Narrative:

Far 135 freight operations departed mem direct to asg, ar. Initially I leveled at 6000 ft and started picking up moderate to severe ice. Climbed to 9000 ft and finally leveled at 10000 ft. At 10000 ft was in between layers and stopped picking up ice. As I continued towards springdale, probably 60-70 mi east, I again picked up light to moderate ice so I requested 6000 ft and descended to try to find an inversion. My aircraft has full deice equipment and was working up to this point. No inversion was found and so I climbed back to 10000 ft. Once at 10000 ft I was in the clear and ice accumulation was nil. I decided to stay at 10000 ft for the duration of the flight. After being handed off to razorback approach, I told the controller that I wanted to stay at 10000 ft until just 15 mi outside the IAF. I descended from 10000 ft to 4500 ft and finally to 3000 ft once established on the approach. Due to my lack of experience I was not ready for what happened. Descending, I flew into freezing drizzle and picked up such a load of ice that I had close to full power when I leveled at the MDA. Still picking up ice, I could see the ground vertically out the side window and felt I was in an emergency situation and descended below the MDA until I broke out and saw the runway at which point I made a normal approach and landing. The possibility of missing the approach safely, I felt, was close to impossible with the load of ice that I had picked up. Therefore, my only option was to descend below the MDA. 'WX was' fyv measured 800 ft overcast, 1 1/2 mi visibility in light freezing drizzle, light snow pellets and fog. Rog was 1400 ft overcast, 10 mi visibility and winds were from 020 degrees at 13 KTS, gusting to 17 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 CARGO PLT DSNDED BELOW THE MDA WHILE ON AN IAP TO AVOID CONTINUED FLT IN ICING CONDITIONS. THE SURFACE OBSERVATION RPTS WERE FOR LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE, AND THE PLT HAD ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS ENRTE, AND AT THE DEST.

Narrative: FAR 135 FREIGHT OPS DEPARTED MEM DIRECT TO ASG, AR. INITIALLY I LEVELED AT 6000 FT AND STARTED PICKING UP MODERATE TO SEVERE ICE. CLBED TO 9000 FT AND FINALLY LEVELED AT 10000 FT. AT 10000 FT WAS IN BTWN LAYERS AND STOPPED PICKING UP ICE. AS I CONTINUED TOWARDS SPRINGDALE, PROBABLY 60-70 MI E, I AGAIN PICKED UP LIGHT TO MODERATE ICE SO I REQUESTED 6000 FT AND DSNDED TO TRY TO FIND AN INVERSION. MY ACFT HAS FULL DEICE EQUIP AND WAS WORKING UP TO THIS POINT. NO INVERSION WAS FOUND AND SO I CLBED BACK TO 10000 FT. ONCE AT 10000 FT I WAS IN THE CLR AND ICE ACCUMULATION WAS NIL. I DECIDED TO STAY AT 10000 FT FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO RAZORBACK APCH, I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WANTED TO STAY AT 10000 FT UNTIL JUST 15 MI OUTSIDE THE IAF. I DSNDED FROM 10000 FT TO 4500 FT AND FINALLY TO 3000 FT ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH. DUE TO MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE I WAS NOT READY FOR WHAT HAPPENED. DSNDING, I FLEW INTO FREEZING DRIZZLE AND PICKED UP SUCH A LOAD OF ICE THAT I HAD CLOSE TO FULL PWR WHEN I LEVELED AT THE MDA. STILL PICKING UP ICE, I COULD SEE THE GND VERTLY OUT THE SIDE WINDOW AND FELT I WAS IN AN EMER SIT AND DSNDED BELOW THE MDA UNTIL I BROKE OUT AND SAW THE RWY AT WHICH POINT I MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. THE POSSIBILITY OF MISSING THE APCH SAFELY, I FELT, WAS CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE WITH THE LOAD OF ICE THAT I HAD PICKED UP. THEREFORE, MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO DSND BELOW THE MDA. 'WX WAS' FYV MEASURED 800 FT OVCST, 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE, LIGHT SNOW PELLETS AND FOG. ROG WAS 1400 FT OVCST, 10 MI VISIBILITY AND WINDS WERE FROM 020 DEGS AT 13 KTS, GUSTING TO 17 KTS.

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.