Narrative:

The flight was an IFR training flight. We departed albuquerque at pm local time after much debate as far as a destination due to inclement WX. Our original destination of prc was changed to tus due to wst, poor forecast and WX reports and forecast icing from a low freezing level to 16000. Tus was reporting something like 4000 scattered 8000 broken, rw. FSS said there was forecast icing from the freezing level (8000- 11000) to 16000 ft for arizona. WX was VMC until just east of silver city, NM. We descended to 10000 from 130 and during descent entered IMC and encountered some light- moderate mixed icing. The rest of the approach was uneventful. After landing we obtained updated WX information with no major changes and no icing PIREPS. After departure from service, at 10000 we were just at the cloud bases which were very scattered. We had periodic contact with the ground in the san simon VOR, at which time we entered a broken layer. We started accumulating some light rime (OAT 20-25 degree F) and requested higher. After climbing to 12000, the ice was no longer accumulating. Half way between san simon and cochise, we were advised by ATC that an large transport aircraft reported moderate icing from FL160-120 30 mi east of tucson, and were offered 10000. We opted to say at 12000 since we weren't having any problems. About 2 mins later, we encountered some pretty moderate icing and requested FL100 and descended. At this altitude we saw the ground occasionally but did not consider the ice a serious problem then at cochise VOR, we once again encountered some moderate icing and with a 40-50 KT headwind at least a 1/2 inch of ice were making no progress and having trouble holding altitude. At that point, I reported our situation and requested lower. We were assigned 9000 and once again made contact with the ground. ATC gave us a vector to the cochise county airport and we landed safely (with still 1/4 inch of ice on the airplane). Problems include willing to take a chance of flight into areas of precipitation and forecast icing conditions well above the freezing level, (and at night), trying to push on rather than turn back. If we had just stayed at service (since we were aware of the icing conditions on descent) we never would have gotten into this situation. It was late and we were tired and we just wanted to get to a familiar place and a warm bed. Rather than trying to push on and pray that we wouldn't get any ice, as soon as we had visual contact between clouds with the ground, I should have requested a deviation to the nearest airport in VMC conditions immediately. I had a pretty good guess of what kind of conditions we would encounter, yet I went anyway. Better pilot judgement (listen to what the voice in the back of your mind is telling you) and deicing boots would help!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR TRAINING FLT OPERATED INTO FORECASTED ICING WX CONDITIONS WITHOUT BENEFIT OF ACFT DEICING OR ANTI-ICING ACFT EQUIP.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS AN IFR TRAINING FLT. WE DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE AT PM LCL TIME AFTER MUCH DEBATE AS FAR AS A DEST DUE TO INCLEMENT WX. OUR ORIGINAL DEST OF PRC WAS CHANGED TO TUS DUE TO WST, POOR FORECAST AND WX RPTS AND FORECAST ICING FROM A LOW FREEZING LEVEL TO 16000. TUS WAS RPTING SOMETHING LIKE 4000 SCATTERED 8000 BROKEN, RW. FSS SAID THERE WAS FORECAST ICING FROM THE FREEZING LEVEL (8000- 11000) TO 16000 FT FOR ARIZONA. WX WAS VMC UNTIL JUST E OF SILVER CITY, NM. WE DSNDED TO 10000 FROM 130 AND DURING DSCNT ENTERED IMC AND ENCOUNTERED SOME LIGHT- MODERATE MIXED ICING. THE REST OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG WE OBTAINED UPDATED WX INFO WITH NO MAJOR CHANGES AND NO ICING PIREPS. AFTER DEP FROM SVC, AT 10000 WE WERE JUST AT THE CLOUD BASES WHICH WERE VERY SCATTERED. WE HAD PERIODIC CONTACT WITH THE GND IN THE SAN SIMON VOR, AT WHICH TIME WE ENTERED A BROKEN LAYER. WE STARTED ACCUMULATING SOME LIGHT RIME (OAT 20-25 DEG F) AND REQUESTED HIGHER. AFTER CLBING TO 12000, THE ICE WAS NO LONGER ACCUMULATING. HALF WAY BTWN SAN SIMON AND COCHISE, WE WERE ADVISED BY ATC THAT AN LGT ACFT RPTED MODERATE ICING FROM FL160-120 30 MI E OF TUCSON, AND WERE OFFERED 10000. WE OPTED TO SAY AT 12000 SINCE WE WEREN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, WE ENCOUNTERED SOME PRETTY MODERATE ICING AND REQUESTED FL100 AND DSNDED. AT THIS ALT WE SAW THE GND OCCASIONALLY BUT DID NOT CONSIDER THE ICE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THEN AT COCHISE VOR, WE ONCE AGAIN ENCOUNTERED SOME MODERATE ICING AND WITH A 40-50 KT HEADWIND AT LEAST A 1/2 INCH OF ICE WERE MAKING NO PROGRESS AND HAVING TROUBLE HOLDING ALT. AT THAT POINT, I RPTED OUR SITUATION AND REQUESTED LOWER. WE WERE ASSIGNED 9000 AND ONCE AGAIN MADE CONTACT WITH THE GND. ATC GAVE US A VECTOR TO THE COCHISE COUNTY ARPT AND WE LANDED SAFELY (WITH STILL 1/4 INCH OF ICE ON THE AIRPLANE). PROBLEMS INCLUDE WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE OF FLT INTO AREAS OF PRECIPITATION AND FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS WELL ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL, (AND AT NIGHT), TRYING TO PUSH ON RATHER THAN TURN BACK. IF WE HAD JUST STAYED AT SVC (SINCE WE WERE AWARE OF THE ICING CONDITIONS ON DSCNT) WE NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO THIS SITUATION. IT WAS LATE AND WE WERE TIRED AND WE JUST WANTED TO GET TO A FAMILIAR PLACE AND A WARM BED. RATHER THAN TRYING TO PUSH ON AND PRAY THAT WE WOULDN'T GET ANY ICE, AS SOON AS WE HAD VISUAL CONTACT BTWN CLOUDS WITH THE GND, I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A DEV TO THE NEAREST ARPT IN VMC CONDITIONS IMMEDIATELY. I HAD A PRETTY GOOD GUESS OF WHAT KIND OF CONDITIONS WE WOULD ENCOUNTER, YET I WENT ANYWAY. BETTER PLT JUDGEMENT (LISTEN TO WHAT THE VOICE IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND IS TELLING YOU) AND DEICING BOOTS WOULD HELP!

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.