Narrative:

Planned flight from chino, ca, to williams, az, to conduct a training exercise from williams, az, on may/xa/99. WX briefing from san FSS warned of icing in clouds above 6000 ft in arizona, ceilings and visibility at prescott good (VFR under overcast). Due to desire to avoid icing, decided to proceed VFR using area approach control and center flight following. Planned to request IFR clearance in-flight if VFR became impossible. Maintained VFR to beyond colorado river, but was forced south of intended course due to clouds. Impossible VFR at 7500 ft, so tried 9500 ft, 11500 ft, and finally 13500 ft. At 13500 ft with flight following by los angeles ARTCC, became obvious that 13500 ft would not be sufficient. ZLA directed pilot to contact ZAB. Pilot did and immediately requested IFR clearance at 13000 ft direct to prescott due to likely IMC ahead. ZAB asked pilot to contact another frequency at ZAB. Pilot tried to duplicate prior IFR request but had difficulty communicating with second ZAB frequency. Pilot initiated return to previous (first) ZAB frequency but flight had already become IMC at 13500 ft. First ZAB controller said he had given pilot wrong second frequency and that flight had penetrated an active MOA, recommend reverse course for 8 mi to exit, which pilot did. ZAB directed flight back into ZLA's control but said he had been delayed due to ZLA not answering phone. Back on ZLA, ZLA directed flight north to intercept V12 and finally gave IFR clearance to prescott at 11000 ft. ZLA reported a B737 PIREP of moderate to severe rime icing at 6000-10000 ft vicinity of needles. Flight proceeded to prescott at 11000 ft with light to occasional moderate rime icing with no further incident. Question: was ATC delay in IFR clearance due to flight being in uncontrolled airspace? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was flying a piper PA24-400 and was amazed that it took so long to obtain an IFR clearance since his aircraft was icing up and he had no anti-icing equipment except for pitot tube heat. Since he was in uncontrolled airspace, ATC had to get him in to controled airspace before issuing a clearance. He further stated that he learned a good lesson in not expecting to be able to pick up an IFR clearance quickly since it is due to many factors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER COMMANCHE PA24-400 ON A VFR FLT FOLLOWING FLT FLEW INTO IMC, PICKED UP ICE ON THE ACFT, AND WAS GIVEN A FLT ASSIST OUT OF UNCTLED AIRSPACE WHERE AN IFR CLRNC COULD BE ISSUED TO HIM. THE RPTR WAS ALSO IN AN MOA, WHICH WAS 'HOT' WHERE HE COULD FLY UNDER VFR, BUT NOT UNDER IFR.

Narrative: PLANNED FLT FROM CHINO, CA, TO WILLIAMS, AZ, TO CONDUCT A TRAINING EXERCISE FROM WILLIAMS, AZ, ON MAY/XA/99. WX BRIEFING FROM SAN FSS WARNED OF ICING IN CLOUDS ABOVE 6000 FT IN ARIZONA, CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY AT PRESCOTT GOOD (VFR UNDER OVCST). DUE TO DESIRE TO AVOID ICING, DECIDED TO PROCEED VFR USING AREA APCH CTL AND CTR FLT FOLLOWING. PLANNED TO REQUEST IFR CLRNC INFLT IF VFR BECAME IMPOSSIBLE. MAINTAINED VFR TO BEYOND COLORADO RIVER, BUT WAS FORCED S OF INTENDED COURSE DUE TO CLOUDS. IMPOSSIBLE VFR AT 7500 FT, SO TRIED 9500 FT, 11500 FT, AND FINALLY 13500 FT. AT 13500 FT WITH FLT FOLLOWING BY LOS ANGELES ARTCC, BECAME OBVIOUS THAT 13500 FT WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT. ZLA DIRECTED PLT TO CONTACT ZAB. PLT DID AND IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED IFR CLRNC AT 13000 FT DIRECT TO PRESCOTT DUE TO LIKELY IMC AHEAD. ZAB ASKED PLT TO CONTACT ANOTHER FREQ AT ZAB. PLT TRIED TO DUPLICATE PRIOR IFR REQUEST BUT HAD DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH SECOND ZAB FREQ. PLT INITIATED RETURN TO PREVIOUS (FIRST) ZAB FREQ BUT FLT HAD ALREADY BECOME IMC AT 13500 FT. FIRST ZAB CTLR SAID HE HAD GIVEN PLT WRONG SECOND FREQ AND THAT FLT HAD PENETRATED AN ACTIVE MOA, RECOMMEND REVERSE COURSE FOR 8 MI TO EXIT, WHICH PLT DID. ZAB DIRECTED FLT BACK INTO ZLA'S CTL BUT SAID HE HAD BEEN DELAYED DUE TO ZLA NOT ANSWERING PHONE. BACK ON ZLA, ZLA DIRECTED FLT N TO INTERCEPT V12 AND FINALLY GAVE IFR CLRNC TO PRESCOTT AT 11000 FT. ZLA RPTED A B737 PIREP OF MODERATE TO SEVERE RIME ICING AT 6000-10000 FT VICINITY OF NEEDLES. FLT PROCEEDED TO PRESCOTT AT 11000 FT WITH LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE RIME ICING WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. QUESTION: WAS ATC DELAY IN IFR CLRNC DUE TO FLT BEING IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING A PIPER PA24-400 AND WAS AMAZED THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC SINCE HIS ACFT WAS ICING UP AND HE HAD NO ANTI-ICING EQUIP EXCEPT FOR PITOT TUBE HEAT. SINCE HE WAS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE, ATC HAD TO GET HIM IN TO CTLED AIRSPACE BEFORE ISSUING A CLRNC. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE LEARNED A GOOD LESSON IN NOT EXPECTING TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC QUICKLY SINCE IT IS DUE TO MANY FACTORS.

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.