Narrative:

Approximately 15 mins into flight, en route hgr VOR to mrb hgr. After clearance to climb from 4000 ft (in and out of bases) to 5000 ft (in solid IMC), shortly after leveling at 5000 ft the gear warning audio light commenced and gear came down. Cycled gear control, could not raise. Advised dulles, requested return routing to hgr. After several seconds isolated problem (pitot heat not engaged). Recovered gear and instruments stabilized. Informed dulles problem resolved, requested continuation on flight plan, which they accommodated. Within a couple of mins I noted load meter reading, which went abnormally high during above episode, did not move back toward normal. Raised concern of battery/alternator problem, which might precipitate navigation and communication degradation and failure. Advised dulles of decision to abandon flight due to high electrical reading, and requested vectors to hgr airport, which was VFR. About that time noted ice plating on wind screen and rime, ice building on leading edges of wings. Reported icing during turn and requested lower. Granted lower and cleared for visual approach. Confirmed to dulles I was not declaring an emergency, but a precautionary action. Descent and landing normal. Upon landing tower (ground control) inquired regarding fuel and passenger 'for their report.' I advised I had not declared an emergency, just a preliminary landing. They advised center had informed them of the situation on an emergency basis to give them necessary information. (I did hear after handoff to ZDC another IFR aircraft approaching hgr put on hold -- I presume because of me). Other information: 1) no icing reported along flight route, and no freezing temperatures below 6000 ft forecast, or warnings of potential icing during preflight briefing. 2) due to development of icing, flight would have been abandoned at almost the same time, anyway, as lower altitude was not an option further along flight route. Self analysis: single pilot IFR distraction by communications, failure to timely engage pitot heat precipitated initial episode and electrical drains. Battery and alternator being checked by mechanic. Note: I don't know whether this constitutes a reportable incident or not, but obtained this form from pilot group, who agreed its wise to file anyway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION REQUIRED PVT PLT TO DIVERT TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MINS INTO FLT, ENRTE HGR VOR TO MRB HGR. AFTER CLRNC TO CLB FROM 4000 FT (IN AND OUT OF BASES) TO 5000 FT (IN SOLID IMC), SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 5000 FT THE GEAR WARNING AUDIO LIGHT COMMENCED AND GEAR CAME DOWN. CYCLED GEAR CTL, COULD NOT RAISE. ADVISED DULLES, REQUESTED RETURN ROUTING TO HGR. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS ISOLATED PROB (PITOT HEAT NOT ENGAGED). RECOVERED GEAR AND INSTRUMENTS STABILIZED. INFORMED DULLES PROB RESOLVED, REQUESTED CONTINUATION ON FLT PLAN, WHICH THEY ACCOMMODATED. WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS I NOTED LOAD METER READING, WHICH WENT ABNORMALLY HIGH DURING ABOVE EPISODE, DID NOT MOVE BACK TOWARD NORMAL. RAISED CONCERN OF BATTERY/ALTERNATOR PROB, WHICH MIGHT PRECIPITATE NAV AND COM DEGRADATION AND FAILURE. ADVISED DULLES OF DECISION TO ABANDON FLT DUE TO HIGH ELECTRICAL READING, AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO HGR ARPT, WHICH WAS VFR. ABOUT THAT TIME NOTED ICE PLATING ON WIND SCREEN AND RIME, ICE BUILDING ON LEADING EDGES OF WINGS. RPTED ICING DURING TURN AND REQUESTED LOWER. GRANTED LOWER AND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH. CONFIRMED TO DULLES I WAS NOT DECLARING AN EMER, BUT A PRECAUTIONARY ACTION. DSCNT AND LNDG NORMAL. UPON LNDG TWR (GND CTL) INQUIRED REGARDING FUEL AND PAX 'FOR THEIR RPT.' I ADVISED I HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER, JUST A PRELIMINARY LNDG. THEY ADVISED CTR HAD INFORMED THEM OF THE SIT ON AN EMER BASIS TO GIVE THEM NECESSARY INFO. (I DID HEAR AFTER HDOF TO ZDC ANOTHER IFR ACFT APCHING HGR PUT ON HOLD -- I PRESUME BECAUSE OF ME). OTHER INFO: 1) NO ICING RPTED ALONG FLT RTE, AND NO FREEZING TEMPS BELOW 6000 FT FORECAST, OR WARNINGS OF POTENTIAL ICING DURING PREFLT BRIEFING. 2) DUE TO DEVELOPMENT OF ICING, FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABANDONED AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME, ANYWAY, AS LOWER ALT WAS NOT AN OPTION FURTHER ALONG FLT RTE. SELF ANALYSIS: SINGLE PLT IFR DISTR BY COMS, FAILURE TO TIMELY ENGAGE PITOT HEAT PRECIPITATED INITIAL EPISODE AND ELECTRICAL DRAINS. BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR BEING CHECKED BY MECH. NOTE: I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS CONSTITUTES A REPORTABLE INCIDENT OR NOT, BUT OBTAINED THIS FORM FROM PLT GROUP, WHO AGREED ITS WISE TO FILE ANYWAY.

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.