Pilot of a mooney, M20P, declared an emergency due to aircraft icing of the airframe and pitot tube ...

Attributes
ACN	465404
Time
Date	200003
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	465404
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : airspeed ind other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

IFR flight plan from sjc to smo changed by ATC to vny during flight. Flight conditions for the flight were in and out of clouds. At 9000 ft over fim VOR in IMC, new clearance to vny was received. At the same time what had been only frost or trace ice during the course of the flight changed to rapid accumulation of ice on wings and propeller. Also lost the airspeed indicator, went to zero, because of blocked pitot tube. Declared emergency because of concern over stall condition with no airspeed or visual reference and began rapid descent with ATC vector to south and lower terrain. In troubleshooting the problem I realized the pitot heat had not been turned back on upon re-entering clouds. Turing on pitot heat and descending below 5000 ft brought up airspeed indicator and shed airframe icing. Able to proceed from santa paula on new vector for lda approach to vny. Problem was a combination of pilot error (no pitot heat) caused by distraction of new clearance and significant change in icing conditions compared to earlier portion of the flight. Currency and a lower coastal routing would prevent a recurrence of the event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A MOONEY, M20P, DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO ACFT ICING OF THE AIRFRAME AND PITOT TUBE CAUSING LOSS OF AIRSPD AND ACFT PERFORMANCE.

Narrative: IFR FLT PLAN FROM SJC TO SMO CHANGED BY ATC TO VNY DURING FLT. FLT CONDITIONS FOR THE FLT WERE IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. AT 9000 FT OVER FIM VOR IN IMC, NEW CLRNC TO VNY WAS RECEIVED. AT THE SAME TIME WHAT HAD BEEN ONLY FROST OR TRACE ICE DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLT CHANGED TO RAPID ACCUMULATION OF ICE ON WINGS AND PROP. ALSO LOST THE AIRSPD INDICATOR, WENT TO ZERO, BECAUSE OF BLOCKED PITOT TUBE. DECLARED EMER BECAUSE OF CONCERN OVER STALL CONDITION WITH NO AIRSPD OR VISUAL REF AND BEGAN RAPID DSCNT WITH ATC VECTOR TO S AND LOWER TERRAIN. IN TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB I REALIZED THE PITOT HEAT HAD NOT BEEN TURNED BACK ON UPON RE-ENTERING CLOUDS. TURING ON PITOT HEAT AND DSNDING BELOW 5000 FT BROUGHT UP AIRSPD INDICATOR AND SHED AIRFRAME ICING. ABLE TO PROCEED FROM SANTA PAULA ON NEW VECTOR FOR LDA APCH TO VNY. PROB WAS A COMBINATION OF PLT ERROR (NO PITOT HEAT) CAUSED BY DISTR OF NEW CLRNC AND SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN ICING CONDITIONS COMPARED TO EARLIER PORTION OF THE FLT. CURRENCY AND A LOWER COASTAL ROUTING WOULD PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THE EVENT.

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.

Pilot of a mooney, M20P, declared an emergency due to aircraft icing of the airframe and pitot tube causing loss of airspeed and aircraft performance.