Narrative:

We had just flown over the la area in route to lancaster, ca (fox field), on our IFR flight plan. The WX over the la area was VFR. However, just north of burbank, ca, the WX was IFR. As we entered the clouds, I was working the radios and doing the navigation. Upon entering the clouds, we started to pick up some rime ice. Approximately 24 mi DME from lancaster, we were handed off to joshua approach control. It was at this time that we started to pick up very heavy ice. As I called to check in, I noticed the navigation radios as well as the communication radios started to act up, probably due to the ice. Just after checking in with joshua approach, the propeller had picked up enough ice that it started to vibrate badly. Afraid of the fast accumulating ice buildup as well as the worsening communications, we made an immediate 180 degree turn to head back to VFR WX. As we started the turn I called joshua approach and requested a vector to burbank, ca. Joshua approach accommodated by giving us a vector for the approach to burbank. We made it to burbank and on final approach the ice broke off the aircraft. We were asked to call joshua approach on the ground and upon doing so, we learned that we should have stated: pan, pan, pan, and told them of our intentions. The chief controller said that by making this statement, it allows them to clear the area for us rather than accommodating to our request. We made the 180 degree turn immediately because of the rapid ice buildup on not only the wings but the propeller since it was vibrating badly. On top of the fast building ice, I was afraid of losing not only navigation radio signals but communications as well. As I checked in with joshua approach, the radios were very scratchy and I thought the ice had a part in this. Making the 180 degree turn seemed like the only way out since we had just left VFR WX a few mins ago and it was unknown how much further we could maintain altitude and speed with the ice building up. In the future, if a situation arises that immediate action needs to be taken, I have learned that I can either declare an emergency or transmit: pan, pan, pan, so as to allow the controllers the authority/authorized to move traffic as they see fit to accommodate an aircraft in the need of immediate assistance but not necessarily in an emergency situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated there was no action taken by the FAA other than the phone call by the pilots to joshua approach. The mooney does not have any kind of deice or anti-ice capability on the wings or propellers. The aircraft is not certificated for known icing conditions. The reporter stated the WX looked bad to the east but not toward fox field other than the cumulus buildup over the san gabriel mountains. The reporter stated the 180 degree turn toward burbank was made in IMC conditions. He stated that after landing at burbank the WX at fox field was with a 600 ft ceiling rather than the 5000 ft forecast. The pilots flew back to san diego in VMC conditions from burbank. The reporter stated knowing what he knows now, he would declare emergency or pan before turning. He did not indicate any regrets at having flown into the cumulus. In fact, he stated he lived and flew in minnesota for yrs encountering icing and had no problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR ASSISTING THE PLT WITH THE RADIOS AND NAV ENCOUNTERED ICING ALONG THE AIRWAY IFR FLT PLANNED RTE. WITHOUT DECLARING PAN OR EMER THE PLT TURNED SO AS TO ESCAPE THE ICING. THIS UNAUTHORIZED TURN CAUSED TFC CTL SEPARATION TO BE COMPROMISED.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST FLOWN OVER THE LA AREA IN RTE TO LANCASTER, CA (FOX FIELD), ON OUR IFR FLT PLAN. THE WX OVER THE LA AREA WAS VFR. HOWEVER, JUST N OF BURBANK, CA, THE WX WAS IFR. AS WE ENTERED THE CLOUDS, I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS AND DOING THE NAV. UPON ENTERING THE CLOUDS, WE STARTED TO PICK UP SOME RIME ICE. APPROX 24 MI DME FROM LANCASTER, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO JOSHUA APCH CTL. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT WE STARTED TO PICK UP VERY HVY ICE. AS I CALLED TO CHK IN, I NOTICED THE NAV RADIOS AS WELL AS THE COM RADIOS STARTED TO ACT UP, PROBABLY DUE TO THE ICE. JUST AFTER CHKING IN WITH JOSHUA APCH, THE PROP HAD PICKED UP ENOUGH ICE THAT IT STARTED TO VIBRATE BADLY. AFRAID OF THE FAST ACCUMULATING ICE BUILDUP AS WELL AS THE WORSENING COMS, WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN TO HEAD BACK TO VFR WX. AS WE STARTED THE TURN I CALLED JOSHUA APCH AND REQUESTED A VECTOR TO BURBANK, CA. JOSHUA APCH ACCOMMODATED BY GIVING US A VECTOR FOR THE APCH TO BURBANK. WE MADE IT TO BURBANK AND ON FINAL APCH THE ICE BROKE OFF THE ACFT. WE WERE ASKED TO CALL JOSHUA APCH ON THE GND AND UPON DOING SO, WE LEARNED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE STATED: PAN, PAN, PAN, AND TOLD THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS. THE CHIEF CTLR SAID THAT BY MAKING THIS STATEMENT, IT ALLOWS THEM TO CLR THE AREA FOR US RATHER THAN ACCOMMODATING TO OUR REQUEST. WE MADE THE 180 DEG TURN IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE OF THE RAPID ICE BUILDUP ON NOT ONLY THE WINGS BUT THE PROP SINCE IT WAS VIBRATING BADLY. ON TOP OF THE FAST BUILDING ICE, I WAS AFRAID OF LOSING NOT ONLY NAV RADIO SIGNALS BUT COMS AS WELL. AS I CHKED IN WITH JOSHUA APCH, THE RADIOS WERE VERY SCRATCHY AND I THOUGHT THE ICE HAD A PART IN THIS. MAKING THE 180 DEG TURN SEEMED LIKE THE ONLY WAY OUT SINCE WE HAD JUST LEFT VFR WX A FEW MINS AGO AND IT WAS UNKNOWN HOW MUCH FURTHER WE COULD MAINTAIN ALT AND SPD WITH THE ICE BUILDING UP. IN THE FUTURE, IF A SIT ARISES THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN, I HAVE LEARNED THAT I CAN EITHER DECLARE AN EMER OR XMIT: PAN, PAN, PAN, SO AS TO ALLOW THE CTLRS THE AUTH TO MOVE TFC AS THEY SEE FIT TO ACCOMMODATE AN ACFT IN THE NEED OF IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN AN EMER SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE WAS NO ACTION TAKEN BY THE FAA OTHER THAN THE PHONE CALL BY THE PLTS TO JOSHUA APCH. THE MOONEY DOES NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF DEICE OR ANTI-ICE CAPABILITY ON THE WINGS OR PROPS. THE ACFT IS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. THE RPTR STATED THE WX LOOKED BAD TO THE E BUT NOT TOWARD FOX FIELD OTHER THAN THE CUMULUS BUILDUP OVER THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS. THE RPTR STATED THE 180 DEG TURN TOWARD BURBANK WAS MADE IN IMC CONDITIONS. HE STATED THAT AFTER LNDG AT BURBANK THE WX AT FOX FIELD WAS WITH A 600 FT CEILING RATHER THAN THE 5000 FT FORECAST. THE PLTS FLEW BACK TO SAN DIEGO IN VMC CONDITIONS FROM BURBANK. THE RPTR STATED KNOWING WHAT HE KNOWS NOW, HE WOULD DECLARE EMER OR PAN BEFORE TURNING. HE DID NOT INDICATE ANY REGRETS AT HAVING FLOWN INTO THE CUMULUS. IN FACT, HE STATED HE LIVED AND FLEW IN MINNESOTA FOR YRS ENCOUNTERING ICING AND HAD NO PROBS.

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.