Narrative:

Planning a flight from jot to mqt to pick up my daughter from college for holiday. Forecast was for light to moderate mixed icing in clouds. Mqt was reporting and forecast to remain IFR in light snow and fog. I called flight service every hour for updates and PIREPS (7 calls). There was only 1 report of an aircraft on approach that picked up some ice on the approach. This report was an hour old and was early morning, long before departure. I called grb flight service to see if they had any reports (none.) (long distance call). I called ZAU, they had none but their coverage ended prior to the area in question (long distance call). I called ZMP, they had no reports but thought there was 4500 tops and occasional higher layer probably some ice in clouds (long distance phone call). I called mqt airport, they would give no information (long distance phone call). I filed an IFR flight plan and departed jot about XA45Z. WX conditions in-flight were VFR. Near grb a lower cloud deck formed at about 3500 ft MSL and rose to 5080-5500 ft MSL near mqt. I asked approach for and was approved to pilot's discretion descent 7000-3700 ft till established then cleared for approach. My intention was to remain high and then rapidly descend to localizer minimums, then intercept ILS if necessary. This would avoid on descent any ice accumulation. On landing I had a trace (less than 1/8) of ice and except for obscuring some forward visibility was no problem. I had the aircraft de- iced and departed IFR. During the climb encountered no ice, perhaps a dusting on the window but too light to tell for sure. Comments: the FAA's tough stand plus the WX reporting standard winter forecast of 'icing in clouds' make flight planning 'very' difficult. Most non-ice equipped aircraft are afraid to report ice hence no PIREPS and known ice aircraft operate differently in these WX conditions so their reports are not as valuable. In winter there will be ice. We need help making better go/no-go decisions. Recommendation: we need to encourage ice reports by all aircraft. These reports are the only reliable planning that exists. Remove this pressure on pilots from the FAA to consider any flight into possible icing conditions as a violation. Remove the legal consequences of WX reporting of moderate to greater ice forecasts. Even part 121 cannot operate in more than light forecasts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS ICING ON DSCNT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: PLANNING A FLT FROM JOT TO MQT TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER FROM COLLEGE FOR HOLIDAY. FORECAST WAS FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE MIXED ICING IN CLOUDS. MQT WAS RPTING AND FORECAST TO REMAIN IFR IN LIGHT SNOW AND FOG. I CALLED FLT SVC EVERY HR FOR UPDATES AND PIREPS (7 CALLS). THERE WAS ONLY 1 RPT OF AN ACFT ON APCH THAT PICKED UP SOME ICE ON THE APCH. THIS RPT WAS AN HR OLD AND WAS EARLY MORNING, LONG BEFORE DEP. I CALLED GRB FLT SVC TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY RPTS (NONE.) (LONG DISTANCE CALL). I CALLED ZAU, THEY HAD NONE BUT THEIR COVERAGE ENDED PRIOR TO THE AREA IN QUESTION (LONG DISTANCE CALL). I CALLED ZMP, THEY HAD NO RPTS BUT THOUGHT THERE WAS 4500 TOPS AND OCCASIONAL HIGHER LAYER PROBABLY SOME ICE IN CLOUDS (LONG DISTANCE PHONE CALL). I CALLED MQT ARPT, THEY WOULD GIVE NO INFO (LONG DISTANCE PHONE CALL). I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND DEPARTED JOT ABOUT XA45Z. WX CONDITIONS INFLT WERE VFR. NEAR GRB A LOWER CLOUD DECK FORMED AT ABOUT 3500 FT MSL AND ROSE TO 5080-5500 FT MSL NEAR MQT. I ASKED APCH FOR AND WAS APPROVED TO PLT'S DISCRETION DSCNT 7000-3700 FT TILL ESTABLISHED THEN CLRED FOR APCH. MY INTENTION WAS TO REMAIN HIGH AND THEN RAPIDLY DSND TO LOC MINIMUMS, THEN INTERCEPT ILS IF NECESSARY. THIS WOULD AVOID ON DSCNT ANY ICE ACCUMULATION. ON LNDG I HAD A TRACE (LESS THAN 1/8) OF ICE AND EXCEPT FOR OBSCURING SOME FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS NO PROB. I HAD THE ACFT DE- ICED AND DEPARTED IFR. DURING THE CLB ENCOUNTERED NO ICE, PERHAPS A DUSTING ON THE WINDOW BUT TOO LIGHT TO TELL FOR SURE. COMMENTS: THE FAA'S TOUGH STAND PLUS THE WX RPTING STANDARD WINTER FORECAST OF 'ICING IN CLOUDS' MAKE FLT PLANNING 'VERY' DIFFICULT. MOST NON-ICE EQUIPPED ACFT ARE AFRAID TO RPT ICE HENCE NO PIREPS AND KNOWN ICE ACFT OPERATE DIFFERENTLY IN THESE WX CONDITIONS SO THEIR RPTS ARE NOT AS VALUABLE. IN WINTER THERE WILL BE ICE. WE NEED HELP MAKING BETTER GO/NO-GO DECISIONS. RECOMMENDATION: WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE ICE RPTS BY ALL ACFT. THESE RPTS ARE THE ONLY RELIABLE PLANNING THAT EXISTS. REMOVE THIS PRESSURE ON PLTS FROM THE FAA TO CONSIDER ANY FLT INTO POSSIBLE ICING CONDITIONS AS A VIOLATION. REMOVE THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF WX RPTING OF MODERATE TO GREATER ICE FORECASTS. EVEN PART 121 CANNOT OPERATE IN MORE THAN LIGHT FORECASTS.

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.