<< >> NASA ASRS Report 499280, January 2001

MO20 pilot concerned with lack of WX information in his flight planned area, encountering icing and diverting to another airport.

Attributes
ACN	499280
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apa.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	499280
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

IFR, 12000 ft, msp-apa. WX briefing and flight watch reports clear, scattered high clouds, on top or in clear until 50-75 mi northeast apa. Beginning descent into den/apa, picked up light to moderate ice from 11000 ft to 8000 ft. Controller had no base reports, no reports of ice. Apa WX was 7000 ft scattered, 10000 ft scattered. Rather than continue, requested 180 degree turn and climb to on top. On top T 12000 ft, continued east to landing VFR at lbf. If better PIREPS of localized conditions, of tops, bases and icing, route could have been planned to avoid icing encounter. After landing and checking WX, only PIREPS filed were mine, even though frequency had many planes in area. Airmen's meteorological information for widespread light to moderate icing not useful since 95% flight had very few clouds/precipitation. Majority of WX was west of denver and mountains not in my flight path.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MO20 PLT CONCERNED WITH LACK OF WX INFO IN HIS FLT PLANNED AREA, ENCOUNTERING ICING AND DIVERTING TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: IFR, 12000 FT, MSP-APA. WX BRIEFING AND FLT WATCH RPTS CLR, SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDS, ON TOP OR IN CLR UNTIL 50-75 MI NE APA. BEGINNING DSCNT INTO DEN/APA, PICKED UP LIGHT TO MODERATE ICE FROM 11000 FT TO 8000 FT. CTLR HAD NO BASE RPTS, NO RPTS OF ICE. APA WX WAS 7000 FT SCATTERED, 10000 FT SCATTERED. RATHER THAN CONTINUE, REQUESTED 180 DEG TURN AND CLB TO ON TOP. ON TOP T 12000 FT, CONTINUED E TO LNDG VFR AT LBF. IF BETTER PIREPS OF LOCALIZED CONDITIONS, OF TOPS, BASES AND ICING, RTE COULD HAVE BEEN PLANNED TO AVOID ICING ENCOUNTER. AFTER LNDG AND CHKING WX, ONLY PIREPS FILED WERE MINE, EVEN THOUGH FREQ HAD MANY PLANES IN AREA. AIRMEN'S METEOROLOGICAL INFO FOR WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE ICING NOT USEFUL SINCE 95% FLT HAD VERY FEW CLOUDS/PRECIP. MAJORITY OF WX WAS W OF DENVER AND MOUNTAINS NOT IN MY FLT PATH.

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.