Narrative:

I was performing duties as an air traffic controller at arcata FSS. Small aircraft X contacted me on 122.3 over garberville, ca. Pilot requested WX for arcata (-X M3 broken 13 ovc 10 46/45/2208/989/F1 flight precautions for large transport-mdt icing from freezing level to 140/large transport-mdt tb blo FL400/ mountains obscured/IFR conditions along the coast). Pilot requested WX for his position or some place he could come down through the clouds. Pilot advised he was at 9500' and clouds above and below him. Advised pilot that the nearest location with a ceiling above his was at red bluff, ca, (E130 broken), but that I didn't have the WX over the mountains en route. He stated that he was having trouble keeping clear of clouds, and that he was picking up some icing. I asked pilot if he was VFR and he stated yes. Advised pilot to contact seattle center on 124.85. I contacted ZSE to advise that pilot was a VFR pilot in IMC at 9500' 38 southeast of the fortuna VOR. ZSE called back for WX in vicinity of fortuna for small aircraft X because he was building up heavy icing. The pilot was also having difficulty maintaining directional control because he had to view through the side window (his windshield had iced over). I contacted the fortuna police to attempt to determine the WX in the area, and the national WX service in eureka, ca. Police referred me to NWS. NWS advised eureka had 10 broken 20 ovc 7. Called northern air at eureka-murray, an FBO that operated the unicom and performed occasional WX observations. Since it was after hours, the answering service had to connect me to someone on call. I spoke with their WX observer, who lived in fieldbrook, which is south of eka. He said he had no reports from eka, and wasn't aware of any breaks in the WX there. I asked if he could contact one of their pilots. The chief pilot contacted me and advised that it was clear over the fortuna VOR. Advised ZSE, and they advised the pilot. The pilot was given a northwest heading, but due to his preoccupation with the ice on his airplane, he was heading southeast. After about 20 mins, the pilot turned the aircraft around to the northwest. At about xx:xx pilot broke out of the clouds south of fot VOR. The pilot flew for about another 10 mins when ZSE asked if I could see the airplane. The aircraft was about 10 mi to the south when I advised I had him in sight. The pilot was told to contact me for airport advisories. I had previously turned on all the airport lights to step 5 45 mins earlier. The pilot advised he had the REIL for runway 2 in sight. The pilot was advised he could use any runway since the wind was calm. Runway 14 was selected, although he could have made a straight-in for runway 2. After landing, the pilot advised he was given a standard WX briefing from oakland FSS. The pilot had little understanding of what the WX he was given was, stating that it was not as forecast. I advised him that the WX was exactly as forecast. The layers of broken skies covering the entire sky at each of those layers. He stated that he thought the broken skies were 'generally clear'. Pilots need to be familiar with what the WX reports are indicating, and when a sky is forecast to IFR with mountain obscurement, it shouldn't be ventured into by the inexperienced. The pilot came out of this adventure with little understanding of how close he came to meeting death.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X INFLT INCOUNTER WX ICING.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING DUTIES AS AN AIR TFC CTLR AT ARCATA FSS. SMA X CONTACTED ME ON 122.3 OVER GARBERVILLE, CA. PLT REQUESTED WX FOR ARCATA (-X M3 BKN 13 OVC 10 46/45/2208/989/F1 FLT PRECAUTIONS FOR LGT-MDT ICING FROM FREEZING LEVEL TO 140/LGT-MDT TB BLO FL400/ MOUNTAINS OBSCURED/IFR CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST). PLT REQUESTED WX FOR HIS POS OR SOME PLACE HE COULD COME DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS. PLT ADVISED HE WAS AT 9500' AND CLOUDS ABOVE AND BELOW HIM. ADVISED PLT THAT THE NEAREST LOCATION WITH A CEILING ABOVE HIS WAS AT RED BLUFF, CA, (E130 BKN), BUT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE WX OVER THE MOUNTAINS ENRTE. HE STATED THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING CLR OF CLOUDS, AND THAT HE WAS PICKING UP SOME ICING. I ASKED PLT IF HE WAS VFR AND HE STATED YES. ADVISED PLT TO CONTACT SEATTLE CTR ON 124.85. I CONTACTED ZSE TO ADVISE THAT PLT WAS A VFR PLT IN IMC AT 9500' 38 SE OF THE FORTUNA VOR. ZSE CALLED BACK FOR WX IN VICINITY OF FORTUNA FOR SMA X BECAUSE HE WAS BUILDING UP HVY ICING. THE PLT WAS ALSO HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CTL BECAUSE HE HAD TO VIEW THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW (HIS WINDSHIELD HAD ICED OVER). I CONTACTED THE FORTUNA POLICE TO ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE WX IN THE AREA, AND THE NATIONAL WX SVC IN EUREKA, CA. POLICE REFERRED ME TO NWS. NWS ADVISED EUREKA HAD 10 BKN 20 OVC 7. CALLED NORTHERN AIR AT EUREKA-MURRAY, AN FBO THAT OPERATED THE UNICOM AND PERFORMED OCCASIONAL WX OBSERVATIONS. SINCE IT WAS AFTER HRS, THE ANSWERING SVC HAD TO CONNECT ME TO SOMEONE ON CALL. I SPOKE WITH THEIR WX OBSERVER, WHO LIVED IN FIELDBROOK, WHICH IS S OF EKA. HE SAID HE HAD NO RPTS FROM EKA, AND WASN'T AWARE OF ANY BREAKS IN THE WX THERE. I ASKED IF HE COULD CONTACT ONE OF THEIR PLTS. THE CHIEF PLT CONTACTED ME AND ADVISED THAT IT WAS CLR OVER THE FORTUNA VOR. ADVISED ZSE, AND THEY ADVISED THE PLT. THE PLT WAS GIVEN A NW HDG, BUT DUE TO HIS PREOCCUPATION WITH THE ICE ON HIS AIRPLANE, HE WAS HDG SE. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS, THE PLT TURNED THE ACFT AROUND TO THE NW. AT ABOUT XX:XX PLT BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS S OF FOT VOR. THE PLT FLEW FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 10 MINS WHEN ZSE ASKED IF I COULD SEE THE AIRPLANE. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 10 MI TO THE S WHEN I ADVISED I HAD HIM IN SIGHT. THE PLT WAS TOLD TO CONTACT ME FOR ARPT ADVISORIES. I HAD PREVIOUSLY TURNED ON ALL THE ARPT LIGHTS TO STEP 5 45 MINS EARLIER. THE PLT ADVISED HE HAD THE REIL FOR RWY 2 IN SIGHT. THE PLT WAS ADVISED HE COULD USE ANY RWY SINCE THE WIND WAS CALM. RWY 14 WAS SELECTED, ALTHOUGH HE COULD HAVE MADE A STRAIGHT-IN FOR RWY 2. AFTER LNDG, THE PLT ADVISED HE WAS GIVEN A STANDARD WX BRIEFING FROM OAKLAND FSS. THE PLT HAD LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE WX HE WAS GIVEN WAS, STATING THAT IT WAS NOT AS FORECAST. I ADVISED HIM THAT THE WX WAS EXACTLY AS FORECAST. THE LAYERS OF BROKEN SKIES COVERING THE ENTIRE SKY AT EACH OF THOSE LAYERS. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE BROKEN SKIES WERE 'GENERALLY CLR'. PLTS NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THE WX RPTS ARE INDICATING, AND WHEN A SKY IS FORECAST TO IFR WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT, IT SHOULDN'T BE VENTURED INTO BY THE INEXPERIENCED. THE PLT CAME OUT OF THIS ADVENTURE WITH LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO MEETING DEATH.

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.