Descent into VMC conditions to get free of airframe icing was a non adherence to ATC clearance.

Attributes
ACN	260348
Time
Date	199401
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : amt
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : v128
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 930 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	260348
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed luk with 3000 ft ragged ceiling with 7000 ft requested final. Light rime in climb to 7000 ft. Flying away from front toward crw reported 14000 ft broken ceiling. No PIREPS of icing although expected some light ice in clouds this time of yr. After 10-15 mins at altitude, icing became very heavy growing from 1/8 inch to over 1 inch thick in under 2 mins. Advised center we were picking up ice and needed lower. In descent, build up made elevator unstable. Requested vectors to nearest airport. Center advised alexander-salamon as our nearest airport. At 3000 ft assigned we were in ragged bottoms. Proceeded down to 2500 ft to get into the clear air. (Had ground contact throughout). Center advised we were below vectoring altitudes and suggested heading for airport. We overflew airport which was buried in snow. Decided to proceed to next alternative, ashland- boyd county. At 2500 ft temperature cleared ice off aircraft prior to reaching ashland-boyd. Continued flight VFR to crw. Checked over aircraft, refueled, refiled flight plan, continued flight to ric uneventfully. In future, we will request lower from center prior to descending below MEA (or assigned altitude).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DSCNT INTO VMC CONDITIONS TO GET FREE OF AIRFRAME ICING WAS A NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED LUK WITH 3000 FT RAGGED CEILING WITH 7000 FT REQUESTED FINAL. LIGHT RIME IN CLB TO 7000 FT. FLYING AWAY FROM FRONT TOWARD CRW RPTED 14000 FT BROKEN CEILING. NO PIREPS OF ICING ALTHOUGH EXPECTED SOME LIGHT ICE IN CLOUDS THIS TIME OF YR. AFTER 10-15 MINS AT ALT, ICING BECAME VERY HVY GROWING FROM 1/8 INCH TO OVER 1 INCH THICK IN UNDER 2 MINS. ADVISED CTR WE WERE PICKING UP ICE AND NEEDED LOWER. IN DSCNT, BUILD UP MADE ELEVATOR UNSTABLE. REQUESTED VECTORS TO NEAREST ARPT. CTR ADVISED ALEXANDER-SALAMON AS OUR NEAREST ARPT. AT 3000 FT ASSIGNED WE WERE IN RAGGED BOTTOMS. PROCEEDED DOWN TO 2500 FT TO GET INTO THE CLR AIR. (HAD GND CONTACT THROUGHOUT). CTR ADVISED WE WERE BELOW VECTORING ALTS AND SUGGESTED HDG FOR ARPT. WE OVERFLEW ARPT WHICH WAS BURIED IN SNOW. DECIDED TO PROCEED TO NEXT ALTERNATIVE, ASHLAND- BOYD COUNTY. AT 2500 FT TEMP CLRED ICE OFF ACFT PRIOR TO REACHING ASHLAND-BOYD. CONTINUED FLT VFR TO CRW. CHKED OVER ACFT, REFUELED, REFILED FLT PLAN, CONTINUED FLT TO RIC UNEVENTFULLY. IN FUTURE, WE WILL REQUEST LOWER FROM CTR PRIOR TO DSNDING BELOW MEA (OR ASSIGNED ALT).

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.