Narrative:

Called back about XA30Z to file a flight plan. FSS mentioned that they were getting reports of tops in the 7000 ft area (still above freezing level) and that the 6000 ft freezing level may be optimistic with ues reporting 5C, but it would probably be ok to file at 4000 ft. Asked passenger to monitor outside temperature gauge and watch for any signs of ice. WX was northerly winds in the tens with gusts to low 20's, 900 ft and 10 mi. Both vors tuned to bae at approximately expected heading (333 degrees). Departure control gave us a direct to bae and up to 4000 ft on initial call. Briefly centered both VOR receivers for comparison then set heading of #2 to 270 degrees and continued to track #1. Upon reaching cloud bases, there was visible moisture flowing up the windshield. In what seemed to be about the amount of time that it should take to get to badger, passenger moved cell phone from top of instrument panel to his lap, and reported outside air showing 32F degrees and ice accumulation on wing struts. Turbulence was greater than expected or previously experienced IFR. I saw a rapid movement of the needle on #1 VOR to the right peg, assumed I was near badger and turned to about 300 degrees for an intercept of the 270 degree heading for victor 2 to msn. Wanted to get level and stable on course so I could talk to ATC to get our of the ice, considering various courses of action. #2 VOR receiver still pegged to right, so kept turning right to hasten intercept. Indicated airspeed was erratic, but seemed to jump to reasonable readings at times. As I was trying to figure out what was working and what was not, was descending to maintain about 80 KIAS, checking frequencys, etc, I noticed artificial horizon was showing a steep bank to the right. Unfortunately, at first I didn't believe it. Had turned to about a 90 degree heading and I believe I lost about 700 ft. Decided to climb back relying on the artificial horizon and turn to a heading of 270 degrees toward better WX and gain try to get stable to work on the problems. Departure control called and questioned whether I knew I was supposed to be following vector 2. Still reluctant to declare an emergency until I could figure out exactly what was wrong, I told her I turned the wrong way but was now resuming heading and altitude. Why I said that I'm not sure. Eventually, leveled at 4000 ft and 270 degree heading. Was switched to either ZAU or madison approach. Warned ATC that my VOR receivers were not working, told of ice, asked for lower in the hopes that 3000 ft would be above freezing and hoped VOR reception would come back. Ice now about 1/2 inch on wing struts and leading edge. ATC advised that other pilots had found warmer WX on top, but I really did not want to continue IFR without VOR receivers, and knew I would eventually have to come back down through ice. Ice seemed to stop building at 3000 ft, but was not melting. Tried to tune 1 VOR to msn VOR, and finally noticed both vors were flagged. I asked ATC for a descent to VFR. She replied that the lowest I could go was 2700 ft without a published descent to an airport. We decided on an approach to msn and was given vectors for setting up the approach. En route to msn, while trying to maintain 2700 ft, I encountered an area of VFR conditions large enough to make a descent. Descended, called controller, told of descent, canceled IFR and asked for a departure from msn airspace to the north. Ice quickly melted and I made a normal landing at a nearby familiar and convenient small airport which was reporting 1100 ft and 10 mi. Waited for VFR conditions at ues, returned VFR but found that the vors then worked normally. Temperatures and ceilings never did reach the forecast on that day. Once problems were encountered, I got scared. Fear affected my ability to think, perform multiple tasks and therefore maintain complete control of the airplane. Be assured, I'll get with an instructor and get more practice, especially on emergency procedures, however, I don't know how to safely practice while scared. I should have better informed ATC of my problem when first encountered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT DURING AN IFR FLT ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS, CAUSING VARIOUS DEPS FROM ALT AND HDG.

Narrative: CALLED BACK ABOUT XA30Z TO FILE A FLT PLAN. FSS MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE GETTING RPTS OF TOPS IN THE 7000 FT AREA (STILL ABOVE FREEZING LEVEL) AND THAT THE 6000 FT FREEZING LEVEL MAY BE OPTIMISTIC WITH UES RPTING 5C, BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE OK TO FILE AT 4000 FT. ASKED PAX TO MONITOR OUTSIDE TEMP GAUGE AND WATCH FOR ANY SIGNS OF ICE. WX WAS NORTHERLY WINDS IN THE TENS WITH GUSTS TO LOW 20'S, 900 FT AND 10 MI. BOTH VORS TUNED TO BAE AT APPROX EXPECTED HDG (333 DEGS). DEP CTL GAVE US A DIRECT TO BAE AND UP TO 4000 FT ON INITIAL CALL. BRIEFLY CTRED BOTH VOR RECEIVERS FOR COMPARISON THEN SET HDG OF #2 TO 270 DEGS AND CONTINUED TO TRACK #1. UPON REACHING CLOUD BASES, THERE WAS VISIBLE MOISTURE FLOWING UP THE WINDSHIELD. IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT SHOULD TAKE TO GET TO BADGER, PAX MOVED CELL PHONE FROM TOP OF INST PANEL TO HIS LAP, AND RPTED OUTSIDE AIR SHOWING 32F DEGS AND ICE ACCUMULATION ON WING STRUTS. TURB WAS GREATER THAN EXPECTED OR PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED IFR. I SAW A RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE NEEDLE ON #1 VOR TO THE R PEG, ASSUMED I WAS NEAR BADGER AND TURNED TO ABOUT 300 DEGS FOR AN INTERCEPT OF THE 270 DEG HDG FOR VICTOR 2 TO MSN. WANTED TO GET LEVEL AND STABLE ON COURSE SO I COULD TALK TO ATC TO GET OUR OF THE ICE, CONSIDERING VARIOUS COURSES OF ACTION. #2 VOR RECEIVER STILL PEGGED TO R, SO KEPT TURNING R TO HASTEN INTERCEPT. INDICATED AIRSPD WAS ERRATIC, BUT SEEMED TO JUMP TO REASONABLE READINGS AT TIMES. AS I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WORKING AND WHAT WAS NOT, WAS DSNDING TO MAINTAIN ABOUT 80 KIAS, CHKING FREQS, ETC, I NOTICED ARTIFICIAL HORIZON WAS SHOWING A STEEP BANK TO THE R. UNFORTUNATELY, AT FIRST I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT. HAD TURNED TO ABOUT A 90 DEG HDG AND I BELIEVE I LOST ABOUT 700 FT. DECIDED TO CLB BACK RELYING ON THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS TOWARD BETTER WX AND GAIN TRY TO GET STABLE TO WORK ON THE PROBS. DEP CTL CALLED AND QUESTIONED WHETHER I KNEW I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING VECTOR 2. STILL RELUCTANT TO DECLARE AN EMER UNTIL I COULD FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG, I TOLD HER I TURNED THE WRONG WAY BUT WAS NOW RESUMING HDG AND ALT. WHY I SAID THAT I'M NOT SURE. EVENTUALLY, LEVELED AT 4000 FT AND 270 DEG HDG. WAS SWITCHED TO EITHER ZAU OR MADISON APCH. WARNED ATC THAT MY VOR RECEIVERS WERE NOT WORKING, TOLD OF ICE, ASKED FOR LOWER IN THE HOPES THAT 3000 FT WOULD BE ABOVE FREEZING AND HOPED VOR RECEPTION WOULD COME BACK. ICE NOW ABOUT 1/2 INCH ON WING STRUTS AND LEADING EDGE. ATC ADVISED THAT OTHER PLTS HAD FOUND WARMER WX ON TOP, BUT I REALLY DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE IFR WITHOUT VOR RECEIVERS, AND KNEW I WOULD EVENTUALLY HAVE TO COME BACK DOWN THROUGH ICE. ICE SEEMED TO STOP BUILDING AT 3000 FT, BUT WAS NOT MELTING. TRIED TO TUNE 1 VOR TO MSN VOR, AND FINALLY NOTICED BOTH VORS WERE FLAGGED. I ASKED ATC FOR A DSCNT TO VFR. SHE REPLIED THAT THE LOWEST I COULD GO WAS 2700 FT WITHOUT A PUBLISHED DSCNT TO AN ARPT. WE DECIDED ON AN APCH TO MSN AND WAS GIVEN VECTORS FOR SETTING UP THE APCH. ENRTE TO MSN, WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN 2700 FT, I ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF VFR CONDITIONS LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE A DSCNT. DSNDED, CALLED CTLR, TOLD OF DSCNT, CANCELED IFR AND ASKED FOR A DEP FROM MSN AIRSPACE TO THE N. ICE QUICKLY MELTED AND I MADE A NORMAL LNDG AT A NEARBY FAMILIAR AND CONVENIENT SMALL ARPT WHICH WAS RPTING 1100 FT AND 10 MI. WAITED FOR VFR CONDITIONS AT UES, RETURNED VFR BUT FOUND THAT THE VORS THEN WORKED NORMALLY. TEMPS AND CEILINGS NEVER DID REACH THE FORECAST ON THAT DAY. ONCE PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED, I GOT SCARED. FEAR AFFECTED MY ABILITY TO THINK, PERFORM MULTIPLE TASKS AND THEREFORE MAINTAIN COMPLETE CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. BE ASSURED, I'LL GET WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND GET MORE PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY ON EMER PROCS, HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAFELY PRACTICE WHILE SCARED. I SHOULD HAVE BETTER INFORMED ATC OF MY PROB WHEN FIRST ENCOUNTERED.

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.