Corp aircraft encounters ice during climb cruise.

Attributes
ACN	300930
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zmp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 6000
ASRS Report	300930
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On an IFR in VMC, given climb to 5000 ft (from 4000 ft). This put me intermittently through the bases of scattered to broken clouds about 300-500 ft thick. Requested higher. This put me just under an overcast which lowered as I flew north. Temperature was plus 10 degrees F. Picked up very light (trace) ice on windscreen. Requested lower and was told 'standby' then 'contact ZMP on XXX.X.' had a good deal of problems making contact. Ice (clear) had formed a light trace on wing leading edge. Could not get lower without an argument. Icing was very light and cloud was barely a cloud. I could see light above, probably clear 1000 ft up so asked for higher. Now, I have spent 45 yrs preaching never climb out of ice in a plane with limited climb capacity but, of course, when right in the top, I have done so successfully many times so I proceeded to climb the few hundred feet to on top. (Both my estimate and the tops reported in my preflight briefing). There was no top! I climbed to 9000 ft and never got out of the cloud. The top appeared to be less than 1000 ft away from 5000-9000 ft. By 9000 ft it was obvious to me that I needed to get out (it had been several mins) I was cleared down to 5000 ft which was now VMC. Continued clear of clouds to destination. Lots of clear ice and a 25 KT cruise loss. I have observed this phenomenon of thin clouds going up thousands of ft, always in the winter, always very cold. Never before containing ice, never too old to learn, never too old to need to learn.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT ENCOUNTERS ICE DURING CLB CRUISE.

Narrative: ON AN IFR IN VMC, GIVEN CLB TO 5000 FT (FROM 4000 FT). THIS PUT ME INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH THE BASES OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS ABOUT 300-500 FT THICK. REQUESTED HIGHER. THIS PUT ME JUST UNDER AN OVCST WHICH LOWERED AS I FLEW N. TEMP WAS PLUS 10 DEGS F. PICKED UP VERY LIGHT (TRACE) ICE ON WINDSCREEN. REQUESTED LOWER AND WAS TOLD 'STANDBY' THEN 'CONTACT ZMP ON XXX.X.' HAD A GOOD DEAL OF PROBS MAKING CONTACT. ICE (CLR) HAD FORMED A LIGHT TRACE ON WING LEADING EDGE. COULD NOT GET LOWER WITHOUT AN ARGUMENT. ICING WAS VERY LIGHT AND CLOUD WAS BARELY A CLOUD. I COULD SEE LIGHT ABOVE, PROBABLY CLR 1000 FT UP SO ASKED FOR HIGHER. NOW, I HAVE SPENT 45 YRS PREACHING NEVER CLB OUT OF ICE IN A PLANE WITH LIMITED CLB CAPACITY BUT, OF COURSE, WHEN RIGHT IN THE TOP, I HAVE DONE SO SUCCESSFULLY MANY TIMES SO I PROCEEDED TO CLB THE FEW HUNDRED FEET TO ON TOP. (BOTH MY ESTIMATE AND THE TOPS RPTED IN MY PREFLT BRIEFING). THERE WAS NO TOP! I CLBED TO 9000 FT AND NEVER GOT OUT OF THE CLOUD. THE TOP APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN 1000 FT AWAY FROM 5000-9000 FT. BY 9000 FT IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT I NEEDED TO GET OUT (IT HAD BEEN SEVERAL MINS) I WAS CLRED DOWN TO 5000 FT WHICH WAS NOW VMC. CONTINUED CLR OF CLOUDS TO DEST. LOTS OF CLR ICE AND A 25 KT CRUISE LOSS. I HAVE OBSERVED THIS PHENOMENON OF THIN CLOUDS GOING UP THOUSANDS OF FT, ALWAYS IN THE WINTER, ALWAYS VERY COLD. NEVER BEFORE CONTAINING ICE, NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN, NEVER TOO OLD TO NEED TO LEARN.

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.