Narrative:

The flight was delayed from oct/xa/95 to oct/xb/95 to allow a strong cold front to pass. On early morning oct/xb/95, a call to flight service revealed IMC along route over the mountains with good VFR at destination 3n8 (concord, nc). Departure point was VFR (agc-allegheny county) with tops unknown. Icing was forecast in clouds and precipitation mainly east of our route. A couple of hours later (approximately am EDT) prior to departure another call to FSS revealed tops at approximately 6000 ft, with unlimited visibility on top. Icing was forecast (mixed/moderate rime) mainly east of our course and at low altitudes. The briefer was very optimistic about overflying the icing conditions if they were to materialize. We departed and climbed through a 1500 ft layer to break out on top at 4000 ft. Over a period of approximately 100 mi, the tops slowly slanted up and I continued to climb to higher altitudes to stay on top. Center delayed a request for a climb from 9000-10000 ft. Others on the frequency started complaining about ice. After a handoff, I requested a climb again to avoid IMC conditions. There was a delay and we entered the tops at 9000 ft. Almost immediately, we encountered icing. The aircraft would not climb and the propeller was affected the most. I immediately asked, and received a climb clearance and then told ATC I was doing a 180 degree turn. ATC was very willing to help out after the encounter but were slow in helping out before the encounter. We broke out on top near the elkins VOR and climbed in a hold to reach 11000 ft before continuing on course. Eventually we climbed to 13000 ft to remain on top. Upon reaching VMC to the ground, we canceled IFR and landed at a nearby airport to refuel and refresh. The remainder of the trip was completed in good VFR. I had been led to believe that the trip would be outside of icing conditions by the second briefer. The PIREPS on the actual conditions were apparently inaccurate or conditions had changed rapidly. The forecast had not held up to the good VFR and/or light IFR called for by FSS and the WX channel. Our ground speed was very slow at 13000 ft due to winds aloft very strong out of the south. I hadn't gotten these winds forecast originally since it wasn't seemingly needed. Since this flight I have also reflected on what I would have done had I needed to make a diversion to a nearby airport through icing had some emergency or malfunction occurred. I knew that good VFR was nearby and well within our range even with the extra slow ground speed that we eventually encountered. I learned a lot that day and will make the 180 degree climb or descent immediately if I ever experience this again. I'll never depart if icing is even close to my route.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT ENCOUNTERS ICING. ENRTE WX WAS NOT THE WX FORECAST. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS DELAYED FROM OCT/XA/95 TO OCT/XB/95 TO ALLOW A STRONG COLD FRONT TO PASS. ON EARLY MORNING OCT/XB/95, A CALL TO FLT SVC REVEALED IMC ALONG RTE OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH GOOD VFR AT DEST 3N8 (CONCORD, NC). DEP POINT WAS VFR (AGC-ALLEGHENY COUNTY) WITH TOPS UNKNOWN. ICING WAS FORECAST IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION MAINLY E OF OUR RTE. A COUPLE OF HRS LATER (APPROX AM EDT) PRIOR TO DEP ANOTHER CALL TO FSS REVEALED TOPS AT APPROX 6000 FT, WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY ON TOP. ICING WAS FORECAST (MIXED/MODERATE RIME) MAINLY E OF OUR COURSE AND AT LOW ALTS. THE BRIEFER WAS VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OVERFLYING THE ICING CONDITIONS IF THEY WERE TO MATERIALIZE. WE DEPARTED AND CLBED THROUGH A 1500 FT LAYER TO BREAK OUT ON TOP AT 4000 FT. OVER A PERIOD OF APPROX 100 MI, THE TOPS SLOWLY SLANTED UP AND I CONTINUED TO CLB TO HIGHER ALTS TO STAY ON TOP. CTR DELAYED A REQUEST FOR A CLB FROM 9000-10000 FT. OTHERS ON THE FREQ STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT ICE. AFTER A HDOF, I REQUESTED A CLB AGAIN TO AVOID IMC CONDITIONS. THERE WAS A DELAY AND WE ENTERED THE TOPS AT 9000 FT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE ENCOUNTERED ICING. THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLB AND THE PROP WAS AFFECTED THE MOST. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED, AND RECEIVED A CLB CLRNC AND THEN TOLD ATC I WAS DOING A 180 DEG TURN. ATC WAS VERY WILLING TO HELP OUT AFTER THE ENCOUNTER BUT WERE SLOW IN HELPING OUT BEFORE THE ENCOUNTER. WE BROKE OUT ON TOP NEAR THE ELKINS VOR AND CLBED IN A HOLD TO REACH 11000 FT BEFORE CONTINUING ON COURSE. EVENTUALLY WE CLBED TO 13000 FT TO REMAIN ON TOP. UPON REACHING VMC TO THE GND, WE CANCELED IFR AND LANDED AT A NEARBY ARPT TO REFUEL AND REFRESH. THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WAS COMPLETED IN GOOD VFR. I HAD BEEN LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE TRIP WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF ICING CONDITIONS BY THE SECOND BRIEFER. THE PIREPS ON THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS WERE APPARENTLY INACCURATE OR CONDITIONS HAD CHANGED RAPIDLY. THE FORECAST HAD NOT HELD UP TO THE GOOD VFR AND/OR LIGHT IFR CALLED FOR BY FSS AND THE WX CHANNEL. OUR GND SPD WAS VERY SLOW AT 13000 FT DUE TO WINDS ALOFT VERY STRONG OUT OF THE S. I HADN'T GOTTEN THESE WINDS FORECAST ORIGINALLY SINCE IT WASN'T SEEMINGLY NEEDED. SINCE THIS FLT I HAVE ALSO REFLECTED ON WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE HAD I NEEDED TO MAKE A DIVERSION TO A NEARBY ARPT THROUGH ICING HAD SOME EMER OR MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. I KNEW THAT GOOD VFR WAS NEARBY AND WELL WITHIN OUR RANGE EVEN WITH THE EXTRA SLOW GND SPD THAT WE EVENTUALLY ENCOUNTERED. I LEARNED A LOT THAT DAY AND WILL MAKE THE 180 DEG CLB OR DSCNT IMMEDIATELY IF I EVER EXPERIENCE THIS AGAIN. I'LL NEVER DEPART IF ICING IS EVEN CLOSE TO MY RTE.

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.