Narrative:

We had flown to reno from trk earlier to divert for WX. We received a WX briefing in person from reno FSS and filed IFR to sql via V452 bachs rdd eni V199 stins V25 sfo sql at 12000 ft. We departed reno at approximately XX10 local and shortly after takeoff received a clearance to 14000 ft. Passing 12500 ft we noted the time (XX26) for oxygen requirements. Just past halle intersection, ZOA assigned an amended clearance reading, 'left turn to 200 degrees, direct sac, V334 sql.' my copilot read it back but we continued north on V452 and asked about the WX. The controller asked us our heading and intentions. We again expressed WX concerns stating that we were not deicing equipped and requested to continue at least as far north as susanville before turning wbound to red bluff or chico. He asked if we were RNAV equipped and we replied 'negative slant alpha' (we were filed as a BE76/a). He then came back with a report of VFR conditions between 12000 ft and 14000 ft over hangtown and asked if something like that would work for us. We replied yes and followed his instructions to turn direct sac. We turned to a southerly heading and went into light IMC conditions turning on carburetor heat and pitot heat. We began to notice a light buildup of frost on the wings when we were about at the swr 350 and sac 010. We were approximately 20 mins into our segment of flight above 12500 ft and requested a descent. Oakland assigned 13000 ft. As we started down we encountered snow and began to pick up light icing. I initiated a climb back to 14000 ft and after leveling off noticed our airspeed decreasing. I checked pitot heat on (it was) as oakland began asking us about our altitude and assigned altitude. I reported an increase in right rudder required to my copilot, we discussed possible icing on the control surfaces and he asked for assistance from ATC to get us out of icing conditions. The ATC reply was 'there's not much I can do about that right now.' we reported established on the sac 010 and received a descent to 11000 ft. Leaving 14000 ft airspeed increased indicating no pitot ice, we passed through 12500 ft at approximately XX56 and heard 3 loud thuds (later we discovered a quarter size dent on the left side of the fuselage in the propeller arc). We leveled off at 11000 ft and became unable to maintain altitude noting a decrease in left engine performance: manifold pressure -- 20 inches, RPM -- 1500, oil pressure, fuel pressure, and cylinder head temperature were all in the green. Checked both carburetor heats still on. ATC asked us about altitude and I reported unable to maintain altitude with icing and loss of performance in the left engine. We were losing a steady 500 FPM. ATC gave us a heading of 230 degrees and asked about carburetor heat. We checked it still on and reported same. Shortly after, I instructed my copilot to squawk 7700 and we declared an emergency. Between my copilot's navigational skills and ATC's vectors we were able to keep clear of the mountains and break out at 4000 ft to land at oroville. Upon rollout, I realized that the left engine had been windmilling and not producing any power. We would have been in better shape if we had recognized the complete failure of the left engine and feathered the propeller. We both felt that the amended clearance had been forced on us by ATC and that the entire situation would have been avoided if we had flown our original flight plan. Later, when I spoke to the supervisor at ZOA, he said that the controller was unaware of our concern about the WX. Training for both pilots and controllers could help prevent a reoccurrence. Human performance considerations: we both thought that center had the latest/best WX information for the new route, probably the single biggest factor in our decision making, we were above 12500 ft for the maximum time allowed without supplemental oxygen and could have become hypoxic for part of the flight, most of my twin time is turboprop/turbojet (858) total recip twin time is only 35.8 hours, and copilot time in type was zero before that day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF AN SMA TWIN DECLARED AN EMER AFTER NOT BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT DURING AN IFR FLT IN ICING CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WE HAD FLOWN TO RENO FROM TRK EARLIER TO DIVERT FOR WX. WE RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING IN PERSON FROM RENO FSS AND FILED IFR TO SQL VIA V452 BACHS RDD ENI V199 STINS V25 SFO SQL AT 12000 FT. WE DEPARTED RENO AT APPROX XX10 LCL AND SHORTLY AFTER TKOF RECEIVED A CLRNC TO 14000 FT. PASSING 12500 FT WE NOTED THE TIME (XX26) FOR OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS. JUST PAST HALLE INTXN, ZOA ASSIGNED AN AMENDED CLRNC READING, 'L TURN TO 200 DEGS, DIRECT SAC, V334 SQL.' MY COPLT READ IT BACK BUT WE CONTINUED N ON V452 AND ASKED ABOUT THE WX. THE CTLR ASKED US OUR HDG AND INTENTIONS. WE AGAIN EXPRESSED WX CONCERNS STATING THAT WE WERE NOT DEICING EQUIPPED AND REQUESTED TO CONTINUE AT LEAST AS FAR N AS SUSANVILLE BEFORE TURNING WBOUND TO RED BLUFF OR CHICO. HE ASKED IF WE WERE RNAV EQUIPPED AND WE REPLIED 'NEGATIVE SLANT ALPHA' (WE WERE FILED AS A BE76/A). HE THEN CAME BACK WITH A RPT OF VFR CONDITIONS BTWN 12000 FT AND 14000 FT OVER HANGTOWN AND ASKED IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD WORK FOR US. WE REPLIED YES AND FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN DIRECT SAC. WE TURNED TO A SOUTHERLY HDG AND WENT INTO LIGHT IMC CONDITIONS TURNING ON CARB HEAT AND PITOT HEAT. WE BEGAN TO NOTICE A LIGHT BUILDUP OF FROST ON THE WINGS WHEN WE WERE ABOUT AT THE SWR 350 AND SAC 010. WE WERE APPROX 20 MINS INTO OUR SEGMENT OF FLT ABOVE 12500 FT AND REQUESTED A DSCNT. OAKLAND ASSIGNED 13000 FT. AS WE STARTED DOWN WE ENCOUNTERED SNOW AND BEGAN TO PICK UP LIGHT ICING. I INITIATED A CLB BACK TO 14000 FT AND AFTER LEVELING OFF NOTICED OUR AIRSPD DECREASING. I CHKED PITOT HEAT ON (IT WAS) AS OAKLAND BEGAN ASKING US ABOUT OUR ALT AND ASSIGNED ALT. I RPTED AN INCREASE IN R RUDDER REQUIRED TO MY COPLT, WE DISCUSSED POSSIBLE ICING ON THE CTL SURFACES AND HE ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ATC TO GET US OUT OF ICING CONDITIONS. THE ATC REPLY WAS 'THERE'S NOT MUCH I CAN DO ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.' WE RPTED ESTABLISHED ON THE SAC 010 AND RECEIVED A DSCNT TO 11000 FT. LEAVING 14000 FT AIRSPD INCREASED INDICATING NO PITOT ICE, WE PASSED THROUGH 12500 FT AT APPROX XX56 AND HEARD 3 LOUD THUDS (LATER WE DISCOVERED A QUARTER SIZE DENT ON THE L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE IN THE PROP ARC). WE LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT AND BECAME UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT NOTING A DECREASE IN L ENG PERFORMANCE: MANIFOLD PRESSURE -- 20 INCHES, RPM -- 1500, OIL PRESSURE, FUEL PRESSURE, AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMP WERE ALL IN THE GREEN. CHKED BOTH CARB HEATS STILL ON. ATC ASKED US ABOUT ALT AND I RPTED UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT WITH ICING AND LOSS OF PERFORMANCE IN THE L ENG. WE WERE LOSING A STEADY 500 FPM. ATC GAVE US A HDG OF 230 DEGS AND ASKED ABOUT CARB HEAT. WE CHKED IT STILL ON AND RPTED SAME. SHORTLY AFTER, I INSTRUCTED MY COPLT TO SQUAWK 7700 AND WE DECLARED AN EMER. BTWN MY COPLT'S NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS AND ATC'S VECTORS WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP CLR OF THE MOUNTAINS AND BREAK OUT AT 4000 FT TO LAND AT OROVILLE. UPON ROLLOUT, I REALIZED THAT THE L ENG HAD BEEN WINDMILLING AND NOT PRODUCING ANY PWR. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BETTER SHAPE IF WE HAD RECOGNIZED THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE L ENG AND FEATHERED THE PROP. WE BOTH FELT THAT THE AMENDED CLRNC HAD BEEN FORCED ON US BY ATC AND THAT THE ENTIRE SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE HAD FLOWN OUR ORIGINAL FLT PLAN. LATER, WHEN I SPOKE TO THE SUPVR AT ZOA, HE SAID THAT THE CTLR WAS UNAWARE OF OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE WX. TRAINING FOR BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS COULD HELP PREVENT A REOCCURRENCE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT CTR HAD THE LATEST/BEST WX INFO FOR THE NEW RTE, PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST FACTOR IN OUR DECISION MAKING, WE WERE ABOVE 12500 FT FOR THE MAX TIME ALLOWED WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN AND COULD HAVE BECOME HYPOXIC FOR PART OF THE FLT, MOST OF MY TWIN TIME IS TURBOPROP/TURBOJET (858) TOTAL RECIP TWIN TIME IS ONLY 35.8 HRS, AND COPLT TIME IN TYPE WAS ZERO BEFORE THAT DAY.

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.