Narrative:

Flight from cvg to ugn for aircraft reposition, had just come from ord to cvg to retrieve personal aircraft. Checked WX in cvg operations prior to departure. Bases in ord area 1400 ft, tops at 5300 ft. Everything was fine until contact with ord approach and was told to descend to 4000 ft (into clouds, OAT about -8 degrees C). Experienced light airframe ice but enough propeller ice to cause mild vibration but significant loss of thrust. Requested and received 6000 ft (in the clear). Was subsequently given reports of other aircraft operating at 4000 ft with no reported ice but I insisted on maintaining VFR on top and initiating ILS into ugn from that altitude -- starting with a now ice free aircraft. It is very difficult to operate IFR in the ord area. All non airliners are pushed way down low over the lake at a very great distance from the field. Very few routing and altitude choices are available to GA aircraft. I'd like to see greater flexibility in altitudes and routing available to GA aircraft operating into and out of satellite airports. It's very scary to be so far out to sea at such a low altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ACFT ENCOUNTERED ICING AT THE ALT HE WAS CLRED TO. PLT IS NOT HAPPY FLYING OVER LAKE MICHIGAN AT A LOW ALT, SO FAR FROM SHORE.

Narrative: FLT FROM CVG TO UGN FOR ACFT REPOSITION, HAD JUST COME FROM ORD TO CVG TO RETRIEVE PERSONAL ACFT. CHKED WX IN CVG OPS PRIOR TO DEP. BASES IN ORD AREA 1400 FT, TOPS AT 5300 FT. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL CONTACT WITH ORD APCH AND WAS TOLD TO DSND TO 4000 FT (INTO CLOUDS, OAT ABOUT -8 DEGS C). EXPERIENCED LIGHT AIRFRAME ICE BUT ENOUGH PROP ICE TO CAUSE MILD VIBRATION BUT SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF THRUST. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED 6000 FT (IN THE CLR). WAS SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN RPTS OF OTHER ACFT OPERATING AT 4000 FT WITH NO RPTED ICE BUT I INSISTED ON MAINTAINING VFR ON TOP AND INITIATING ILS INTO UGN FROM THAT ALT -- STARTING WITH A NOW ICE FREE ACFT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE IFR IN THE ORD AREA. ALL NON AIRLINERS ARE PUSHED WAY DOWN LOW OVER THE LAKE AT A VERY GREAT DISTANCE FROM THE FIELD. VERY FEW ROUTING AND ALT CHOICES ARE AVAILABLE TO GA ACFT. I'D LIKE TO SEE GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN ALTS AND ROUTING AVAILABLE TO GA ACFT OPERATING INTO AND OUT OF SATELLITE ARPTS. IT'S VERY SCARY TO BE SO FAR OUT TO SEA AT SUCH A LOW ALT.

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.