starting having problems holding my altitude. The controller gave me a block altitude of 7000-8000'. MEA was 6000'. I told the controller that I wanted to land because I did not feel it was safe to continue the flight. Not long after that I noticed my airspeed indicator was reading 0 due to icing. I immediately told the controller that I wanted to land as soon as possible. At that time the controller gave me flight assistance to bluefield, wv, which led to safe landing. With the WX conditions as they were, I should not have flown. My advice to other pilots is not to make this flight under these same conditions. If these situations are encountered, the pilot should turn on the pitot heat before running into visible moisture. The wings should also be checked for ice.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURBULENCE AND ICING. FLT ASSIST TO PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS IN AN SMA FILED IFR FROM COLUMBIA, SC TO PORTAGE COUNTY, OH. IN MY WX BRIEFING I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS, WHICH WAS ALONG MY RTE. INCLUDED IN THAT COLD FRONT WAS TURB AND ICING. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT, AND I WANTED TO GET BACK TO OH, SO I MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE THE FLT. THIS IS WHERE I MADE THE WRONG JUDGEMENT. I DEPARTED COLUMBIA AROUND XX, SO IT WAS GETTING DARK. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF FIGHTING A STRONG HEADWIND, I RAN INTO TURB. FOR AN SMA IT WAS SEVERE TURB. NOT LONG AFTER ENCOUNTERING THE TURB, I WENT INTO ACTUAL IFR AND STARTING HAVING PROBS HOLDING MY ALT. THE CTLR GAVE ME A BLOCK ALT OF 7000-8000'. MEA WAS 6000'. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WANTED TO LAND BECAUSE I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE THE FLT. NOT LONG AFTER THAT I NOTICED MY AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS READING 0 DUE TO ICING. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WANTED TO LAND ASAP. AT THAT TIME THE CTLR GAVE ME FLT ASSISTANCE TO BLUEFIELD, WV, WHICH LED TO SAFE LNDG. WITH THE WX CONDITIONS AS THEY WERE, I SHOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN. MY ADVICE TO OTHER PLTS IS NOT TO MAKE THIS FLT UNDER THESE SAME CONDITIONS. IF THESE SITUATIONS ARE ENCOUNTERED, THE PLT SHOULD TURN ON THE PITOT HEAT BEFORE RUNNING INTO VISIBLE MOISTURE. THE WINGS SHOULD ALSO BE CHKED FOR ICE.

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.