Narrative:

Filed IFR flight plan via phone with terre haute FSS. Was told to expect clearance in 30 mins -- xx. At xxh I radioed san -- departing nappanee, in, C03, direct to valparaiso, in, vpz, -- clearance and approach/departure from the ground with no answer. I took off and made contact and ground announced I was IFR direct valparaiso etc. Was given a 'squawk' code and informed I had radar contact. I leveled at 3000 ft MSL and headed direct vpz. ATC questioned how and when filed because they asked for most of the flight plan information and had given a squawk, I thought I was being cleared. About 10 mins into flight, some ice was noticed on the leading edges and this was made known to ATC. In another 5 min the ice had built to 3/4 inch. This was made known along with a request for vectors to nearest airport. Plymouth, C65, 7 NM to the southeast, heading south and nearing plymouth (in cloud since rising above 1000 AGL) I noticed the cloud becoming less dark and ice build up seemed to stabilize. Asked for and cleared to vpz (30 NM west). Ice seemed to hold. Windshield also iced. Normal cruise of 120 KTS at 65 percent power now 110 KTS at 100 percent. Smooth stable flight to vpz. On ILS beam and autoplt nearing sedly, cloud cover became very dark. Then beginning descent still on beam when almost simultaneously directional gyro was moving as was altitude and vsi. I froze hands on yoke evaluating all instruments. Gyro steady. Suddenly altitude and vsi resumed normal readings. Glanced and saw additional ice. Overpwred yoke, gently, and felt ice break away. Announced latest conditions and completed left (started involuntarily) turn and recovered cruise altitude. ATC suggested ASR to sbn, which I did. Smooth stable to sbn 90-100 KTS at 100 percent power. Nearing sbn and starting descent, ice left windshield. Ground contact 7 NM 1800 MSL, relief, 4 NM 1400 MSL runway 9 in sight. Safe landing at near 100 percent power. Inspection revealed ice spikes up to 3 1/2 inches on leading edges. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. He took off in VMC to the east when contacting sbn TRACON. Not sure that he ever got the clearance to destination until after all the radar vectoring took place. Was confused reference the squawk code and relating that to receiving an ATC clearance. He had received a partial WX briefing only and did not ask for any PIREPS. His aircraft had no deicing equipment. When asked what he would say as to lesson learned, he said he would have asked for a higher altitude immediately as the cloud tops were only 4500 ft. He has learned to have a more realistic viewpoint of airframe icing. The local FAA FSDO has awarded him the honor of presenting his experience to a safety meeting held during the 'wings' safety program the FAA holds. Reporter has now been counseled by ASRS and FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA GA PLT GETS FLT ASSIST AFTER AN INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH ICING THAT EFFECTS HIS PITOT STATIC SYS AND CREATES A LOSS OF ACFT CTL.

Narrative: FILED IFR FLT PLAN VIA PHONE WITH TERRE HAUTE FSS. WAS TOLD TO EXPECT CLRNC IN 30 MINS -- XX. AT XXH I RADIOED SAN -- DEPARTING NAPPANEE, IN, C03, DIRECT TO VALPARAISO, IN, VPZ, -- CLRNC AND APCH/DEP FROM THE GND WITH NO ANSWER. I TOOK OFF AND MADE CONTACT AND GND ANNOUNCED I WAS IFR DIRECT VALPARAISO ETC. WAS GIVEN A 'SQUAWK' CODE AND INFORMED I HAD RADAR CONTACT. I LEVELED AT 3000 FT MSL AND HEADED DIRECT VPZ. ATC QUESTIONED HOW AND WHEN FILED BECAUSE THEY ASKED FOR MOST OF THE FLT PLAN INFO AND HAD GIVEN A SQUAWK, I THOUGHT I WAS BEING CLRED. ABOUT 10 MINS INTO FLT, SOME ICE WAS NOTICED ON THE LEADING EDGES AND THIS WAS MADE KNOWN TO ATC. IN ANOTHER 5 MIN THE ICE HAD BUILT TO 3/4 INCH. THIS WAS MADE KNOWN ALONG WITH A REQUEST FOR VECTORS TO NEAREST ARPT. PLYMOUTH, C65, 7 NM TO THE SE, HDG S AND NEARING PLYMOUTH (IN CLOUD SINCE RISING ABOVE 1000 AGL) I NOTICED THE CLOUD BECOMING LESS DARK AND ICE BUILD UP SEEMED TO STABILIZE. ASKED FOR AND CLRED TO VPZ (30 NM W). ICE SEEMED TO HOLD. WINDSHIELD ALSO ICED. NORMAL CRUISE OF 120 KTS AT 65 PERCENT PWR NOW 110 KTS AT 100 PERCENT. SMOOTH STABLE FLT TO VPZ. ON ILS BEAM AND AUTOPLT NEARING SEDLY, CLOUD COVER BECAME VERY DARK. THEN BEGINNING DSCNT STILL ON BEAM WHEN ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS MOVING AS WAS ALT AND VSI. I FROZE HANDS ON YOKE EVALUATING ALL INSTS. GYRO STEADY. SUDDENLY ALT AND VSI RESUMED NORMAL READINGS. GLANCED AND SAW ADDITIONAL ICE. OVERPWRED YOKE, GENTLY, AND FELT ICE BREAK AWAY. ANNOUNCED LATEST CONDITIONS AND COMPLETED L (STARTED INVOLUNTARILY) TURN AND RECOVERED CRUISE ALT. ATC SUGGESTED ASR TO SBN, WHICH I DID. SMOOTH STABLE TO SBN 90-100 KTS AT 100 PERCENT PWR. NEARING SBN AND STARTING DSCNT, ICE LEFT WINDSHIELD. GND CONTACT 7 NM 1800 MSL, RELIEF, 4 NM 1400 MSL RWY 9 IN SIGHT. SAFE LNDG AT NEAR 100 PERCENT PWR. INSPECTION REVEALED ICE SPIKES UP TO 3 1/2 INCHES ON LEADING EDGES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. HE TOOK OFF IN VMC TO THE E WHEN CONTACTING SBN TRACON. NOT SURE THAT HE EVER GOT THE CLRNC TO DEST UNTIL AFTER ALL THE RADAR VECTORING TOOK PLACE. WAS CONFUSED REF THE SQUAWK CODE AND RELATING THAT TO RECEIVING AN ATC CLRNC. HE HAD RECEIVED A PARTIAL WX BRIEFING ONLY AND DID NOT ASK FOR ANY PIREPS. HIS ACFT HAD NO DEICING EQUIP. WHEN ASKED WHAT HE WOULD SAY AS TO LESSON LEARNED, HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A HIGHER ALT IMMEDIATELY AS THE CLOUD TOPS WERE ONLY 4500 FT. HE HAS LEARNED TO HAVE A MORE REALISTIC VIEWPOINT OF AIRFRAME ICING. THE LCL FAA FSDO HAS AWARDED HIM THE HONOR OF PRESENTING HIS EXPERIENCE TO A SAFETY MEETING HELD DURING THE 'WINGS' SAFETY PROGRAM THE FAA HOLDS. RPTR HAS NOW BEEN COUNSELED BY ASRS AND FAA.

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.