Narrative:

I departed reno/tahoe airport, destination of redding, on VFR direct flight. The departure time was about XA00. The WX over the sierras looked ominous, but the sky was clear and unrestr visibility to the south. I elected to depart and fly south far enough until I could cross over the sierras to the west safely. After flying south for 40-50 NM, we had clear conditions to the west and I decided to head for the valley. After turning to the west, I traveled for approximately 30-40 mi and noticed that the previous blue skies were becoming cloudy, the WX was rising up all around me and I could not out climb it. I immediately contacted ZOA to inform them of my situation and request assistance and vectoring out of the area. Within mins my plane was engulfed in clouds that I could not navigation around or above. I climbed as high as I could under VFR to 17000 ft, but was still in nearly IFR conditions. I told ZOA that I was not IFR rated and needed some help. The plane was at no time under any loss of control, but I was taking on ice and very nervous as a result of that. The controller vectored me to 210 degrees south and maintain altitude, which I did. This placed me right through some heavier cloud formation that I could not avoid. My wings were gathering more ice and I did not want to use any sudden navigation changes. I kept my FL182 on autoplt and used my directional gyro for headings. Thanks to the help from ZOA, I cleared the conditions approximately 15 mi east of sac mather, at which point it was clear VFR to redding. Thank god for ZOA!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT ENCOUNTERED WX DURING A VFR FLT AND ARTCC ASSISTED THE NON INST RATED PLT SAFELY THROUGH ICING CONDITIONS TO HIS DEST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RENO/TAHOE ARPT, DEST OF REDDING, ON VFR DIRECT FLT. THE DEP TIME WAS ABOUT XA00. THE WX OVER THE SIERRAS LOOKED OMINOUS, BUT THE SKY WAS CLR AND UNRESTR VISIBILITY TO THE S. I ELECTED TO DEPART AND FLY S FAR ENOUGH UNTIL I COULD CROSS OVER THE SIERRAS TO THE W SAFELY. AFTER FLYING S FOR 40-50 NM, WE HAD CLR CONDITIONS TO THE W AND I DECIDED TO HEAD FOR THE VALLEY. AFTER TURNING TO THE W, I TRAVELED FOR APPROX 30-40 MI AND NOTICED THAT THE PREVIOUS BLUE SKIES WERE BECOMING CLOUDY, THE WX WAS RISING UP ALL AROUND ME AND I COULD NOT OUT CLB IT. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ZOA TO INFORM THEM OF MY SIT AND REQUEST ASSISTANCE AND VECTORING OUT OF THE AREA. WITHIN MINS MY PLANE WAS ENGULFED IN CLOUDS THAT I COULD NOT NAV AROUND OR ABOVE. I CLBED AS HIGH AS I COULD UNDER VFR TO 17000 FT, BUT WAS STILL IN NEARLY IFR CONDITIONS. I TOLD ZOA THAT I WAS NOT IFR RATED AND NEEDED SOME HELP. THE PLANE WAS AT NO TIME UNDER ANY LOSS OF CTL, BUT I WAS TAKING ON ICE AND VERY NERVOUS AS A RESULT OF THAT. THE CTLR VECTORED ME TO 210 DEGS S AND MAINTAIN ALT, WHICH I DID. THIS PLACED ME RIGHT THROUGH SOME HEAVIER CLOUD FORMATION THAT I COULD NOT AVOID. MY WINGS WERE GATHERING MORE ICE AND I DID NOT WANT TO USE ANY SUDDEN NAV CHANGES. I KEPT MY FL182 ON AUTOPLT AND USED MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO FOR HDGS. THANKS TO THE HELP FROM ZOA, I CLRED THE CONDITIONS APPROX 15 MI E OF SAC MATHER, AT WHICH POINT IT WAS CLR VFR TO REDDING. THANK GOD FOR ZOA!

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.