Narrative:

On the morning noted above I obtained a flight briefing. I initiated a VFR flight from oxc to mvy at approximately XA00 am. When I was approximately 30 mi west and north of new london, I noticed that I was encountering clouds ahead of me although I was still VFR. I called new york on 126.95 and asked for an instrument clearance, both myself and the airplane being instrument certified. After a very short delay, I was given a clearance. I entered the clouds a few moments later. Within about 60-120 seconds I began to notice an extremely rapid ice build-up on the windscreen and leading edges of the wings, approximately 3/4 - 1 inch. I called the controller and told him that I had a rapid ice build-up and I would have to go down to about 3000 ft (knowing the ceiling was approximately 3000 ft in that area from reports) and would execute a 180 to get back into clear conditions. The controller told me that I 'couldn't' do that because I had traffic. He recommended a climb to 7000 ft, saying that the tops were at 7000 ft. Although I initially acknowledged and began to climb, I realized that with ice building rapidly that this was an unsafe maneuver and called the controller back and said that I needed to lose altitude and reverse direction quickly. He gave me a heading of 360 degrees and cleared me to 3000 ft. I took this heading and began to lose altitude and then called him and told him that I was turning to 270 degrees. At this point I am not sure whether he actually cleared me to 270 degrees or simply acknowledged the fact that I was making my own decision, and that is the reason that I'm filing this report. At any rate, I broke out of the clouds at 3000 ft, I turned back to the east to try to fly to martha's vineyard underneath, and as the ceiling got lower I realized that this was not a prudent flight and turned back to oxford. After 1/2 hour or so in the clear, when I landed I still had a minimum of 1/2 inch of ice on all leading edges, cowl, wheel fairings, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL PVT ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED HDG WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF ICING CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING NOTED ABOVE I OBTAINED A FLT BRIEFING. I INITIATED A VFR FLT FROM OXC TO MVY AT APPROX XA00 AM. WHEN I WAS APPROX 30 MI W AND N OF NEW LONDON, I NOTICED THAT I WAS ENCOUNTERING CLOUDS AHEAD OF ME ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL VFR. I CALLED NEW YORK ON 126.95 AND ASKED FOR AN INST CLRNC, BOTH MYSELF AND THE AIRPLANE BEING INST CERTIFIED. AFTER A VERY SHORT DELAY, I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC. I ENTERED THE CLOUDS A FEW MOMENTS LATER. WITHIN ABOUT 60-120 SECONDS I BEGAN TO NOTICE AN EXTREMELY RAPID ICE BUILD-UP ON THE WINDSCREEN AND LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS, APPROX 3/4 - 1 INCH. I CALLED THE CTLR AND TOLD HIM THAT I HAD A RAPID ICE BUILD-UP AND I WOULD HAVE TO GO DOWN TO ABOUT 3000 FT (KNOWING THE CEILING WAS APPROX 3000 FT IN THAT AREA FROM RPTS) AND WOULD EXECUTE A 180 TO GET BACK INTO CLR CONDITIONS. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT I 'COULDN'T' DO THAT BECAUSE I HAD TFC. HE RECOMMENDED A CLB TO 7000 FT, SAYING THAT THE TOPS WERE AT 7000 FT. ALTHOUGH I INITIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED AND BEGAN TO CLB, I REALIZED THAT WITH ICE BUILDING RAPIDLY THAT THIS WAS AN UNSAFE MANEUVER AND CALLED THE CTLR BACK AND SAID THAT I NEEDED TO LOSE ALT AND REVERSE DIRECTION QUICKLY. HE GAVE ME A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND CLRED ME TO 3000 FT. I TOOK THIS HDG AND BEGAN TO LOSE ALT AND THEN CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM THAT I WAS TURNING TO 270 DEGS. AT THIS POINT I AM NOT SURE WHETHER HE ACTUALLY CLRED ME TO 270 DEGS OR SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT THAT I WAS MAKING MY OWN DECISION, AND THAT IS THE REASON THAT I'M FILING THIS RPT. AT ANY RATE, I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 3000 FT, I TURNED BACK TO THE E TO TRY TO FLY TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD UNDERNEATH, AND AS THE CEILING GOT LOWER I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT A PRUDENT FLT AND TURNED BACK TO OXFORD. AFTER 1/2 HR OR SO IN THE CLR, WHEN I LANDED I STILL HAD A MINIMUM OF 1/2 INCH OF ICE ON ALL LEADING EDGES, COWL, WHEEL FAIRINGS, ETC.

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.