Narrative:

I obtained a WX brief from FSS prior to departing bemidji. There were 2 PIREP reports from smp. One of a trace and of light rime ice. Earlier in the morning an large transport reported light to moderate rime on descent into msp. Also, the chi region had an airmet for icing for mn-southern half. I then filed IFR flight plan to 8y2 from bemidji. We departed bji VFR. I filed for 9000 which would have us well above the cloud tops which were reported around 6000- 7000. I told center I wanted to stay on top as long as possible and asked if there were any new reports of icing at msp. Center told me to wait. When he came back he said I could maintain 9000 and said nothing of ice reports. Over stc VOR he asked me to descend to 5000 again I said I could take 8000. I was assigned 8000. I was still on top at 8000. Then I said I could take 6000. This put us at the top fringes of the clouds. After a few moments center came back and had me descend to 5000 and advise when ready to copy holding instructions. At 5000 I had picked up 1/4 inch ice and it was building. I told center I was picking up ice and would like to have lower. He came back and told me to maintain 5000. At that moment I hit the holding fix and had my pitot freeze. My airspeed indicator went to 0 then almost immediately the altimeter and vsi began to jump in 500 ft swings. I think I advised I had airspeed failure but I am not sure. I told center I had to have lower, center then told me I was a 4400 and to maintain 4400. At this point my altimeter read approximately 5200 and I had just opened the alternate static source. The vsi and altimeter then pegged at an upward rate in excess of 2000 FPM up. I remember center saying that I couldn't go lower because there was another plane on an approach. At this point, I was concentrating on keeping the plane flying and don't remember anything other than breaking out and center asked what flight conditions I was in. I said VFR and cancelled IFR. I flew to 8YZ VFR. My airspeed altimeter and vsi did not function properly the rest of the way to 8YZ. I landed with 1/4 inch ice still on the airplane. I felt that by requesting to stay on top as long as possible and the fact that I asked if there were any new reports of icing that I was conveying my concern about the icing conditions to the controller. I had planned to go back to bji, which was VFR, if upon arrival at msp there were reports of any moderate ice. I also felt that if I stayed on top until gep and then began a descent into 8YZ I would only be in the clouds for a couple of mins, therefore, minimizing my exposure to any possible ice. I did not make my intentions clear to the controller, on the same token the controller did not make his reasons for having me at 5000 clear and then once there, issuing a holding clearance. Had I known that I was going to have to hold in the clouds (where the possible ice was) I would have requested to hold on top or to go back to bji. What I am going to work on in the future is to let my intentions and concerns be known in advance before things progress to an unsafe situation. I feel this situation arose because of a breakdown of communication on my part the concerns of ice, and on the controller's need of 5000 ft and holding me there until a later time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN TRIES TO REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING LEVEL. DSNDS, HAS PITOT STATIC SYS ICING AND ONE-FOURTH INCH ON AIRFRAME. BREAKS INTO VFR.

Narrative: I OBTAINED A WX BRIEF FROM FSS PRIOR TO DEPARTING BEMIDJI. THERE WERE 2 PIREP RPTS FROM SMP. ONE OF A TRACE AND OF LIGHT RIME ICE. EARLIER IN THE MORNING AN LGT RPTED LIGHT TO MODERATE RIME ON DSCNT INTO MSP. ALSO, THE CHI REGION HAD AN AIRMET FOR ICING FOR MN-SOUTHERN HALF. I THEN FILED IFR FLT PLAN TO 8Y2 FROM BEMIDJI. WE DEPARTED BJI VFR. I FILED FOR 9000 WHICH WOULD HAVE US WELL ABOVE THE CLOUD TOPS WHICH WERE RPTED AROUND 6000- 7000. I TOLD CTR I WANTED TO STAY ON TOP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY NEW RPTS OF ICING AT MSP. CTR TOLD ME TO WAIT. WHEN HE CAME BACK HE SAID I COULD MAINTAIN 9000 AND SAID NOTHING OF ICE RPTS. OVER STC VOR HE ASKED ME TO DSND TO 5000 AGAIN I SAID I COULD TAKE 8000. I WAS ASSIGNED 8000. I WAS STILL ON TOP AT 8000. THEN I SAID I COULD TAKE 6000. THIS PUT US AT THE TOP FRINGES OF THE CLOUDS. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS CTR CAME BACK AND HAD ME DSND TO 5000 AND ADVISE WHEN READY TO COPY HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. AT 5000 I HAD PICKED UP 1/4 INCH ICE AND IT WAS BUILDING. I TOLD CTR I WAS PICKING UP ICE AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE LOWER. HE CAME BACK AND TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 5000. AT THAT MOMENT I HIT THE HOLDING FIX AND HAD MY PITOT FREEZE. MY AIRSPD INDICATOR WENT TO 0 THEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE ALTIMETER AND VSI BEGAN TO JUMP IN 500 FT SWINGS. I THINK I ADVISED I HAD AIRSPD FAILURE BUT I AM NOT SURE. I TOLD CTR I HAD TO HAVE LOWER, CTR THEN TOLD ME I WAS A 4400 AND TO MAINTAIN 4400. AT THIS POINT MY ALTIMETER READ APPROX 5200 AND I HAD JUST OPENED THE ALTERNATE STATIC SOURCE. THE VSI AND ALTIMETER THEN PEGGED AT AN UPWARD RATE IN EXCESS OF 2000 FPM UP. I REMEMBER CTR SAYING THAT I COULDN'T GO LOWER BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER PLANE ON AN APCH. AT THIS POINT, I WAS CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING THE PLANE FLYING AND DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING OTHER THAN BREAKING OUT AND CTR ASKED WHAT FLT CONDITIONS I WAS IN. I SAID VFR AND CANCELLED IFR. I FLEW TO 8YZ VFR. MY AIRSPD ALTIMETER AND VSI DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY THE REST OF THE WAY TO 8YZ. I LANDED WITH 1/4 INCH ICE STILL ON THE AIRPLANE. I FELT THAT BY REQUESTING TO STAY ON TOP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND THE FACT THAT I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY NEW RPTS OF ICING THAT I WAS CONVEYING MY CONCERN ABOUT THE ICING CONDITIONS TO THE CTLR. I HAD PLANNED TO GO BACK TO BJI, WHICH WAS VFR, IF UPON ARR AT MSP THERE WERE RPTS OF ANY MODERATE ICE. I ALSO FELT THAT IF I STAYED ON TOP UNTIL GEP AND THEN BEGAN A DSCNT INTO 8YZ I WOULD ONLY BE IN THE CLOUDS FOR A COUPLE OF MINS, THEREFORE, MINIMIZING MY EXPOSURE TO ANY POSSIBLE ICE. I DID NOT MAKE MY INTENTIONS CLR TO THE CTLR, ON THE SAME TOKEN THE CTLR DID NOT MAKE HIS REASONS FOR HAVING ME AT 5000 CLR AND THEN ONCE THERE, ISSUING A HOLDING CLRNC. HAD I KNOWN THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO HOLD IN THE CLOUDS (WHERE THE POSSIBLE ICE WAS) I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED TO HOLD ON TOP OR TO GO BACK TO BJI. WHAT I AM GOING TO WORK ON IN THE FUTURE IS TO LET MY INTENTIONS AND CONCERNS BE KNOWN IN ADVANCE BEFORE THINGS PROGRESS TO AN UNSAFE SITUATION. I FEEL THIS SITUATION AROSE BECAUSE OF A BREAKDOWN OF COM ON MY PART THE CONCERNS OF ICE, AND ON THE CTLR'S NEED OF 5000 FT AND HOLDING ME THERE UNTIL A LATER TIME.

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.