Narrative:

We were conducting a flight from saratoga, ny (5b2) to ithaca, ny (ith) under IFR. The majority of the flight was at 10000 ft, well above the cloud layer. The ith ATIS information was reporting 2000 ft overcast, and the cloud tops were at approximately 6500 ft. During the flight, I queried the ith tower to ask a departing flight what the icing situation was. The pilot of the departing flight reported 'trace to light icing during climb.' the syracuse approach controller cleared us to descend to 6000 ft and handed us off to the elmira approach controller, who controls approachs into ithaca. The elmira controller cleared us to 3600 ft. In the descent from 6000 ft to 3600 ft, which took less than 5 mins, we collected what I considered to be an alarming amount of mixed ice. I requested the shortest possible approach from elmira approach, and they accommodated me perfectly, with a vector to just outside the OM on the ILS, and a turn onto the localizer. No emergency was declared, however, elmira contacted the ith crash fire rescue equipment team, and asked them to roll the fire equipment as a precaution. A normal landing was made without incident. Several things can be learned from my experience: 1) flight into potential icing conditions is hazardous and should be avoided. 2) I was almost certainly overreacting with my urgency and obvious distress on the radio. In retrospect, only about 1/4 inch of ice had accumulated, absolutely no degradation of performance was noted, and the approach was flown perfectly. 3) despite the report of 'trace to light' icing, much more severe icing may be encountered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATION, A C210 PLT RPTED THAT THE ITH TWR REQUESTED CFR STAND BY DURING HIS LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE CONDUCTING A FLT FROM SARATOGA, NY (5B2) TO ITHACA, NY (ITH) UNDER IFR. THE MAJORITY OF THE FLT WAS AT 10000 FT, WELL ABOVE THE CLOUD LAYER. THE ITH ATIS INFO WAS RPTING 2000 FT OVCST, AND THE CLOUD TOPS WERE AT APPROX 6500 FT. DURING THE FLT, I QUERIED THE ITH TWR TO ASK A DEPARTING FLT WHAT THE ICING SIT WAS. THE PLT OF THE DEPARTING FLT RPTED 'TRACE TO LIGHT ICING DURING CLB.' THE SYRACUSE APCH CTLR CLRED US TO DSND TO 6000 FT AND HANDED US OFF TO THE ELMIRA APCH CTLR, WHO CTLS APCHS INTO ITHACA. THE ELMIRA CTLR CLRED US TO 3600 FT. IN THE DSCNT FROM 6000 FT TO 3600 FT, WHICH TOOK LESS THAN 5 MINS, WE COLLECTED WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE AN ALARMING AMOUNT OF MIXED ICE. I REQUESTED THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE APCH FROM ELMIRA APCH, AND THEY ACCOMMODATED ME PERFECTLY, WITH A VECTOR TO JUST OUTSIDE THE OM ON THE ILS, AND A TURN ONTO THE LOC. NO EMER WAS DECLARED, HOWEVER, ELMIRA CONTACTED THE ITH CFR TEAM, AND ASKED THEM TO ROLL THE FIRE EQUIP AS A PRECAUTION. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. SEVERAL THINGS CAN BE LEARNED FROM MY EXPERIENCE: 1) FLT INTO POTENTIAL ICING CONDITIONS IS HAZARDOUS AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED. 2) I WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY OVERREACTING WITH MY URGENCY AND OBVIOUS DISTRESS ON THE RADIO. IN RETROSPECT, ONLY ABOUT 1/4 INCH OF ICE HAD ACCUMULATED, ABSOLUTELY NO DEGRADATION OF PERFORMANCE WAS NOTED, AND THE APCH WAS FLOWN PERFECTLY. 3) DESPITE THE RPT OF 'TRACE TO LIGHT' ICING, MUCH MORE SEVERE ICING MAY BE 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.