Low time instrument rated private pilot encounters icing on IFR flight plan. Became confused, declar...

Attributes
ACN	435803
Time
Date	199905
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : eni.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : v27.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 24 flight time total : 198 flight time type : 38
ASRS Report	435803
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The forecast at acv after XA00 was visibility 6 mi, light rain, 1200 ft broken, 2500 ft overcast. Freezing level was forecast to be between 5000 ft and 9000 ft. My original plan was to get to acv and descend through a cloud layer that I thought was below the freezing level. En route from sts to acv in cruise at 8000 ft I was calculating if we had enough fuel to make our destination. It appeared that I would not make acv with the required reserves and I was looking at my options. At the times when I looked out the window, I thought I could see about 50 mi ahead between the layers. While focused on the instruments and my charts, I had entered a cloud and saw the water start to condense and freeze. I notified ATC I was turning around and returning to sts. The controller cleared me to descend and maintain 6000 ft. I had panicked and was no longer thinking clearly. I had made a turn but not to a specific heading. It occurred to me that I did not know where I was, so asked ATC if I was headed back. I was headed out to sea. They gave me a vector back. I did exit the cloud and was once again between layers. There seemed to be a thin layer of ice everywhere. ATC requested me to descend to 6000 ft or climb to 7000 ft. I refused and stated that I would declare an emergency to stay where I was. I naved back to sts. I was cleared for the ILS. I was given my own navigation requiring a procedure turn. I did not want to traverse a cloud twice, but I had not communicated this to ATC. I was about to insist on a radar vector to final so I would only have to go through the clouds once. When I passed over the VOR, I notified ATC that I had sts in sight and was going to spiral down. ATC approved the visual approach. All the ice was melted by 5500 ft in the spiral, I entered the downwind for runway 32 and landed. I was given a phone number and informed to contact the ZOA supervisor. It was noted that I had not told ATC about the ice and they did not understand why I didn't want to climb and descend or why I declared an emergency to stay at a VFR altitude. The supervisor informed me that his controllers were confused about how to handle me. Summary: I need to be more conservative in my flight planning. The controller didn't know about the icing situation. Descending made everything a lot worse. I need to communicate better so they could understand my situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME INST RATED PVT PLT ENCOUNTERS ICING ON IFR FLT PLAN. BECAME CONFUSED, DECLARED EMER. WITH ASSISTANCE OF ARTCC DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: THE FORECAST AT ACV AFTER XA00 WAS VISIBILITY 6 MI, LIGHT RAIN, 1200 FT BROKEN, 2500 FT OVCST. FREEZING LEVEL WAS FORECAST TO BE BTWN 5000 FT AND 9000 FT. MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO GET TO ACV AND DSND THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER THAT I THOUGHT WAS BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. ENRTE FROM STS TO ACV IN CRUISE AT 8000 FT I WAS CALCULATING IF WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE OUR DEST. IT APPEARED THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE ACV WITH THE REQUIRED RESERVES AND I WAS LOOKING AT MY OPTIONS. AT THE TIMES WHEN I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW, I THOUGHT I COULD SEE ABOUT 50 MI AHEAD BTWN THE LAYERS. WHILE FOCUSED ON THE INSTS AND MY CHARTS, I HAD ENTERED A CLOUD AND SAW THE WATER START TO CONDENSE AND FREEZE. I NOTIFIED ATC I WAS TURNING AROUND AND RETURNING TO STS. THE CTLR CLRED ME TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT. I HAD PANICKED AND WAS NO LONGER THINKING CLRLY. I HAD MADE A TURN BUT NOT TO A SPECIFIC HEADING. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS, SO ASKED ATC IF I WAS HEADED BACK. I WAS HEADED OUT TO SEA. THEY GAVE ME A VECTOR BACK. I DID EXIT THE CLOUD AND WAS ONCE AGAIN BTWN LAYERS. THERE SEEMED TO BE A THIN LAYER OF ICE EVERYWHERE. ATC REQUESTED ME TO DSND TO 6000 FT OR CLB TO 7000 FT. I REFUSED AND STATED THAT I WOULD DECLARE AN EMER TO STAY WHERE I WAS. I NAVED BACK TO STS. I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS. I WAS GIVEN MY OWN NAV REQUIRING A PROC TURN. I DID NOT WANT TO TRAVERSE A CLOUD TWICE, BUT I HAD NOT COMMUNICATED THIS TO ATC. I WAS ABOUT TO INSIST ON A RADAR VECTOR TO FINAL SO I WOULD ONLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS ONCE. WHEN I PASSED OVER THE VOR, I NOTIFIED ATC THAT I HAD STS IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING TO SPIRAL DOWN. ATC APPROVED THE VISUAL APCH. ALL THE ICE WAS MELTED BY 5500 FT IN THE SPIRAL, I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32 AND LANDED. I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND INFORMED TO CONTACT THE ZOA SUPVR. IT WAS NOTED THAT I HAD NOT TOLD ATC ABOUT THE ICE AND THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO CLB AND DSND OR WHY I DECLARED AN EMER TO STAY AT A VFR ALT. THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT HIS CTLRS WERE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE ME. SUMMARY: I NEED TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE IN MY FLT PLANNING. THE CTLR DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE ICING SIT. DSNDING MADE EVERYTHING A LOT WORSE. I NEED TO COMMUNICATE BETTER SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND MY SIT.

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.

Low time instrument rated private pilot encounters icing on IFR flight plan. Became confused, declared emergency. With assistance of ARTCC diverted to another airport.