Narrative:

Starting descent my outside air temperature 0 degrees C, in solid stratus, at 4000 the temperature is -4 degrees C, and picking up some trace ice. About then another aircraft inquires about icing at cho, 1 or 2 answer a little trace ice, that's it. As I continue down to 2300 for an ADF, the precipitation increases significantly and I quickly load up with ice. So at 8 south of lku (actually ADF iqk), at 2300 ft, I tell was center I'm loading up with ice, and request direct ric (about 145 degree heading). No delay at all, cleared direct ric, climb to 3000, contact ric approach. I call ric approach, climbing to 3000, heading 145. Maintaining 140 mph and climb power, 25-2500. At 2800 ft I cease climbing. Requested lowest altitude, given 2300 ft so I keep climb power and 140, and ever so slowly losing altitude. Now I'm going to get a radar surveillance approach to runway 16. Drifting through 2300 ft I go balls to the wall, tell him I can't maintain 2300, so a left turn to 090 to avoid an antenna farm 1500 ft, and finally at 1800 ft, maximum power and 130 mph, I'm holding altitude. And hey, the ILS for 16 comes in, great, cause it shows I'm offset right, on glide. The radar guy says begin descent, offset right, turn left to 130 and then goes the ILS. That faked me somewhat, and I slowed my descent. Broke out hot and high at about 600 ft (runway 9000 ft plus), flung down the gear, and held about 120 till flare. Landed to the sight of lots of flashing lights, and after a few minutes, big chunks of ice falling off the leading edges. I don't know how thick, but the leading edge was big and flat, and methinks a good 3 inches. Anyway, had to hold short of runway 02, so about 10 mins before reaching the ramp, and good portion of the ice had broken free. Crash and rescue quickly filled their squares very pleasantly, and shortly after entering the FBO, tower was on the phone. I gave the tower a quick brief explanation, thanked them profusely for their very quick professional help, the controller did a damn fine job in my view, and so much for that (I'll write them a 'thank you' later). About now here comes the FAA accident prevention program manager from ric, camera in hand. Too late for any good pictures, but still some ice around. Always wary, but seemed like a nice guy, I gave him a brief rundown. He was probably in his 50's, anyway, my last license was issued in 1966, and he wondered where I was since. So, he says, 'don't think you'll hear anymore about this, certainly not from me.' so, so much for that, we'll see. Hindsight, 1ST sign of ice I should have done the famous 180 (or is that 360). In part I was mind set for lku, and wit the information I had, thought this has got to be just a little patch of precipitation, soon to be left behind. I was just too damn slow to make the 180 divert decision. Could have possibly stayed high till over iqk, and then an approach, but maybe then wind up low, not breaking out, and 600 ft over lku with a load of ice, and no place to go. Can see the staying high till an ILS might work, but only an ADF, and zero information. A little older, a little smarter, I'll screw something up again, but it won't be a repeat of this little story. If it's ice, I'm outta here!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-35 ENCOUNTERS HEAVY ICING DESPITE BETTER WX FORECAST, GETS FLT ASSIST AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: STARTING DSCNT MY OUTSIDE AIR TEMP 0 DEGS C, IN SOLID STRATUS, AT 4000 THE TEMP IS -4 DEGS C, AND PICKING UP SOME TRACE ICE. ABOUT THEN ANOTHER ACFT INQUIRES ABOUT ICING AT CHO, 1 OR 2 ANSWER A LITTLE TRACE ICE, THAT'S IT. AS I CONTINUE DOWN TO 2300 FOR AN ADF, THE PRECIPITATION INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY AND I QUICKLY LOAD UP WITH ICE. SO AT 8 S OF LKU (ACTUALLY ADF IQK), AT 2300 FT, I TELL WAS CTR I'M LOADING UP WITH ICE, AND REQUEST DIRECT RIC (ABOUT 145 DEG HDG). NO DELAY AT ALL, CLRED DIRECT RIC, CLB TO 3000, CONTACT RIC APCH. I CALL RIC APCH, CLBING TO 3000, HDG 145. MAINTAINING 140 MPH AND CLB PWR, 25-2500. AT 2800 FT I CEASE CLBING. REQUESTED LOWEST ALT, GIVEN 2300 FT SO I KEEP CLB PWR AND 140, AND EVER SO SLOWLY LOSING ALT. NOW I'M GOING TO GET A RADAR SURVEILLANCE APCH TO RWY 16. DRIFTING THROUGH 2300 FT I GO BALLS TO THE WALL, TELL HIM I CAN'T MAINTAIN 2300, SO A LEFT TURN TO 090 TO AVOID AN ANTENNA FARM 1500 FT, AND FINALLY AT 1800 FT, MAX PWR AND 130 MPH, I'M HOLDING ALT. AND HEY, THE ILS FOR 16 COMES IN, GREAT, CAUSE IT SHOWS I'M OFFSET R, ON GLIDE. THE RADAR GUY SAYS BEGIN DSCNT, OFFSET R, TURN L TO 130 AND THEN GOES THE ILS. THAT FAKED ME SOMEWHAT, AND I SLOWED MY DSCNT. BROKE OUT HOT AND HIGH AT ABOUT 600 FT (RWY 9000 FT PLUS), FLUNG DOWN THE GEAR, AND HELD ABOUT 120 TILL FLARE. LANDED TO THE SIGHT OF LOTS OF FLASHING LIGHTS, AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, BIG CHUNKS OF ICE FALLING OFF THE LEADING EDGES. I DON'T KNOW HOW THICK, BUT THE LEADING EDGE WAS BIG AND FLAT, AND METHINKS A GOOD 3 INCHES. ANYWAY, HAD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 02, SO ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE REACHING THE RAMP, AND GOOD PORTION OF THE ICE HAD BROKEN FREE. CRASH AND RESCUE QUICKLY FILLED THEIR SQUARES VERY PLEASANTLY, AND SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING THE FBO, TWR WAS ON THE PHONE. I GAVE THE TWR A QUICK BRIEF EXPLANATION, THANKED THEM PROFUSELY FOR THEIR VERY QUICK PROFESSIONAL HELP, THE CTLR DID A DAMN FINE JOB IN MY VIEW, AND SO MUCH FOR THAT (I'LL WRITE THEM A 'THANK YOU' LATER). ABOUT NOW HERE COMES THE FAA ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAM MGR FROM RIC, CAMERA IN HAND. TOO LATE FOR ANY GOOD PICTURES, BUT STILL SOME ICE AROUND. ALWAYS WARY, BUT SEEMED LIKE A NICE GUY, I GAVE HIM A BRIEF RUNDOWN. HE WAS PROBABLY IN HIS 50'S, ANYWAY, MY LAST LICENSE WAS ISSUED IN 1966, AND HE WONDERED WHERE I WAS SINCE. SO, HE SAYS, 'DON'T THINK YOU'LL HEAR ANYMORE ABOUT THIS, CERTAINLY NOT FROM ME.' SO, SO MUCH FOR THAT, WE'LL SEE. HINDSIGHT, 1ST SIGN OF ICE I SHOULD HAVE DONE THE FAMOUS 180 (OR IS THAT 360). IN PART I WAS MIND SET FOR LKU, AND WIT THE INFO I HAD, THOUGHT THIS HAS GOT TO BE JUST A LITTLE PATCH OF PRECIPITATION, SOON TO BE LEFT BEHIND. I WAS JUST TOO DAMN SLOW TO MAKE THE 180 DIVERT DECISION. COULD HAVE POSSIBLY STAYED HIGH TILL OVER IQK, AND THEN AN APCH, BUT MAYBE THEN WIND UP LOW, NOT BREAKING OUT, AND 600 FT OVER LKU WITH A LOAD OF ICE, AND NO PLACE TO GO. CAN SEE THE STAYING HIGH TILL AN ILS MIGHT WORK, BUT ONLY AN ADF, AND ZERO INFO. A LITTLE OLDER, A LITTLE SMARTER, I'LL SCREW SOMETHING UP AGAIN, BUT IT WON'T BE A REPEAT OF THIS LITTLE STORY. IF IT'S ICE, I'M OUTTA HERE!!

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.