Narrative:

Twenty minutes into a tour, I turned back to the airport. I began to see the WX deteriorating on the west route. I looked to the south where the route continued, the WX in that area was IMC at best. I found that I was completely surrounded by IMC, and this took place within minutes. I found a way to get back to the airport and I proceeded. I found I was having to descend lower to stay in VMC. The WX closed in and I was now in IMC. This took at most five minutes. I went onto instruments and executed a 180 degree turn to go back to VMC and found only IMC. At this time I started a climb to 10000 ft MSL (2500 ft AGL) and contacted ZZZ1 tower and declared an emergency requesting vectors to VMC, requesting ZZZ2 or ZZZ3, knowing that VMC would be present. ZZZ1 instructed me to climb to 10500 ft and call center. Center instructed me to climb to 11500 ft. I found that I was picking up trace amounts of icing and notified them of this. I was at 11500 ft for about 10 minutes when center handed me off and gave me a clearance to ZZZ2 and an updated vector of 025 degrees. Center requested I go to 12500 ft for warmer air. At 11800 ft, I was picking up ice rapidly. I requested a lower altitude for icing and center gave me 11500 ft to 10000 ft. The icing issue was dealt with. After about a total of 30 minutes in the soup, I broke out of the clouds 3 miles west of ZZZ2 airport and I cancelled the emergency and made way for the airport. This was the time that I had to hold myself together and focus on my flying. I started to feel a bit of panic in my voice and knew that this was not a state I wanted to be in to fly the airplane. I calmed myself down and fell back into my basic instrument flying and felt rusty, but knew that I can get out of this. The WX was a major factor in that it changed so rapidly without warning. All day the WX was holding and stable so I elected to do one more run. The WX held VMC on the way out and then just began to drop while my back was turned. I knew that I was in trouble and I did not hesitate to ask for help and to CCC (climb, communication, and confess). I was out there by myself and I wanted a team to get me out. I know that they are there to help and I took full advantage of their services. I am now a bit more judgemental of the WX out here and wary of the change and the speed of it. I question myself now and when I ask myself, 'well I think I can make it.' that means no.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C207 PLT ON AN AIR TOUR BECAME IMC WITH ICING. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A SUCCESSFUL IFR VECTORED DIVERSION TO A VMC ARPT.

Narrative: TWENTY MINUTES INTO A TOUR, I TURNED BACK TO THE ARPT. I BEGAN TO SEE THE WX DETERIORATING ON THE W RTE. I LOOKED TO THE S WHERE THE RTE CONTINUED, THE WX IN THAT AREA WAS IMC AT BEST. I FOUND THAT I WAS COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY IMC, AND THIS TOOK PLACE WITHIN MINUTES. I FOUND A WAY TO GET BACK TO THE ARPT AND I PROCEEDED. I FOUND I WAS HAVING TO DSND LOWER TO STAY IN VMC. THE WX CLOSED IN AND I WAS NOW IN IMC. THIS TOOK AT MOST FIVE MINUTES. I WENT ONTO INSTRUMENTS AND EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN TO GO BACK TO VMC AND FOUND ONLY IMC. AT THIS TIME I STARTED A CLB TO 10000 FT MSL (2500 FT AGL) AND CONTACTED ZZZ1 TWR AND DECLARED AN EMER REQUESTING VECTORS TO VMC, REQUESTING ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3, KNOWING THAT VMC WOULD BE PRESENT. ZZZ1 INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB TO 10500 FT AND CALL CTR. CTR INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB TO 11500 FT. I FOUND THAT I WAS PICKING UP TRACE AMOUNTS OF ICING AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THIS. I WAS AT 11500 FT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHEN CTR HANDED ME OFF AND GAVE ME A CLRNC TO ZZZ2 AND AN UPDATED VECTOR OF 025 DEGS. CTR REQUESTED I GO TO 12500 FT FOR WARMER AIR. AT 11800 FT, I WAS PICKING UP ICE RAPIDLY. I REQUESTED A LOWER ALT FOR ICING AND CTR GAVE ME 11500 FT TO 10000 FT. THE ICING ISSUE WAS DEALT WITH. AFTER ABOUT A TOTAL OF 30 MINUTES IN THE SOUP, I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS 3 MILES W OF ZZZ2 ARPT AND I CANCELLED THE EMER AND MADE WAY FOR THE ARPT. THIS WAS THE TIME THAT I HAD TO HOLD MYSELF TOGETHER AND FOCUS ON MY FLYING. I STARTED TO FEEL A BIT OF PANIC IN MY VOICE AND KNEW THAT THIS WAS NOT A STATE I WANTED TO BE IN TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. I CALMED MYSELF DOWN AND FELL BACK INTO MY BASIC INSTRUMENT FLYING AND FELT RUSTY, BUT KNEW THAT I CAN GET OUT OF THIS. THE WX WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THAT IT CHANGED SO RAPIDLY WITHOUT WARNING. ALL DAY THE WX WAS HOLDING AND STABLE SO I ELECTED TO DO ONE MORE RUN. THE WX HELD VMC ON THE WAY OUT AND THEN JUST BEGAN TO DROP WHILE MY BACK WAS TURNED. I KNEW THAT I WAS IN TROUBLE AND I DID NOT HESITATE TO ASK FOR HELP AND TO CCC (CLB, COM, AND CONFESS). I WAS OUT THERE BY MYSELF AND I WANTED A TEAM TO GET ME OUT. I KNOW THAT THEY ARE THERE TO HELP AND I TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THEIR SERVICES. I AM NOW A BIT MORE JUDGEMENTAL OF THE WX OUT HERE AND WARY OF THE CHANGE AND THE SPD OF IT. I QUESTION MYSELF NOW AND WHEN I ASK MYSELF, 'WELL I THINK I CAN MAKE IT.' THAT MEANS NO.

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.