Reporter flies into icing conditions that exceed the aircraft de- ice capability.

Attributes
ACN	297289
Time
Date	199502
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 6300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : roc tower : roc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-23-250 Aztec
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	297289
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

The intended flight was proposed from roc to teb: departing roc at XO20 local time on feb/xx/95. The aircraft was a PA-23- 250 (piper aztec approximately 300 pounds under gross weight. The pilot received a standard WX briefing from buffalo FSS at XA30 local and received an update at XO00 local. Briefers reported IFR at roc and along the proposed route with VFR conditions prevailing teb. Light to moderate icing conditions were forecasted along the route from the surface to 16000 ft AGL. The aztec in question is equipped with full device protection and 3 month old de-icing boots. The pilot departed roc at X020 local and was advised by roc tower of 'significant' WX 7 mi south of the airport and to make an immediate left turn to heading 190 degree. The pilot initiated the turn and continued the climb to 7000 ft. Roc tower advised that the pilot was clear of the WX and handed over to roc departure. Upon climbing through 2000 ft MSL the pilot inspected the wing and temperature probe noticing a significant build up of mixed ice of about 1/4-1/2 inch. The pilot activated his surface de-ice equipment (pitot-heat, windshield, and propeller heat were on at the takeoff roll), which cleaned the wing. Through 4000 ft the buildup was once again becoming significant and the pilot asked roc departure if there were any tops reports. Departure asked a C310 in the area what the tops were and the C310 reported 8000 ft MSL. The aztec requested a climb to 9000 ft MSL. Roc departure said to maintain 7000 ft MSL. The pilot activated the boots again which partially cleaned the wing. Upon reaching 6300 ft MSL the aztec pilot could no longer maintain altitude and requested a diversion with roc to the nearest suitable airport. Fingerlake regional was open and roc gave a vector of 100 degrees and a descent to 3000 ft MSL. Upon reaching 3000 ft MSL VFR conditions were encountered and the aztec pilot requested further diversion to syracuse (syr), once handed over to syr approach the pilot accomplished a safe landing. The aztec pilot learned that when WX conditions are questionable alternate plans must be made: possibly putting the freight on a truck.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR FLIES INTO ICING CONDITIONS THAT EXCEED THE ACFT DE- ICE CAPABILITY.

Narrative: THE INTENDED FLT WAS PROPOSED FROM ROC TO TEB: DEPARTING ROC AT XO20 LCL TIME ON FEB/XX/95. THE ACFT WAS A PA-23- 250 (PIPER AZTEC APPROX 300 LBS UNDER GROSS WT. THE PLT RECEIVED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING FROM BUFFALO FSS AT XA30 LCL AND RECEIVED AN UPDATE AT XO00 LCL. BRIEFERS RPTED IFR AT ROC AND ALONG THE PROPOSED RTE WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING TEB. LIGHT TO MODERATE ICING CONDITIONS WERE FORECASTED ALONG THE RTE FROM THE SURFACE TO 16000 FT AGL. THE AZTEC IN QUESTION IS EQUIPPED WITH FULL DEVICE PROTECTION AND 3 MONTH OLD DE-ICING BOOTS. THE PLT DEPARTED ROC AT X020 LCL AND WAS ADVISED BY ROC TWR OF 'SIGNIFICANT' WX 7 MI S OF THE ARPT AND TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO HDG 190 DEG. THE PLT INITIATED THE TURN AND CONTINUED THE CLB TO 7000 FT. ROC TWR ADVISED THAT THE PLT WAS CLR OF THE WX AND HANDED OVER TO ROC DEP. UPON CLBING THROUGH 2000 FT MSL THE PLT INSPECTED THE WING AND TEMP PROBE NOTICING A SIGNIFICANT BUILD UP OF MIXED ICE OF ABOUT 1/4-1/2 INCH. THE PLT ACTIVATED HIS SURFACE DE-ICE EQUIP (PITOT-HEAT, WINDSHIELD, AND PROP HEAT WERE ON AT THE TKOF ROLL), WHICH CLEANED THE WING. THROUGH 4000 FT THE BUILDUP WAS ONCE AGAIN BECOMING SIGNIFICANT AND THE PLT ASKED ROC DEP IF THERE WERE ANY TOPS RPTS. DEP ASKED A C310 IN THE AREA WHAT THE TOPS WERE AND THE C310 RPTED 8000 FT MSL. THE AZTEC REQUESTED A CLB TO 9000 FT MSL. ROC DEP SAID TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT MSL. THE PLT ACTIVATED THE BOOTS AGAIN WHICH PARTIALLY CLEANED THE WING. UPON REACHING 6300 FT MSL THE AZTEC PLT COULD NO LONGER MAINTAIN ALT AND REQUESTED A DIVERSION WITH ROC TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. FINGERLAKE REGIONAL WAS OPEN AND ROC GAVE A VECTOR OF 100 DEGS AND A DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. UPON REACHING 3000 FT MSL VFR CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED AND THE AZTEC PLT REQUESTED FURTHER DIVERSION TO SYRACUSE (SYR), ONCE HANDED OVER TO SYR APCH THE PLT ACCOMPLISHED A SAFE LNDG. THE AZTEC PLT LEARNED THAT WHEN WX CONDITIONS ARE QUESTIONABLE ALTERNATE PLANS MUST BE MADE: POSSIBLY PUTTING THE FREIGHT ON A TRUCK.

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.