Narrative:

Icing and IFR conditions experienced during descent on a VFR flight from rst to sky through jot resulting in a tower assisted landing at tol. On the morning of jan/wed/04, I was ready to leave the rochester, mn, area. I had spoken to the FAA WX briefer the night before and knew that an alberta clipper was going to pass through parts of my route of flight. I called the FAA briefer at XA00 and again at XB30. On the last call, I got the positive word that the skies were clearing and VFR flight was possible if I were to change my route to go south over joliet I was told that toledo (60 mi west of my arrival) was experiencing MVFR conditions, but that was expected to clear by XI00. I also checked the WX and graphics through the WX online and could see a line of clouds whose southern border ran over northern indiana and the edge of lake erie. I decided that I could drop south to fort wayne or columbus if problems arose en route. We departed rst at XC20. The skies were very clear and visibility was perhaps 50 mi. I requested flight following and filed for rst, jot sky at 9500 ft. As I flew I considered changing my courses to go direct to sky over lake michigan. I spoke with princeton flight service and was told that the WX north of joliet was poor and it would be wise to stay south of that point as planned. As I flew, a thin broken layer of clouds was at about 3000 ft and another layer between 5000 ft and 8000 ft. I was able to see to remain VFR easily. As I passed over joliet, I turned course to 99 degrees and headed direct to sandusky. The high level clouds over chicago were rapidly dropping away. At joliet, the clouds below appeared to be at about 5000 ft and were thicker, but still broken. I flew towards the big opening over south bend and visibility was very good. About 80 mi west of toledo, my flight following was xferred from chicago to ZOB. I began hearing pilots report about rime icing at 5000 ft and 8000 ft over areas that I did not recognize. I called flight watch and spoke with lansing radio. He confirmed that they were beginning to receive PIREPS of low level icing along my route, but that the icing seemed incidental in the reports, not significantly problematic. I asked for areas that were clear of any icing concerns and was given a few airports that were more than a hundred mi south of my location. At this point my passenger said he needed to use a restroom. It was just at sunset as I approached a large opening about 40 mi west of toledo. I called cleveland and told them I wanted to begin a descent from 11500 ft to 5500 ft. They acknowledged the change. As I dropped into the opening, the windshield began to cloud over with moisture and then everything appeared unusually white. I suspected that ice was also on the wings. Toledo FSS offered to give me an IFR clearance. I responded that I had not yet passed the IFR test and was hesitant to make any course changes that would affect my current course heading due to difficulty maneuvering. By this time, I was nearing 2500 ft. Toledo ATC told me that I was in an area of 2200 ft towers and could not descend any further. They asked if I wanted to declare an emergency. I answered no because the plane was still responding, but it was awkward. I stated that I needed a route of flight where I could descend below the cloud layer, which was causing the icing. Toledo ATC called back and said that the ceiling had dropped to about 1600 ft. He said that he was going to call the emergency. Since I was still icing in the clouds at 2500 ft, I had to agree that an emergency was a good idea. He directed me to turn to a certain course heading and altitude. I replied that I was no longer able to comply with his request for an immediate course correction as my aircraft was experiencing significant icing and that my maneuvering was poor. I attempted to make a standard rate turn from my current 100 degree heading back to a 270 degree heading. The plane wanted to roll over and in the next few seconds, I had gone into a strong bank. I allowed myself to lose altitude to gain more speed and pushed the throttle to full power to regain lift. As I regained level control, I was relieved tohave enough power to climb to 2200 ft as directed. At this point, the controller seemed to become much more patient. Unfortunately, I was now 13 mi east of tol, flying airspeed of 118 KTS with a ground speed of 93 KTS. About 4 mi from the airport, ATC said I could descend to 1600 ft. As I broke out at about 1800 ft, the accumulation of ice stopped immediately. My windscreen was iced over except for the bottom 2 inches, but that began to clear immediately on leaving the clouds. I could see the airport and in the minute it took to fly the remaining distance, my windscreen cleared completely and some of the stiffness began to come off the aircraft. I was able to complete a direct approach to the active runway 25 at tol. At the FBO, I learned that my wings still had about 3/16 inch of ice on the leading edge, about 1/8 on the struts and that the air intake was coated with ice. I learned that the airport had been socked into a sudden snowstorm about 60 mins earlier. When I checked the WX computer it seemed that tol was on the southern edge of a recent snowstorm. I checked an airport about 25 mi south and it was reporting VFR with 3200 ft broken and no snow. In hindsight, I obviously should have put down at south bend. Unfortunately once the windscreen iced over, my choices became very limited. The most dangerous part of my descent was during the icing accumulation, which was worst between 5500 ft and 1800 ft. While I believe that landing at toledo was a great decision, turning back and flying 13 mi in the clouds was a bad idea. I believe our safety may have been better served to have landed at an airport in my direction of flight. Since the icing began to clear as soon as I got below 1800 ft. I know that 'icing potential' is going to keep me grounded or distant in the future.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INFLT EMER INVOLVING A VFR C182 IN ICING IS HANDLED BY APCH CTLR FOR A LNDG AT TOL, OH.

Narrative: ICING AND IFR CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED DURING DSCNT ON A VFR FLT FROM RST TO SKY THROUGH JOT RESULTING IN A TWR ASSISTED LNDG AT TOL. ON THE MORNING OF JAN/WED/04, I WAS READY TO LEAVE THE ROCHESTER, MN, AREA. I HAD SPOKEN TO THE FAA WX BRIEFER THE NIGHT BEFORE AND KNEW THAT AN ALBERTA CLIPPER WAS GOING TO PASS THROUGH PARTS OF MY RTE OF FLT. I CALLED THE FAA BRIEFER AT XA00 AND AGAIN AT XB30. ON THE LAST CALL, I GOT THE POSITIVE WORD THAT THE SKIES WERE CLRING AND VFR FLT WAS POSSIBLE IF I WERE TO CHANGE MY RTE TO GO S OVER JOLIET I WAS TOLD THAT TOLEDO (60 MI W OF MY ARR) WAS EXPERIENCING MVFR CONDITIONS, BUT THAT WAS EXPECTED TO CLR BY XI00. I ALSO CHKED THE WX AND GRAPHICS THROUGH THE WX ONLINE AND COULD SEE A LINE OF CLOUDS WHOSE SOUTHERN BORDER RAN OVER NORTHERN INDIANA AND THE EDGE OF LAKE ERIE. I DECIDED THAT I COULD DROP S TO FORT WAYNE OR COLUMBUS IF PROBS AROSE ENRTE. WE DEPARTED RST AT XC20. THE SKIES WERE VERY CLR AND VISIBILITY WAS PERHAPS 50 MI. I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND FILED FOR RST, JOT SKY AT 9500 FT. AS I FLEW I CONSIDERED CHANGING MY COURSES TO GO DIRECT TO SKY OVER LAKE MICHIGAN. I SPOKE WITH PRINCETON FLT SVC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WX N OF JOLIET WAS POOR AND IT WOULD BE WISE TO STAY S OF THAT POINT AS PLANNED. AS I FLEW, A THIN BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS WAS AT ABOUT 3000 FT AND ANOTHER LAYER BTWN 5000 FT AND 8000 FT. I WAS ABLE TO SEE TO REMAIN VFR EASILY. AS I PASSED OVER JOLIET, I TURNED COURSE TO 99 DEGS AND HEADED DIRECT TO SANDUSKY. THE HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS OVER CHICAGO WERE RAPIDLY DROPPING AWAY. AT JOLIET, THE CLOUDS BELOW APPEARED TO BE AT ABOUT 5000 FT AND WERE THICKER, BUT STILL BROKEN. I FLEW TOWARDS THE BIG OPENING OVER SOUTH BEND AND VISIBILITY WAS VERY GOOD. ABOUT 80 MI W OF TOLEDO, MY FLT FOLLOWING WAS XFERRED FROM CHICAGO TO ZOB. I BEGAN HEARING PLTS RPT ABOUT RIME ICING AT 5000 FT AND 8000 FT OVER AREAS THAT I DID NOT RECOGNIZE. I CALLED FLT WATCH AND SPOKE WITH LANSING RADIO. HE CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE BEGINNING TO RECEIVE PIREPS OF LOW LEVEL ICING ALONG MY RTE, BUT THAT THE ICING SEEMED INCIDENTAL IN THE RPTS, NOT SIGNIFICANTLY PROBLEMATIC. I ASKED FOR AREAS THAT WERE CLR OF ANY ICING CONCERNS AND WAS GIVEN A FEW ARPTS THAT WERE MORE THAN A HUNDRED MI S OF MY LOCATION. AT THIS POINT MY PAX SAID HE NEEDED TO USE A RESTROOM. IT WAS JUST AT SUNSET AS I APCHED A LARGE OPENING ABOUT 40 MI W OF TOLEDO. I CALLED CLEVELAND AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO BEGIN A DSCNT FROM 11500 FT TO 5500 FT. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE CHANGE. AS I DROPPED INTO THE OPENING, THE WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO CLOUD OVER WITH MOISTURE AND THEN EVERYTHING APPEARED UNUSUALLY WHITE. I SUSPECTED THAT ICE WAS ALSO ON THE WINGS. TOLEDO FSS OFFERED TO GIVE ME AN IFR CLRNC. I RESPONDED THAT I HAD NOT YET PASSED THE IFR TEST AND WAS HESITANT TO MAKE ANY COURSE CHANGES THAT WOULD AFFECT MY CURRENT COURSE HEADING DUE TO DIFFICULTY MANEUVERING. BY THIS TIME, I WAS NEARING 2500 FT. TOLEDO ATC TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN AN AREA OF 2200 FT TWRS AND COULD NOT DSND ANY FURTHER. THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I ANSWERED NO BECAUSE THE PLANE WAS STILL RESPONDING, BUT IT WAS AWKWARD. I STATED THAT I NEEDED A RTE OF FLT WHERE I COULD DSND BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER, WHICH WAS CAUSING THE ICING. TOLEDO ATC CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT THE CEILING HAD DROPPED TO ABOUT 1600 FT. HE SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO CALL THE EMER. SINCE I WAS STILL ICING IN THE CLOUDS AT 2500 FT, I HAD TO AGREE THAT AN EMER WAS A GOOD IDEA. HE DIRECTED ME TO TURN TO A CERTAIN COURSE HDG AND ALT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO COMPLY WITH HIS REQUEST FOR AN IMMEDIATE COURSE CORRECTION AS MY ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT ICING AND THAT MY MANEUVERING WAS POOR. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A STANDARD RATE TURN FROM MY CURRENT 100 DEG HDG BACK TO A 270 DEG HDG. THE PLANE WANTED TO ROLL OVER AND IN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS, I HAD GONE INTO A STRONG BANK. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO LOSE ALT TO GAIN MORE SPD AND PUSHED THE THROTTLE TO FULL PWR TO REGAIN LIFT. AS I REGAINED LEVEL CTL, I WAS RELIEVED TOHAVE ENOUGH PWR TO CLB TO 2200 FT AS DIRECTED. AT THIS POINT, THE CTLR SEEMED TO BECOME MUCH MORE PATIENT. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS NOW 13 MI E OF TOL, FLYING AIRSPD OF 118 KTS WITH A GND SPD OF 93 KTS. ABOUT 4 MI FROM THE ARPT, ATC SAID I COULD DSND TO 1600 FT. AS I BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 1800 FT, THE ACCUMULATION OF ICE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. MY WINDSCREEN WAS ICED OVER EXCEPT FOR THE BOTTOM 2 INCHES, BUT THAT BEGAN TO CLR IMMEDIATELY ON LEAVING THE CLOUDS. I COULD SEE THE ARPT AND IN THE MINUTE IT TOOK TO FLY THE REMAINING DISTANCE, MY WINDSCREEN CLRED COMPLETELY AND SOME OF THE STIFFNESS BEGAN TO COME OFF THE ACFT. I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE A DIRECT APCH TO THE ACTIVE RWY 25 AT TOL. AT THE FBO, I LEARNED THAT MY WINGS STILL HAD ABOUT 3/16 INCH OF ICE ON THE LEADING EDGE, ABOUT 1/8 ON THE STRUTS AND THAT THE AIR INTAKE WAS COATED WITH ICE. I LEARNED THAT THE ARPT HAD BEEN SOCKED INTO A SUDDEN SNOWSTORM ABOUT 60 MINS EARLIER. WHEN I CHKED THE WX COMPUTER IT SEEMED THAT TOL WAS ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF A RECENT SNOWSTORM. I CHKED AN ARPT ABOUT 25 MI S AND IT WAS RPTING VFR WITH 3200 FT BROKEN AND NO SNOW. IN HINDSIGHT, I OBVIOUSLY SHOULD HAVE PUT DOWN AT SOUTH BEND. UNFORTUNATELY ONCE THE WINDSCREEN ICED OVER, MY CHOICES BECAME VERY LIMITED. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF MY DSCNT WAS DURING THE ICING ACCUMULATION, WHICH WAS WORST BTWN 5500 FT AND 1800 FT. WHILE I BELIEVE THAT LNDG AT TOLEDO WAS A GREAT DECISION, TURNING BACK AND FLYING 13 MI IN THE CLOUDS WAS A BAD IDEA. I BELIEVE OUR SAFETY MAY HAVE BEEN BETTER SERVED TO HAVE LANDED AT AN ARPT IN MY DIRECTION OF FLT. SINCE THE ICING BEGAN TO CLR AS SOON AS I GOT BELOW 1800 FT. I KNOW THAT 'ICING POTENTIAL' IS GOING TO KEEP ME GNDED OR DISTANT IN THE FUTURE.

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.