Narrative:

I received a WX briefing for VFR, possible IFR conditions. WX briefing for route of flight, bfl direct pmd direct bxk direct P10 called for scattered to broken, layered 4000-8000 tops not reported. Possible scattered rain showers from southern california deserts to east of the colorado river. Possible light to mod icing in clouds and precipitation. Having flown this route many times in similar conditions, I took off on an IFR flight plan. My perception was that I could fly between layers or at a low enough altitude to avoid any icing conditions. I penetrated the cloud deck at pmb (15000 MSL) and immediately stated to accumulate rime ice. After trying to communicate with ZLA and told to stand by due to the heavy traffic load, I exercised my PIC authority to initiate a left 180 degree turn to get back to VFR conditions. I made radio contact with ZLA and advised them of my actions and conditions. I then asked if it would be possible to continue eastbound on V386 at a lower altitude out of icing conditions. I was then vectored to an easterly heading to intercept V386 at 14000 MSL until established on it. Upon establishing on V386 I was allowed to descend to 11000 MSL and contact joshua approach. At this time there were no layers as forecasted to break out into. I asked for lower and joshua approach advised that the MEA at apple intersection is 11000 MSL. I advised them of continuing to pick up ice and request lower at 7000 MSL. The forecasted conditions of clouds, rain and temperatures at altitude could no longer be relied upon. I descended to 7000 MSL still picking up ice. I asked for lower, possibly 5000 MSL. They then coordinated with george air force base gcr to get me lower. I started to see the lights of george air force base and victorville, ca, in ragged cloud bottoms. I started to make a left 180 degree turn in MVFR conditions but reentered the clouds and continued to pick up ice. Joshua approach then vectored me north and to descend to 5000 MSL. I contacted george gcr and they cleared me to 5000 MSL and continue north. While descending I saw the lights of george air force base in MVFR conditions. I initiated a left 180 degree turn with the ground in sight and descended to 5000 MSL over george air force base. George air force base asked if I needed to land at george air force base to get out of the icing conditions. By descending below 5000 MSL I now could make out the entire valley's lights. I declined his invitation and asked for radar vectors to apple valley airport (apv). George gcr gave me 3 different vectors around a small mountain to the east of george air force base and immediately west of apv. At my discretion I descended below 4500 MSL in MVFR conditions. With apv and the mountains in sight, george gcr approved frequency change and squawk 1200. I asked for george air force base winds which george gcr advised 290 at 15 KTS. I then changed to apv 122.8 and landed on runway 36. I appreciate the help of all the ATC facilities and fortunate enough to know the local terrain. The rapidly changing WX conditions made for unreliable WX forecasts and probably due to pilot familiarity of the route, complacency, the flight took off from bfl as it has done many times before. I should have requested to maintain 15000 MSL upon first entering the clouds and encountering the icing conditions, continue the left 180 degree turn as it would have returned me to VFR conditions at a known position (just west of pmd) much sooner than trying to proceed IFR at a lower altitude looking to get out of icing conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP PLT CONTINUES INTO ICING CONDITIONS. FLT ASSIST TO ENABLE DIVERT AND LAND.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR VFR, POSSIBLE IFR CONDITIONS. WX BRIEFING FOR RTE OF FLT, BFL DIRECT PMD DIRECT BXK DIRECT P10 CALLED FOR SCATTERED TO BROKEN, LAYERED 4000-8000 TOPS NOT RPTED. POSSIBLE SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DESERTS TO E OF THE COLORADO RIVER. POSSIBLE LIGHT TO MOD ICING IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION. HAVING FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS, I TOOK OFF ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT I COULD FLY BTWN LAYERS OR AT A LOW ENOUGH ALT TO AVOID ANY ICING CONDITIONS. I PENETRATED THE CLOUD DECK AT PMB (15000 MSL) AND IMMEDIATELY STATED TO ACCUMULATE RIME ICE. AFTER TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH ZLA AND TOLD TO STAND BY DUE TO THE HVY TFC LOAD, I EXERCISED MY PIC AUTHORITY TO INITIATE A L 180 DEG TURN TO GET BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS. I MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH ZLA AND ADVISED THEM OF MY ACTIONS AND CONDITIONS. I THEN ASKED IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE EBOUND ON V386 AT A LOWER ALT OUT OF ICING CONDITIONS. I WAS THEN VECTORED TO AN EASTERLY HDG TO INTERCEPT V386 AT 14000 MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON IT. UPON ESTABLISHING ON V386 I WAS ALLOWED TO DSND TO 11000 MSL AND CONTACT JOSHUA APCH. AT THIS TIME THERE WERE NO LAYERS AS FORECASTED TO BREAK OUT INTO. I ASKED FOR LOWER AND JOSHUA APCH ADVISED THAT THE MEA AT APPLE INTXN IS 11000 MSL. I ADVISED THEM OF CONTINUING TO PICK UP ICE AND REQUEST LOWER AT 7000 MSL. THE FORECASTED CONDITIONS OF CLOUDS, RAIN AND TEMPS AT ALT COULD NO LONGER BE RELIED UPON. I DSNDED TO 7000 MSL STILL PICKING UP ICE. I ASKED FOR LOWER, POSSIBLY 5000 MSL. THEY THEN COORDINATED WITH GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE GCR TO GET ME LOWER. I STARTED TO SEE THE LIGHTS OF GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE AND VICTORVILLE, CA, IN RAGGED CLOUD BOTTOMS. I STARTED TO MAKE A L 180 DEG TURN IN MVFR CONDITIONS BUT REENTERED THE CLOUDS AND CONTINUED TO PICK UP ICE. JOSHUA APCH THEN VECTORED ME N AND TO DSND TO 5000 MSL. I CONTACTED GEORGE GCR AND THEY CLRED ME TO 5000 MSL AND CONTINUE N. WHILE DSNDING I SAW THE LIGHTS OF GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE IN MVFR CONDITIONS. I INITIATED A L 180 DEG TURN WITH THE GND IN SIGHT AND DSNDED TO 5000 MSL OVER GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE. GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE ASKED IF I NEEDED TO LAND AT GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE TO GET OUT OF THE ICING CONDITIONS. BY DSNDING BELOW 5000 MSL I NOW COULD MAKE OUT THE ENTIRE VALLEY'S LIGHTS. I DECLINED HIS INVITATION AND ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS TO APPLE VALLEY ARPT (APV). GEORGE GCR GAVE ME 3 DIFFERENT VECTORS AROUND A SMALL MOUNTAIN TO THE E OF GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE AND IMMEDIATELY W OF APV. AT MY DISCRETION I DSNDED BELOW 4500 MSL IN MVFR CONDITIONS. WITH APV AND THE MOUNTAINS IN SIGHT, GEORGE GCR APPROVED FREQ CHANGE AND SQUAWK 1200. I ASKED FOR GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE WINDS WHICH GEORGE GCR ADVISED 290 AT 15 KTS. I THEN CHANGED TO APV 122.8 AND LANDED ON RWY 36. I APPRECIATE THE HELP OF ALL THE ATC FACILITIES AND FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KNOW THE LCL TERRAIN. THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WX CONDITIONS MADE FOR UNRELIABLE WX FORECASTS AND PROBABLY DUE TO PLT FAMILIARITY OF THE RTE, COMPLACENCY, THE FLT TOOK OFF FROM BFL AS IT HAS DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN 15000 MSL UPON FIRST ENTERING THE CLOUDS AND ENCOUNTERING THE ICING CONDITIONS, CONTINUE THE L 180 DEG TURN AS IT WOULD HAVE RETURNED ME TO VFR CONDITIONS AT A KNOWN POS (JUST W OF PMD) MUCH SOONER THAN TRYING TO PROCEED IFR AT A LOWER ALT LOOKING TO GET OUT OF ICING CONDITIONS.

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.