BE55 pilot forced to declare emergency upon entering clouds and icing on departure from las when L30...

Attributes
ACN	580055
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Baron 55/Cochise
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : on vectors departure : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	580055
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : l30.tracon

Narrative:

I flew VFR out of las around XA00. I had been calling FSS all day waiting for the WX to get a little better. Las finally had scattered layers and was almost clear for my route. I took off runway 1 and I had been given a clearance to turn to 270 degrees. After takeoff, I requested a turn to the south and the controller said he could not give that to me yet. Around 8000 ft, I was just below a cloud layer and requested a lower altitude because I was VFR and I would be entering a cloud, not to mention the outside temperature. The same controller said no, he could not give me lower, and to maintain 8000 ft and the same heading. Again, I asked for a south turn to stay out of the cloud and he said he could not give this to me because of traffic landing on runway 1 and to maintain at least 8000 ft and the same heading. He was flying me closer and closer to the western mountains around las. I know the area well and knew there was not a terrain issue, only WX. I then found myself in the cloud with water droplets flying past me. The temperature was below freezing and I turned my ice lights on to view the wing. I now told the same controller that I was in the clouds and was worried about icing up the airplane. Again, he refused any diversion. After another short time, I could see a thin line of ice forming on my boots. Now I was quite scared and asked for a direction/altitude change again because the airplane was icing up. He refused, so I felt I had no choice but to declare an emergency. I remember reading many articles about airplanes like mine waiting too long to declare an emergency. In fact, an airliner came on the radio and told the controller he had plenty of fuel so he could divert him to let me go down before I declared an emergency. Another airliner reported his radar showed a cell had evolved in the same area as me and asked to be vectored around it. I was handed off to center and he asked me if I was IFR rated. I said yes, so they gave me a clearance to hector VOR. I was now making a fast descent to VFR conditions (8000 ft clear) and sbound to the lowest terrain around the highway. I told center that my emergency was over as I was back in VFR conditions and canceled IFR. The sky was clear the remaining portion of the trip. I think that controller should re-think his obligation to GA pilots.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE55 PLT FORCED TO DECLARE EMER UPON ENTERING CLOUDS AND ICING ON DEP FROM LAS WHEN L30 CTLR DOES NOT ALLOW HDG OR ALT CHANGES.

Narrative: I FLEW VFR OUT OF LAS AROUND XA00. I HAD BEEN CALLING FSS ALL DAY WAITING FOR THE WX TO GET A LITTLE BETTER. LAS FINALLY HAD SCATTERED LAYERS AND WAS ALMOST CLR FOR MY RTE. I TOOK OFF RWY 1 AND I HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO TURN TO 270 DEGS. AFTER TKOF, I REQUESTED A TURN TO THE S AND THE CTLR SAID HE COULD NOT GIVE THAT TO ME YET. AROUND 8000 FT, I WAS JUST BELOW A CLOUD LAYER AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALT BECAUSE I WAS VFR AND I WOULD BE ENTERING A CLOUD, NOT TO MENTION THE OUTSIDE TEMP. THE SAME CTLR SAID NO, HE COULD NOT GIVE ME LOWER, AND TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT AND THE SAME HDG. AGAIN, I ASKED FOR A S TURN TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUD AND HE SAID HE COULD NOT GIVE THIS TO ME BECAUSE OF TFC LNDG ON RWY 1 AND TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 8000 FT AND THE SAME HDG. HE WAS FLYING ME CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AROUND LAS. I KNOW THE AREA WELL AND KNEW THERE WAS NOT A TERRAIN ISSUE, ONLY WX. I THEN FOUND MYSELF IN THE CLOUD WITH WATER DROPLETS FLYING PAST ME. THE TEMP WAS BELOW FREEZING AND I TURNED MY ICE LIGHTS ON TO VIEW THE WING. I NOW TOLD THE SAME CTLR THAT I WAS IN THE CLOUDS AND WAS WORRIED ABOUT ICING UP THE AIRPLANE. AGAIN, HE REFUSED ANY DIVERSION. AFTER ANOTHER SHORT TIME, I COULD SEE A THIN LINE OF ICE FORMING ON MY BOOTS. NOW I WAS QUITE SCARED AND ASKED FOR A DIRECTION/ALT CHANGE AGAIN BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE WAS ICING UP. HE REFUSED, SO I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DECLARE AN EMER. I REMEMBER READING MANY ARTICLES ABOUT AIRPLANES LIKE MINE WAITING TOO LONG TO DECLARE AN EMER. IN FACT, AN AIRLINER CAME ON THE RADIO AND TOLD THE CTLR HE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL SO HE COULD DIVERT HIM TO LET ME GO DOWN BEFORE I DECLARED AN EMER. ANOTHER AIRLINER RPTED HIS RADAR SHOWED A CELL HAD EVOLVED IN THE SAME AREA AS ME AND ASKED TO BE VECTORED AROUND IT. I WAS HANDED OFF TO CTR AND HE ASKED ME IF I WAS IFR RATED. I SAID YES, SO THEY GAVE ME A CLRNC TO HECTOR VOR. I WAS NOW MAKING A FAST DSCNT TO VFR CONDITIONS (8000 FT CLR) AND SBOUND TO THE LOWEST TERRAIN AROUND THE HWY. I TOLD CTR THAT MY EMER WAS OVER AS I WAS BACK IN VFR CONDITIONS AND CANCELED IFR. THE SKY WAS CLR THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE TRIP. I THINK THAT CTLR SHOULD RE-THINK HIS OBLIGATION TO GA PLTS.

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.

BE55 pilot forced to declare emergency upon entering clouds and icing on departure from las when L30 controller does not allow heading or altitude changes.