Narrative:

Yesterday evening, I unwittingly blew it royally. I'm working with an instrument student full time now in giving him the version of a PIC course. To that end, I refused to fly yesterday afternoon over to the stockton area where I'm preparing him for his test. The freezing level was too low. The front was forecast to blow through in several hours, so we took the opportunity to work on crosswind lndgs, the xwinds of which were the result of the cold front passage. After a couple of hours, with daylight still remaining, we headed over to stockton. We were IMC for about 15 mins at 5000 ft. I figured that if we did start to pick up any ice on cloud entry we would immediately return to san jose. We didn't pick up any. After working on ILS and VOR approachs for about 3 hours over there, we stopped for fuel, and I got a briefing for the return flight. Forecast freezing level, 6000 ft. No PIREPS. But san jose was clear. I figured if we did go into the clouds it would only be for a few mins during the descent. We were cleared to 6000 ft and the flight proceeded normally through the livermore valley. I mentioned to my hooded student that we had an easy out at livermore, as it was as clear as a bell. We were skimming the tops of the clouds. About 20 mi out, we were handed over to bay approach, and I asked for and was told to expect, the visual. As usual, I was cleared direct to the sjc VOR. I expected, and was therefore not surprised when we were told to turn to 180 degrees on the heading and to descend to 5000 ft. I shined the flashlight out to the wing. What I saw really turned my stomach. Instead of a nice 'clean' wing, there was moderate clear and mixed ice. It didn't cover the leading edge. It was spread over the entire airfoil. It was lumpy. I asked for lower immediately! 'Our MVA in that area is 5000 ft,' was the approach reply. At this time 'up,' 'down,' or 'back' was no option. In 5 mins I had gone from 2 very good options (going over it and slam dunk into the bay area, or go low over to livermore and go in under it) to none. I kept thinking that it was only going to be another couple of mins. I asked for lower again, and was told to expect it in 5 mi. I added full power to get there faster. In hindsight, I should have declared an emergency right then. Approach would have vectored us perpendicular to the hills and been able to descend us. Instead, I let us first get vectored to a downwind and then turned 180 degrees to parallel the final approach course, probably to let some jet go in first. For a person who prides himself in getting anything he wants from ATC, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I let myself be 'bullied' by a controller I thought had a 'nasty' attitude. After what seemed like an eternity, we were given a base turn and told to descend to 4000 ft, even more ice. Then we were given the approach clearance and were allowed to descend to 3500 ft. We broke out on base at 3600 ft. The ice melted away in a few seconds -- and we were safe. In flying, you just can't let your judgement guard down for even a few seconds -- accidentally or not. Last night will not soon be forgotten.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT PRACTICING INST APCHS INADVERTENTLY FLY INTO ICING CONDITIONS.

Narrative: YESTERDAY EVENING, I UNWITTINGLY BLEW IT ROYALLY. I'M WORKING WITH AN INST STUDENT FULL TIME NOW IN GIVING HIM THE VERSION OF A PIC COURSE. TO THAT END, I REFUSED TO FLY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON OVER TO THE STOCKTON AREA WHERE I'M PREPARING HIM FOR HIS TEST. THE FREEZING LEVEL WAS TOO LOW. THE FRONT WAS FORECAST TO BLOW THROUGH IN SEVERAL HRS, SO WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON XWIND LNDGS, THE XWINDS OF WHICH WERE THE RESULT OF THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. AFTER A COUPLE OF HRS, WITH DAYLIGHT STILL REMAINING, WE HEADED OVER TO STOCKTON. WE WERE IMC FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AT 5000 FT. I FIGURED THAT IF WE DID START TO PICK UP ANY ICE ON CLOUD ENTRY WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO SAN JOSE. WE DIDN'T PICK UP ANY. AFTER WORKING ON ILS AND VOR APCHS FOR ABOUT 3 HRS OVER THERE, WE STOPPED FOR FUEL, AND I GOT A BRIEFING FOR THE RETURN FLT. FORECAST FREEZING LEVEL, 6000 FT. NO PIREPS. BUT SAN JOSE WAS CLR. I FIGURED IF WE DID GO INTO THE CLOUDS IT WOULD ONLY BE FOR A FEW MINS DURING THE DSCNT. WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT AND THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY THROUGH THE LIVERMORE VALLEY. I MENTIONED TO MY HOODED STUDENT THAT WE HAD AN EASY OUT AT LIVERMORE, AS IT WAS AS CLR AS A BELL. WE WERE SKIMMING THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS. ABOUT 20 MI OUT, WE WERE HANDED OVER TO BAY APCH, AND I ASKED FOR AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT, THE VISUAL. AS USUAL, I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO THE SJC VOR. I EXPECTED, AND WAS THEREFORE NOT SURPRISED WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO TURN TO 180 DEGS ON THE HDG AND TO DSND TO 5000 FT. I SHINED THE FLASHLIGHT OUT TO THE WING. WHAT I SAW REALLY TURNED MY STOMACH. INSTEAD OF A NICE 'CLEAN' WING, THERE WAS MODERATE CLR AND MIXED ICE. IT DIDN'T COVER THE LEADING EDGE. IT WAS SPREAD OVER THE ENTIRE AIRFOIL. IT WAS LUMPY. I ASKED FOR LOWER IMMEDIATELY! 'OUR MVA IN THAT AREA IS 5000 FT,' WAS THE APCH REPLY. AT THIS TIME 'UP,' 'DOWN,' OR 'BACK' WAS NO OPTION. IN 5 MINS I HAD GONE FROM 2 VERY GOOD OPTIONS (GOING OVER IT AND SLAM DUNK INTO THE BAY AREA, OR GO LOW OVER TO LIVERMORE AND GO IN UNDER IT) TO NONE. I KEPT THINKING THAT IT WAS ONLY GOING TO BE ANOTHER COUPLE OF MINS. I ASKED FOR LOWER AGAIN, AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT IT IN 5 MI. I ADDED FULL PWR TO GET THERE FASTER. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER RIGHT THEN. APCH WOULD HAVE VECTORED US PERPENDICULAR TO THE HILLS AND BEEN ABLE TO DSND US. INSTEAD, I LET US FIRST GET VECTORED TO A DOWNWIND AND THEN TURNED 180 DEGS TO PARALLEL THE FINAL APCH COURSE, PROBABLY TO LET SOME JET GO IN FIRST. FOR A PERSON WHO PRIDES HIMSELF IN GETTING ANYTHING HE WANTS FROM ATC, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I LET MYSELF BE 'BULLIED' BY A CTLR I THOUGHT HAD A 'NASTY' ATTITUDE. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY, WE WERE GIVEN A BASE TURN AND TOLD TO DSND TO 4000 FT, EVEN MORE ICE. THEN WE WERE GIVEN THE APCH CLRNC AND WERE ALLOWED TO DSND TO 3500 FT. WE BROKE OUT ON BASE AT 3600 FT. THE ICE MELTED AWAY IN A FEW SECONDS -- AND WE WERE SAFE. IN FLYING, YOU JUST CAN'T LET YOUR JUDGEMENT GUARD DOWN FOR EVEN A FEW SECONDS -- ACCIDENTALLY OR NOT. LAST NIGHT WILL NOT SOON BE FORGOTTEN.

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.