Narrative:

On the evening of dec/fri/01, I rented a piper PA28-181 archer from sql to fly down to myf for the wkend. I checked the WX, and they said that there was an airmet for occasional moderate turbulence, and rime ice in certain areas. The plane is IFR-capable, and is equipped with a GPS. I also brought my garmin 295 VFR GPS. I had 1 passenger, and 2 15-pound bags on the back seat. I left at XA00. 5 mins into my flight, I started leaning the mixture in order to get the best gas mileage and avoid plug fouling. My GPS showed my ground speed to be very fast (140 KTS) due to a strong tailwind. The wind was coming from the northwest. About 2 hours later, I was starting to cross the grapevine. My altitude was 9500 ft and the RPM was at about 2600 ft. It was very dark, and I was noticing that I was VFR on top. Told socal approach that I was concerned about the altitude and poor visibility. Asked him for suggested vectors to clear altitude, and to keep an eye on me. Due to the grapevines, I decided to attempt climbing higher to 11500 ft. The clouds were about 1000 ft below me. As I started my climb, I quickly noticed that my attitude indicator was about 2-3 bars above the horizon, yet I was not able to climb, even though my throttle was at full power. I looked at the RPM, and I noticed that it was down to 2400 RPM's at full power. My vertical speed was descending progressively faster and faster. I leveled the wings and attempted to maintain altitude. Reported the problem to socal, and asked them for the closest airport. I believe I was debating whether to go to general fox, but another plane told us that the winds were at 34 KTS, gusting to 45 KTS. ATC suggested bakersfield. Now I was descending a little more, but slowly. I reported the problem. Very quickly, I ended up in the clouds that were under before, placing me in IMC. ATC gave me vectors to bakersfield and suggested to apply best forward speed. I toggled the carburetor heat, and turned the pitot heat on. About 1 min later, I was still descending, and my airspeed oscillated from 100 KTS up to vne. I reported the observation. I used my GPS to determine what my ground speed was since my airspeed indicator was inoperative. I then realized that I had icing on both ends of the pitot tube. Then, the engine started making very concerning noises -- it sounded exactly like it would when one performs a run-up and checks the magnetos and encounters a very fouled plug. This noise came and went at least...were still in front of me, and that those downdrafts would have been on the other side of the mountain, and not where I was. I believe that the absolute professionalism of ATC saved my life and my passenger's. They were so calm (and spoke calmly) and they were determined to get me out of this mess. That calmness was contagious. It increased my confidence and it calmed me down quite a bit. Every time ATC spoke to me, I could feel my fear level subside. Also, thinking back, I kept asking for a closer airport, and I'm very glad that they did not take me to one of those unlit runways, because to add insult to injury, my landing light was also inoperative! Instead, they decided to take me to a long and well-lit runway, away from the dangerous and obscured terrain where I was. My GPS was very helpful, too, as it reduced a lot of my workload by showing me my ground speed. I also used it to doublechk to make sure that my altimeter was still working properly.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT, NOT INST RATED, FLEW AT NIGHT INTO IMC ICING CONDITIONS IN ZLA CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF DEC/FRI/01, I RENTED A PIPER PA28-181 ARCHER FROM SQL TO FLY DOWN TO MYF FOR THE WKEND. I CHKED THE WX, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB, AND RIME ICE IN CERTAIN AREAS. THE PLANE IS IFR-CAPABLE, AND IS EQUIPPED WITH A GPS. I ALSO BROUGHT MY GARMIN 295 VFR GPS. I HAD 1 PAX, AND 2 15-LB BAGS ON THE BACK SEAT. I LEFT AT XA00. 5 MINS INTO MY FLT, I STARTED LEANING THE MIXTURE IN ORDER TO GET THE BEST GAS MILEAGE AND AVOID PLUG FOULING. MY GPS SHOWED MY GND SPD TO BE VERY FAST (140 KTS) DUE TO A STRONG TAILWIND. THE WIND WAS COMING FROM THE NW. ABOUT 2 HRS LATER, I WAS STARTING TO CROSS THE GRAPEVINE. MY ALT WAS 9500 FT AND THE RPM WAS AT ABOUT 2600 FT. IT WAS VERY DARK, AND I WAS NOTICING THAT I WAS VFR ON TOP. TOLD SOCAL APCH THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ALT AND POOR VISIBILITY. ASKED HIM FOR SUGGESTED VECTORS TO CLR ALT, AND TO KEEP AN EYE ON ME. DUE TO THE GRAPEVINES, I DECIDED TO ATTEMPT CLBING HIGHER TO 11500 FT. THE CLOUDS WERE ABOUT 1000 FT BELOW ME. AS I STARTED MY CLB, I QUICKLY NOTICED THAT MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS ABOUT 2-3 BARS ABOVE THE HORIZON, YET I WAS NOT ABLE TO CLB, EVEN THOUGH MY THROTTLE WAS AT FULL PWR. I LOOKED AT THE RPM, AND I NOTICED THAT IT WAS DOWN TO 2400 RPM'S AT FULL PWR. MY VERT SPD WAS DSNDING PROGRESSIVELY FASTER AND FASTER. I LEVELED THE WINGS AND ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN ALT. RPTED THE PROB TO SOCAL, AND ASKED THEM FOR THE CLOSEST ARPT. I BELIEVE I WAS DEBATING WHETHER TO GO TO GENERAL FOX, BUT ANOTHER PLANE TOLD US THAT THE WINDS WERE AT 34 KTS, GUSTING TO 45 KTS. ATC SUGGESTED BAKERSFIELD. NOW I WAS DSNDING A LITTLE MORE, BUT SLOWLY. I RPTED THE PROB. VERY QUICKLY, I ENDED UP IN THE CLOUDS THAT WERE UNDER BEFORE, PLACING ME IN IMC. ATC GAVE ME VECTORS TO BAKERSFIELD AND SUGGESTED TO APPLY BEST FORWARD SPD. I TOGGLED THE CARB HEAT, AND TURNED THE PITOT HEAT ON. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, I WAS STILL DSNDING, AND MY AIRSPD OSCILLATED FROM 100 KTS UP TO VNE. I RPTED THE OBSERVATION. I USED MY GPS TO DETERMINE WHAT MY GND SPD WAS SINCE MY AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS INOP. I THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD ICING ON BOTH ENDS OF THE PITOT TUBE. THEN, THE ENG STARTED MAKING VERY CONCERNING NOISES -- IT SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE IT WOULD WHEN ONE PERFORMS A RUN-UP AND CHKS THE MAGNETOS AND ENCOUNTERS A VERY FOULED PLUG. THIS NOISE CAME AND WENT AT LEAST...WERE STILL IN FRONT OF ME, AND THAT THOSE DOWNDRAFTS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, AND NOT WHERE I WAS. I BELIEVE THAT THE ABSOLUTE PROFESSIONALISM OF ATC SAVED MY LIFE AND MY PAX'S. THEY WERE SO CALM (AND SPOKE CALMLY) AND THEY WERE DETERMINED TO GET ME OUT OF THIS MESS. THAT CALMNESS WAS CONTAGIOUS. IT INCREASED MY CONFIDENCE AND IT CALMED ME DOWN QUITE A BIT. EVERY TIME ATC SPOKE TO ME, I COULD FEEL MY FEAR LEVEL SUBSIDE. ALSO, THINKING BACK, I KEPT ASKING FOR A CLOSER ARPT, AND I'M VERY GLAD THAT THEY DID NOT TAKE ME TO ONE OF THOSE UNLIT RWYS, BECAUSE TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, MY LNDG LIGHT WAS ALSO INOP! INSTEAD, THEY DECIDED TO TAKE ME TO A LONG AND WELL-LIT RWY, AWAY FROM THE DANGEROUS AND OBSCURED TERRAIN WHERE I WAS. MY GPS WAS VERY HELPFUL, TOO, AS IT REDUCED A LOT OF MY WORKLOAD BY SHOWING ME MY GND SPD. I ALSO USED IT TO DOUBLECHK TO MAKE SURE THAT MY ALTIMETER WAS STILL WORKING PROPERLY.

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.