Narrative:

The purpose of this flight was a training flight. My student is working on his cfii. We got a clearance to do our work in a quadrant of airspace between 5000 ft and 7000 ft MSL. We entered IMC conditions at approximately 4000 ft MSL. After about 20 mins in the clouds we noticed we were picking up a small (less than 1/8 inch) amount of ice. We heard that someone else was on top at 6500 ft MSL, so we commenced a climb to 6700 ft, however we did not get on top. We then decided to leave the practice area and asked approach for vectors to the instrument approach to return to land. They said that there would be a delay because of other traffic, so we asked for a lower altitude, but approach was unable to give us lower due to other traffic. We were vectored for about 10 mins before we were turned back towards the airport and again asked for lower, and given it. We then were below the clouds. The icing condition no longer a factor. The flight concluded without any unusual problems except that in the time that we were in the clouds (about 40-45 mins) we had accumulated approximately 1/4 inch ice. After we landed the next people to use the airplane were upset because of the ice left on the airframe and brought it to the attention of my employer. He believed that I had flown into known icing thought that I had made no attempt to leave the icing situation. The safety counselor (at my flight school) then proceeded to send a report to the FAA stating that I may have been violating a far. I was not in violation of any far. There had been no previous reports of ice, and there were no flight precautions of icing conditions for my route of flight. I also did make 3 attempts to leave the icing situation. One attempt to climb, 2 requests for a descent (the first was denied). The amount of ice we accumulated did not affect the cruise nor the climb performance of the aircraft that we were in.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON TRAINING FLT ENCOUNTERS ICING. ATTEMPTS TO GET ON TOP. UNABLE. REQUESTS LOWER AND RETURN LAND. LOWER DENIED, VECTORED AWAY FROM ARPT. FINALLY VECTORED TO LAND.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLT WAS A TRAINING FLT. MY STUDENT IS WORKING ON HIS CFII. WE GOT A CLRNC TO DO OUR WORK IN A QUADRANT OF AIRSPACE BTWN 5000 FT AND 7000 FT MSL. WE ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS AT APPROX 4000 FT MSL. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS IN THE CLOUDS WE NOTICED WE WERE PICKING UP A SMALL (LESS THAN 1/8 INCH) AMOUNT OF ICE. WE HEARD THAT SOMEONE ELSE WAS ON TOP AT 6500 FT MSL, SO WE COMMENCED A CLB TO 6700 FT, HOWEVER WE DID NOT GET ON TOP. WE THEN DECIDED TO LEAVE THE PRACTICE AREA AND ASKED APCH FOR VECTORS TO THE INST APCH TO RETURN TO LAND. THEY SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A DELAY BECAUSE OF OTHER TFC, SO WE ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT, BUT APCH WAS UNABLE TO GIVE US LOWER DUE TO OTHER TFC. WE WERE VECTORED FOR ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE WE WERE TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT AND AGAIN ASKED FOR LOWER, AND GIVEN IT. WE THEN WERE BELOW THE CLOUDS. THE ICING CONDITION NO LONGER A FACTOR. THE FLT CONCLUDED WITHOUT ANY UNUSUAL PROBLEMS EXCEPT THAT IN THE TIME THAT WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS (ABOUT 40-45 MINS) WE HAD ACCUMULATED APPROX 1/4 INCH ICE. AFTER WE LANDED THE NEXT PEOPLE TO USE THE AIRPLANE WERE UPSET BECAUSE OF THE ICE LEFT ON THE AIRFRAME AND BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTN OF MY EMPLOYER. HE BELIEVED THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO KNOWN ICING THOUGHT THAT I HAD MADE NO ATTEMPT TO LEAVE THE ICING SITUATION. THE SAFETY COUNSELOR (AT MY FLT SCHOOL) THEN PROCEEDED TO SEND A RPT TO THE FAA STATING THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN VIOLATING A FAR. I WAS NOT IN VIOLATION OF ANY FAR. THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS RPTS OF ICE, AND THERE WERE NO FLT PRECAUTIONS OF ICING CONDITIONS FOR MY RTE OF FLT. I ALSO DID MAKE 3 ATTEMPTS TO LEAVE THE ICING SITUATION. ONE ATTEMPT TO CLB, 2 REQUESTS FOR A DSCNT (THE FIRST WAS DENIED). THE AMOUNT OF ICE WE ACCUMULATED DID NOT AFFECT THE CRUISE NOR THE CLB PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT THAT WE WERE IN.

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.