Pilot of a beech 33A climbed above assigned altitude and became 4 mi off course due to WX avoidance ...

Narrative:

After departing toronto buttonville airport (cykz) I was vectored toward the yyz V164/V252 124 degree radial at cruise level 5000 ft. About 33 mi out, I entered the tops of clouds and began to pick up rime ice at a moderate rate. I immediately called ATC and reported that I was picking up ice and was just into the tops and would try to just stay clear of the tops. ATC acknowledged the transmission and I tried to keep just clear of the tops. Apparently the tops were getting higher because within about 2-3 mins ATC came back and requested my current altitude. When I looked at my altimeter I was at 5500 ft and reported this. ATC told me that I was on an IFR flight plan and that I could not change altitude without permission but then immediately cleared me to 7000 ft -- well above the cloud tops. Shortly thereafter (maybe 1 min) ATC advised that I was 4 mi south of the radial and gave me a new vector to intercept the radial and turned me over to buffalo. The problems arose from my overconcentration on my icing problems which led to my not monitoring my altitude and time to intercept the radial. In trying to remain clear of ice, I did not realize that I had climbed to 5500 ft. The radial excursion arose from my having misset my kns 80. Prior to departure, I had set my kns 90B GPS to bulge intersection and my kns 80 to the yyz 124 degree radial. The radial was set on the kns 80 station #1, while the kns 80 use function was set to station #2. Due to my alarm and overfocus on the icing problem, I did not pay attention to the fact that I was too long in intercepting the V252 radial. Corrective action: in the event icing occurs, deal with the problem but continue to concentrate on flying the airplane and adhering to the flight plan and ATC altitude assignments. When icing or other such problems require immediate action, request immediate action from ATC (in this case, an immediate change in altitude). If ATC cannot respond quickly enough to permit what I believe to be a safe flying environment, declare an emergency and take appropriate action. In the case of the VOR intercept excursion, I will doublechk kns 80 frequencys and use settings, and set second VOR to backup the same frequency on departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH 33A CLBED ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT AND BECAME 4 MI OFF COURSE DUE TO WX AVOIDANCE DURING AN IFR FLT. ATC INTERVENED AND CALLED HIS ATTN TO HIS ALT AND GAVE A VECTOR TO BACK ON COURSE.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING TORONTO BUTTONVILLE ARPT (CYKZ) I WAS VECTORED TOWARD THE YYZ V164/V252 124 DEG RADIAL AT CRUISE LEVEL 5000 FT. ABOUT 33 MI OUT, I ENTERED THE TOPS OF CLOUDS AND BEGAN TO PICK UP RIME ICE AT A MODERATE RATE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ATC AND RPTED THAT I WAS PICKING UP ICE AND WAS JUST INTO THE TOPS AND WOULD TRY TO JUST STAY CLR OF THE TOPS. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION AND I TRIED TO KEEP JUST CLR OF THE TOPS. APPARENTLY THE TOPS WERE GETTING HIGHER BECAUSE WITHIN ABOUT 2-3 MINS ATC CAME BACK AND REQUESTED MY CURRENT ALT. WHEN I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER I WAS AT 5500 FT AND RPTED THIS. ATC TOLD ME THAT I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND THAT I COULD NOT CHANGE ALT WITHOUT PERMISSION BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME TO 7000 FT -- WELL ABOVE THE CLOUD TOPS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER (MAYBE 1 MIN) ATC ADVISED THAT I WAS 4 MI S OF THE RADIAL AND GAVE ME A NEW VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL AND TURNED ME OVER TO BUFFALO. THE PROBS AROSE FROM MY OVERCONCENTRATION ON MY ICING PROBS WHICH LED TO MY NOT MONITORING MY ALT AND TIME TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL. IN TRYING TO REMAIN CLR OF ICE, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT I HAD CLBED TO 5500 FT. THE RADIAL EXCURSION AROSE FROM MY HAVING MISSET MY KNS 80. PRIOR TO DEP, I HAD SET MY KNS 90B GPS TO BULGE INTXN AND MY KNS 80 TO THE YYZ 124 DEG RADIAL. THE RADIAL WAS SET ON THE KNS 80 STATION #1, WHILE THE KNS 80 USE FUNCTION WAS SET TO STATION #2. DUE TO MY ALARM AND OVERFOCUS ON THE ICING PROB, I DID NOT PAY ATTN TO THE FACT THAT I WAS TOO LONG IN INTERCEPTING THE V252 RADIAL. CORRECTIVE ACTION: IN THE EVENT ICING OCCURS, DEAL WITH THE PROB BUT CONTINUE TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND ADHERING TO THE FLT PLAN AND ATC ALT ASSIGNMENTS. WHEN ICING OR OTHER SUCH PROBS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ACTION, REQUEST IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM ATC (IN THIS CASE, AN IMMEDIATE CHANGE IN ALT). IF ATC CANNOT RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PERMIT WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A SAFE FLYING ENVIRONMENT, DECLARE AN EMER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. IN THE CASE OF THE VOR INTERCEPT EXCURSION, I WILL DOUBLECHK KNS 80 FREQS AND USE SETTINGS, AND SET SECOND VOR TO BACKUP THE SAME FREQ ON DEP.

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.

Attributes
ACN	424163
Time
Date	199812
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : yyz airport : cykz
State Reference	ON
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : czyz
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	424163
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Pilot of a beech 33A climbed above assigned altitude and became 4 mi off course due to WX avoidance during an IFR flight. ATC intervened and called his attention to his altitude and gave a vector to back on course.