Narrative:

On a flight from spokane, wa, to a stated destination of rapid city, sd, we were able to stay in the clear for the climb to 13000 ft except for a small bit at around 11000 where we picked up a trace of rime ice. However, we had to go to 15000 ft to stay on top and in the clear. There is not too much climb left here so we were running full throttle and 2400-2500 RPM and climbing at about 100-150 FPM to keep the speed up. The ice sublimated off in due course and our speed picked back up. The horizontal stabilizer is the first to ice up and the last to clear off. Asked center for and got a block from 15000-18000 ft and permission to deviate as required for WX. At one point we got trapped in significant up and down drafts of more than 2000 FPM which were also more than a bit turbulent. Slowed to turbulent penetration speed by decreasing the propeller RPM. Still we ended up in an unusual attitude which was recovered from with significant loss of altitude. The deviations had put us significantly south of course and about 20 mi northwest of missoula, mt. Since there were large holes in the broken layer which gave us ground contact and the WX to the east looked like we would not be able to top it or go around it, we decided to go to missoula and sort things out. Called center to ask them for direct missoula and could not raise them. Tried and tried. No luck. Checked the en route chart to make sure the frequency was right. It was. Pulled out the missoula approach plate and checked for the approach frequency. Tried that on both radios. No luck. Check the ammeter -- ok. We are now basically over missoula airport. Tried the tower. No luck. Lost communication. Squawk 7600 and try 121.5. Nothing. Listen on both radios and try center, approach, emergency and tower in that sequence. No luck. Well we lost communication, in a big hole directly over missoula airport so we are VMC. The lost communication procedures say in VMC land as soon as practical. We're landing. Gear down and 1500 FPM circling to land. Keep trying missoula tower while listening on the other frequencys. Finally at about 10000 ft MSL missoula tower answers -- relief. I canceled the IFR and asked them to call salt lake center and tell them where I am and that I am landing missoula because salt lake is probably looking for me. The tower responds with the IFR cancellation, squawk 1200. Continue to circle over the airport. Ask tower if they have gotten salt lake center and canceled the IFR. They answer in the affirmative. Good. It takes nearly 15 mins to spiral down to an uneventful landing. We stay in missoula that night. Enough.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS COM LOSS AND WX DEV PROBS.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM SPOKANE, WA, TO A STATED DEST OF RAPID CITY, SD, WE WERE ABLE TO STAY IN THE CLR FOR THE CLB TO 13000 FT EXCEPT FOR A SMALL BIT AT AROUND 11000 WHERE WE PICKED UP A TRACE OF RIME ICE. HOWEVER, WE HAD TO GO TO 15000 FT TO STAY ON TOP AND IN THE CLR. THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH CLB LEFT HERE SO WE WERE RUNNING FULL THROTTLE AND 2400-2500 RPM AND CLBING AT ABOUT 100-150 FPM TO KEEP THE SPD UP. THE ICE SUBLIMATED OFF IN DUE COURSE AND OUR SPD PICKED BACK UP. THE HORIZ STABILIZER IS THE FIRST TO ICE UP AND THE LAST TO CLR OFF. ASKED CTR FOR AND GOT A BLOCK FROM 15000-18000 FT AND PERMISSION TO DEVIATE AS REQUIRED FOR WX. AT ONE POINT WE GOT TRAPPED IN SIGNIFICANT UP AND DOWN DRAFTS OF MORE THAN 2000 FPM WHICH WERE ALSO MORE THAN A BIT TURBULENT. SLOWED TO TURBULENT PENETRATION SPD BY DECREASING THE PROP RPM. STILL WE ENDED UP IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE WHICH WAS RECOVERED FROM WITH SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF ALT. THE DEVS HAD PUT US SIGNIFICANTLY S OF COURSE AND ABOUT 20 MI NW OF MISSOULA, MT. SINCE THERE WERE LARGE HOLES IN THE BROKEN LAYER WHICH GAVE US GND CONTACT AND THE WX TO THE E LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TOP IT OR GO AROUND IT, WE DECIDED TO GO TO MISSOULA AND SORT THINGS OUT. CALLED CTR TO ASK THEM FOR DIRECT MISSOULA AND COULD NOT RAISE THEM. TRIED AND TRIED. NO LUCK. CHKED THE ENRTE CHART TO MAKE SURE THE FREQ WAS RIGHT. IT WAS. PULLED OUT THE MISSOULA APCH PLATE AND CHKED FOR THE APCH FREQ. TRIED THAT ON BOTH RADIOS. NO LUCK. CHK THE AMMETER -- OK. WE ARE NOW BASICALLY OVER MISSOULA ARPT. TRIED THE TWR. NO LUCK. LOST COM. SQUAWK 7600 AND TRY 121.5. NOTHING. LISTEN ON BOTH RADIOS AND TRY CTR, APCH, EMER AND TWR IN THAT SEQUENCE. NO LUCK. WELL WE LOST COM, IN A BIG HOLE DIRECTLY OVER MISSOULA ARPT SO WE ARE VMC. THE LOST COM PROCS SAY IN VMC LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. WE'RE LNDG. GEAR DOWN AND 1500 FPM CIRCLING TO LAND. KEEP TRYING MISSOULA TWR WHILE LISTENING ON THE OTHER FREQS. FINALLY AT ABOUT 10000 FT MSL MISSOULA TWR ANSWERS -- RELIEF. I CANCELED THE IFR AND ASKED THEM TO CALL SALT LAKE CTR AND TELL THEM WHERE I AM AND THAT I AM LNDG MISSOULA BECAUSE SALT LAKE IS PROBABLY LOOKING FOR ME. THE TWR RESPONDS WITH THE IFR CANCELLATION, SQUAWK 1200. CONTINUE TO CIRCLE OVER THE ARPT. ASK TWR IF THEY HAVE GOTTEN SALT LAKE CTR AND CANCELED THE IFR. THEY ANSWER IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. GOOD. IT TAKES NEARLY 15 MINS TO SPIRAL DOWN TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE STAY IN MISSOULA THAT NIGHT. ENOUGH.

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.