Narrative:

I was being vectored to intercept the localizer outside the outer on approach to runway 20L ILS pdk. Cloud tops at 4000 ft MSL. During descent to 3000 ft from 4000 ft, aircraft began to pick up rime at or about 3300 ft MSL. With no ice equipment on board, I asked to abandon approach and was cleared to do so and cleared back to 4000 ft. Upon reaching 4000 ft, aircraft was still in IMC and still picking up ice. Distraction by the ice, I climbed to 4400 ft before receiving another clearance to 5000 ft. I encountered visual conditions about 4800 ft and ice sublimated there. During the climb, aircraft was only getting +/-300 FPM climb and I was unable to comply with ATC heading of 340 degrees until VMC. I believe the aircraft had collected as much as 1 inch of rime along all leading edges and the windshield was iced from the dash up to the visors as well. ATC informed that no others had reported this condition on this day. I believe I made a good judgement call when I abandoned the approach, as I was already at MEA and still 3 mi from the next stepdown fix. I broke the altitude assignment because I was distraction by the severity of the situation. I was unable to comply with the 340 degree heading assignment due to decreased lift encountered during the turn and a real desire to return to VMC as soon as possible. Temperature at pdk was 4 degrees C, and I am troubled that rptedly no others had encountered ice while on descent. I am sure pdk had at least 100 lndgs prior to mine that day. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was very worried when finding himself in this situation since the ice built up so quickly. Since he had limited instrument flying experience, mostly in VMC training environment, he reacted to what he had been taught, which was to climb out of the ice since he knew he would be in the clouds for several mi. He stated that he had learned a lot from this experience and will be very respectful of possible icing in the future. He noted that there was another pilot shortly after he had climbed above the overcast that also reported ice and that most of the other pilots were several mi south of his location since they had DME and could make a straight-in approach without the need to circle to land, had not experienced any ice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER CHEROKEE ENTERED ICING CONDITIONS DURING TRANSITION FOR AN ILS APCH CAUSING RPTR TO ABANDON APCH AND REQUEST A HIGHER ALT. HE BECAME DISTR BY THE ACFT ICING, AND LOSS OF CLB PERFORMANCE, AND OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS BEING VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC OUTSIDE THE OUTER ON APCH TO RWY 20L ILS PDK. CLOUD TOPS AT 4000 FT MSL. DURING DSCNT TO 3000 FT FROM 4000 FT, ACFT BEGAN TO PICK UP RIME AT OR ABOUT 3300 FT MSL. WITH NO ICE EQUIP ON BOARD, I ASKED TO ABANDON APCH AND WAS CLRED TO DO SO AND CLRED BACK TO 4000 FT. UPON REACHING 4000 FT, ACFT WAS STILL IN IMC AND STILL PICKING UP ICE. DISTR BY THE ICE, I CLBED TO 4400 FT BEFORE RECEIVING ANOTHER CLRNC TO 5000 FT. I ENCOUNTERED VISUAL CONDITIONS ABOUT 4800 FT AND ICE SUBLIMATED THERE. DURING THE CLB, ACFT WAS ONLY GETTING +/-300 FPM CLB AND I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH ATC HDG OF 340 DEGS UNTIL VMC. I BELIEVE THE ACFT HAD COLLECTED AS MUCH AS 1 INCH OF RIME ALONG ALL LEADING EDGES AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS ICED FROM THE DASH UP TO THE VISORS AS WELL. ATC INFORMED THAT NO OTHERS HAD RPTED THIS CONDITION ON THIS DAY. I BELIEVE I MADE A GOOD JUDGEMENT CALL WHEN I ABANDONED THE APCH, AS I WAS ALREADY AT MEA AND STILL 3 MI FROM THE NEXT STEPDOWN FIX. I BROKE THE ALT ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE I WAS DISTR BY THE SEVERITY OF THE SIT. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE 340 DEG HDG ASSIGNMENT DUE TO DECREASED LIFT ENCOUNTERED DURING THE TURN AND A REAL DESIRE TO RETURN TO VMC ASAP. TEMP AT PDK WAS 4 DEGS C, AND I AM TROUBLED THAT RPTEDLY NO OTHERS HAD ENCOUNTERED ICE WHILE ON DSCNT. I AM SURE PDK HAD AT LEAST 100 LNDGS PRIOR TO MINE THAT DAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS VERY WORRIED WHEN FINDING HIMSELF IN THIS SIT SINCE THE ICE BUILT UP SO QUICKLY. SINCE HE HAD LIMITED INST FLYING EXPERIENCE, MOSTLY IN VMC TRAINING ENVIRONMENT, HE REACTED TO WHAT HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT, WHICH WAS TO CLB OUT OF THE ICE SINCE HE KNEW HE WOULD BE IN THE CLOUDS FOR SEVERAL MI. HE STATED THAT HE HAD LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND WILL BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF POSSIBLE ICING IN THE FUTURE. HE NOTED THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER PLT SHORTLY AFTER HE HAD CLBED ABOVE THE OVCST THAT ALSO RPTED ICE AND THAT MOST OF THE OTHER PLTS WERE SEVERAL MI S OF HIS LOCATION SINCE THEY HAD DME AND COULD MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH WITHOUT THE NEED TO CIRCLE TO LAND, HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY ICE.

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.