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Small aircraft encounters icing on IFR flight plan. Unable to get response from ATC squawks 7700. Then is cleared higher.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 270877 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199404 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pxn |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute airway : v585 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 270877 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Filed IFR lvk to sns for practice. WX from FSS just before departure reported to be broken clouds along route, bases around 2500 and tops mostly around 3500. Freezing level around 6500. Requested and received 5000 initially. About 10 mi north of pxn, headed south on V585 saw small buildup ahead of me. I had been in and out of clouds, but mostly above tops. Asked castle approach if they were showing anything on their radar and controller said nothing but light rain. Was switched to ZOA and told to climb to 8000 and soon entered clouds. Soon I hit freezing rain, which started to accumulate on the airplane immediately I called oakland, reporting icing and requesting higher. No answer. I called 3 times without answer, as the ice grew on windshield and struts. I was also in moderate turbulence or greater and was having trouble maintaining altitude. I switched transponder to 7700 and controller immediately came back with clearance to climb. Freezing rain stopped by the time I got to 10000 ft. Controller told me that other aircraft, only about 6 mi ahead of me was VMC at 6000 ft. After I broke out, flight continued uneventfully. Obviously, I started flight with the potential of encountering icing, although it was not forecast and no PIREPS of icing along route. I had thought from FSS WX that I would not be IMC at cruise above freezing level.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS ICING ON IFR FLT PLAN. UNABLE TO GET RESPONSE FROM ATC SQUAWKS 7700. THEN IS CLRED HIGHER.
Narrative: FILED IFR LVK TO SNS FOR PRACTICE. WX FROM FSS JUST BEFORE DEP RPTED TO BE BROKEN CLOUDS ALONG RTE, BASES AROUND 2500 AND TOPS MOSTLY AROUND 3500. FREEZING LEVEL AROUND 6500. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED 5000 INITIALLY. ABOUT 10 MI N OF PXN, HEADED S ON V585 SAW SMALL BUILDUP AHEAD OF ME. I HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS, BUT MOSTLY ABOVE TOPS. ASKED CASTLE APCH IF THEY WERE SHOWING ANYTHING ON THEIR RADAR AND CTLR SAID NOTHING BUT LIGHT RAIN. WAS SWITCHED TO ZOA AND TOLD TO CLB TO 8000 AND SOON ENTERED CLOUDS. SOON I HIT FREEZING RAIN, WHICH STARTED TO ACCUMULATE ON THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY I CALLED OAKLAND, RPTING ICING AND REQUESTING HIGHER. NO ANSWER. I CALLED 3 TIMES WITHOUT ANSWER, AS THE ICE GREW ON WINDSHIELD AND STRUTS. I WAS ALSO IN MODERATE TURB OR GREATER AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING ALT. I SWITCHED XPONDER TO 7700 AND CTLR IMMEDIATELY CAME BACK WITH CLRNC TO CLB. FREEZING RAIN STOPPED BY THE TIME I GOT TO 10000 FT. CTLR TOLD ME THAT OTHER ACFT, ONLY ABOUT 6 MI AHEAD OF ME WAS VMC AT 6000 FT. AFTER I BROKE OUT, FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. OBVIOUSLY, I STARTED FLT WITH THE POTENTIAL OF ENCOUNTERING ICING, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT FORECAST AND NO PIREPS OF ICING ALONG RTE. I HAD THOUGHT FROM FSS WX THAT I WOULD NOT BE IMC AT CRUISE ABOVE FREEZING LEVEL.
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.