Narrative:

On an IFR flight from wjf to abq in solid IMC, encountered icing at 10000 ft (just 2 of needles). Center unable lower. Navigation equipment sporadic, possibly due to ice on antennas. We elected to stop at needles to address WX situation with FSS. Shot the VOR approach and on descent, broke out at 7000 ft at which time we decided to proceed VFR beneath ceiling along highway 40 to abq. I called flight watch to get WX along route. Flagstaff and winslow each reporting IFR conditions. At this time we were nearing kingman so we decided to land, refuel and talk to FSS via telephone. The WX was changing rapidly, all unforecast. We discussed with FSS our alternatives and decided to head south around the moisture. Since our final destination was tulsa this would work fine. I filed an IFR plan from needles to tucson at 8000 ft below freezing level and planned to fly back to needles from kingman VFR to avoid icing. It had been raining lightly at kingman since our arrival. We departed around xxpm local, heading south to pick up our IFR near needles. I gave the plane over to my pilot friend to fly while I checked the sectional with a flashlight. I told him to keep the highway car lights in sight just off his side of the plane at all times. Within a min or so he said he lost sight of where the road went because of what he thought was a low cloud. I looked up immediately, tried to see what he had observed. It was a low cloud. I immediately steep banked the plane to my side for a quick 180 degree turn but too late -- we entered the clouds. We did not exit the clouds in a few seconds so I immediately went full power/propellers and began a spiraling climbing turn, afraid due to the mountainous terrain. I immediately tried to contact center. Unfortunately they just started having trouble with reception. I called flight watch and asked them to relay to center our predicament and to see about picking up our IFR now. They told us center had just switched frequency due to the trouble and to try recontact on that one. Noting the minimum safe altitude for that part of the sectional was 8800 ft I climbed to 10000 ft, leveled off and proceeded direct needles. Center came back with clearance. I was picking up ice again and asked center for lower since MEA south of needles was 8000 ft. They cleared me to 8000 ft. Rest of trip uneventful. I had a good reminder of how dangerous night VFR flying in marginal WX can be. Also, rain creating low clouds due to saturation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TRYING TO STAY VFR AT NIGHT UNTIL ABLE TO RECEIVE IFR CLRNC ENTERS CLOUDS, CLBS THROUGH CLOUDS.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT FROM WJF TO ABQ IN SOLID IMC, ENCOUNTERED ICING AT 10000 FT (JUST 2 OF NEEDLES). CTR UNABLE LOWER. NAV EQUIP SPORADIC, POSSIBLY DUE TO ICE ON ANTENNAS. WE ELECTED TO STOP AT NEEDLES TO ADDRESS WX SIT WITH FSS. SHOT THE VOR APCH AND ON DSCNT, BROKE OUT AT 7000 FT AT WHICH TIME WE DECIDED TO PROCEED VFR BENEATH CEILING ALONG HWY 40 TO ABQ. I CALLED FLT WATCH TO GET WX ALONG RTE. FLAGSTAFF AND WINSLOW EACH RPTING IFR CONDITIONS. AT THIS TIME WE WERE NEARING KINGMAN SO WE DECIDED TO LAND, REFUEL AND TALK TO FSS VIA TELEPHONE. THE WX WAS CHANGING RAPIDLY, ALL UNFORECAST. WE DISCUSSED WITH FSS OUR ALTERNATIVES AND DECIDED TO HEAD S AROUND THE MOISTURE. SINCE OUR FINAL DEST WAS TULSA THIS WOULD WORK FINE. I FILED AN IFR PLAN FROM NEEDLES TO TUCSON AT 8000 FT BELOW FREEZING LEVEL AND PLANNED TO FLY BACK TO NEEDLES FROM KINGMAN VFR TO AVOID ICING. IT HAD BEEN RAINING LIGHTLY AT KINGMAN SINCE OUR ARR. WE DEPARTED AROUND XXPM LCL, HDG S TO PICK UP OUR IFR NEAR NEEDLES. I GAVE THE PLANE OVER TO MY PLT FRIEND TO FLY WHILE I CHKED THE SECTIONAL WITH A FLASHLIGHT. I TOLD HIM TO KEEP THE HWY CAR LIGHTS IN SIGHT JUST OFF HIS SIDE OF THE PLANE AT ALL TIMES. WITHIN A MIN OR SO HE SAID HE LOST SIGHT OF WHERE THE ROAD WENT BECAUSE OF WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A LOW CLOUD. I LOOKED UP IMMEDIATELY, TRIED TO SEE WHAT HE HAD OBSERVED. IT WAS A LOW CLOUD. I IMMEDIATELY STEEP BANKED THE PLANE TO MY SIDE FOR A QUICK 180 DEG TURN BUT TOO LATE -- WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS. WE DID NOT EXIT THE CLOUDS IN A FEW SECONDS SO I IMMEDIATELY WENT FULL PWR/PROPS AND BEGAN A SPIRALING CLBING TURN, AFRAID DUE TO THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CONTACT CTR. UNFORTUNATELY THEY JUST STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH RECEPTION. I CALLED FLT WATCH AND ASKED THEM TO RELAY TO CTR OUR PREDICAMENT AND TO SEE ABOUT PICKING UP OUR IFR NOW. THEY TOLD US CTR HAD JUST SWITCHED FREQ DUE TO THE TROUBLE AND TO TRY RECONTACT ON THAT ONE. NOTING THE MINIMUM SAFE ALT FOR THAT PART OF THE SECTIONAL WAS 8800 FT I CLBED TO 10000 FT, LEVELED OFF AND PROCEEDED DIRECT NEEDLES. CTR CAME BACK WITH CLRNC. I WAS PICKING UP ICE AGAIN AND ASKED CTR FOR LOWER SINCE MEA S OF NEEDLES WAS 8000 FT. THEY CLRED ME TO 8000 FT. REST OF TRIP UNEVENTFUL. I HAD A GOOD REMINDER OF HOW DANGEROUS NIGHT VFR FLYING IN MARGINAL WX CAN BE. ALSO, RAIN CREATING LOW CLOUDS DUE TO SATURATION.

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.