Narrative:

About 30 NM northeast of roanoke, va, ice started to accumulate on aircraft. I told center that I would like to change destination from bkw to roanoke. I was then handed off from center to roanoke approach, to whom I told, that I had ice building up on aircraft I was flying at 6000', and asked for lower altitude, which could not be approved. I realized that a higher altitude would not do me any good because of tops at 16000'. About 15 NM northeast of roa, approach told me to expect ldg approach to runway 6. This meant that they would have to take me 12 NM southwest of the airport and then 12 NM back on the localizer. I asked for another approach, (thinking about ILS runway 33) which would be closer to my position. This could not be approved. 2 NM northeast of the airport, I was able to see the entire roanoke airport, and surrounding areas, and I never lost sight of it. All runways were right below me, and I asked for a visibility approach, runway 6. The controller could not approve a visibility, due to reported 1 mi visibility. I told him that I was fully visibility with the runways. He repeated that I would have to accept lda runway 6, due to reported low visibility. For the reason that I did not want to take any risks, with some ice building up on aircraft I then declared an emergency and landed after executing a normal traffic pattern to runway 6. I did not have an actual emergency, when I declared it. But I did not want to put aircraft, passenger and myself in jeopardy, realizing that I could have an emergency later on, if I accepted the approach. I talked to controller and supervisor in the tower after the event. They told me, that if I had asked for a contact approach, they would have given it to me. I have to admit, that a contact approach was not in my mind at that point. As said before, I asked for a visibility, it was not approved and then I declared an emergency, only to prevent having one later on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DECLARES EMERGENCY BECAUSE OF ICE ACCUMULATION DURING VECTORS FOR AN APCH.

Narrative: ABOUT 30 NM NE OF ROANOKE, VA, ICE STARTED TO ACCUMULATE ON ACFT. I TOLD CTR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE DEST FROM BKW TO ROANOKE. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF FROM CTR TO ROANOKE APCH, TO WHOM I TOLD, THAT I HAD ICE BUILDING UP ON ACFT I WAS FLYING AT 6000', AND ASKED FOR LOWER ALT, WHICH COULD NOT BE APPROVED. I REALIZED THAT A HIGHER ALT WOULD NOT DO ME ANY GOOD BECAUSE OF TOPS AT 16000'. ABOUT 15 NM NE OF ROA, APCH TOLD ME TO EXPECT LDG APCH TO RWY 6. THIS MEANT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ME 12 NM SW OF THE ARPT AND THEN 12 NM BACK ON THE LOC. I ASKED FOR ANOTHER APCH, (THINKING ABOUT ILS RWY 33) WHICH WOULD BE CLOSER TO MY POS. THIS COULD NOT BE APPROVED. 2 NM NE OF THE ARPT, I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ENTIRE ROANOKE ARPT, AND SURROUNDING AREAS, AND I NEVER LOST SIGHT OF IT. ALL RWYS WERE R BELOW ME, AND I ASKED FOR A VIS APCH, RWY 6. THE CTLR COULD NOT APPROVE A VIS, DUE TO RPTED 1 MI VISIBILITY. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS FULLY VIS WITH THE RWYS. HE REPEATED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT LDA RWY 6, DUE TO RPTED LOW VISIBILITY. FOR THE REASON THAT I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY RISKS, WITH SOME ICE BUILDING UP ON ACFT I THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AFTER EXECUTING A NORMAL TFC PATTERN TO RWY 6. I DID NOT HAVE AN ACTUAL EMER, WHEN I DECLARED IT. BUT I DID NOT WANT TO PUT ACFT, PAX AND MYSELF IN JEOPARDY, REALIZING THAT I COULD HAVE AN EMER LATER ON, IF I ACCEPTED THE APCH. I TALKED TO CTLR AND SUPVR IN THE TWR AFTER THE EVENT. THEY TOLD ME, THAT IF I HAD ASKED FOR A CONTACT APCH, THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT TO ME. I HAVE TO ADMIT, THAT A CONTACT APCH WAS NOT IN MY MIND AT THAT POINT. AS SAID BEFORE, I ASKED FOR A VIS, IT WAS NOT APPROVED AND THEN I DECLARED AN EMER, ONLY TO PREVENT HAVING ONE LATER ON.

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.