Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan for a flight that I've made about two dozen times in the last 12 months. I was familiar with my route and with my destination. Until a few mi from my destination; I was on top of a solid undercast with blue sky above. En route; flight watch forecast likely light rain at my destination. There was the possibility of some ice moving in later; but no forecast or PIREPS for ice. Descending into the clouds at about 5000 ft about 40 mi out; with destination wind 360 degrees at 18 KTS; gusting to 26 KTS; seven mi visibility; with few clouds at 800 ft; 1300 ft and 2600 ft overcast; and about 32 degrees at my altitude; I experienced no ice. I was setting up for GPS runway 36 at my destination when ZMP reported below 1/4 mi visibility and an indefinite ceiling with snow; so I set up for ILS runway 28 instead; thinking that the snow would be intermittent and probably short-lived. After crossing the IAF and some ways down the GS on my descent; there was suddenly a big bump of turbulence; and then tower called to tell me that they would transmit continuous wind conditions; which had become a direct crosswind from 350-010 degrees at 30-33 KTS. I continued onward; concentrating on keeping my plane on the localizer and GS. I looked up and realized that my windshield was covered with ice; and glanced at my mirror and leading edges; and realized that they were covered with bumpy; spiky mixed ice. I glanced at the OAT; and thought it said below 0 degrees F; although that didn't seem to make sense. I was trying to analyze that when I glanced at my gem (graphic engine monitor) and saw the cylinder #6 exhaust gas temperature was very high and hadn't come down with the others. I called tower for current conditions and to my dismay they reported an unchanged 1/4 mi with indefinite ceiling with snow. At this point; with the high egt and the ice that had accumulated; I decided against a go around and committed to landing. I didn't want to take the chance of accumulating more ice; perhaps to the point that the plane couldn't fly; especially with a potential engine problem. I flew to the right of the localizer in hopes of seeing the runway out my left window; and kept my airspeed higher than normal due to the icing. I broke out; seeing a large field -- undoubtedly the airport -- within my limited view; and realized that with the white snow covering everything; I wouldn't be able to pick out the runway. I saw what appeared to be the outline of a taxiway or runway; realized that it was probably the runway; and decided to land on it. I don't know if my wings stalled several feet up or if it was windshear; but I dropped onto my right wheel pretty hard. I couldn't see the tower or any other buildings; and assume that I landed below minimums. The FBO checked out my plane that afternoon. The landing gear had suffered no damage from the hard landing; but they found that one of the #6 spark plugs had shorted out; explaining the high egt. Although I was; in a perverse sort of way; proud of having successfully landed without damage or injury in bad conditions; in retrospect the wiser thing would have been to have diverted or to have help upon hearing that conditions had rapidly worsened; instead of opining that conditions would improve before I got there. Although I found myself in a potential emergency; I had to admit that my optimism set the stage for the predicament.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT LANDS BELOW MINIMUMS IN A HIGH CROSSWIND AFTER HIS ACFT BECAME ENCUMBERED WITH ICE.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR A FLT THAT I'VE MADE ABOUT TWO DOZEN TIMES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH MY RTE AND WITH MY DEST. UNTIL A FEW MI FROM MY DEST; I WAS ON TOP OF A SOLID UNDERCAST WITH BLUE SKY ABOVE. ENRTE; FLT WATCH FORECAST LIKELY LIGHT RAIN AT MY DEST. THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME ICE MOVING IN LATER; BUT NO FORECAST OR PIREPS FOR ICE. DSNDING INTO THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 5000 FT ABOUT 40 MI OUT; WITH DEST WIND 360 DEGS AT 18 KTS; GUSTING TO 26 KTS; SEVEN MI VISIBILITY; WITH FEW CLOUDS AT 800 FT; 1300 FT AND 2600 FT OVERCAST; AND ABOUT 32 DEGS AT MY ALT; I EXPERIENCED NO ICE. I WAS SETTING UP FOR GPS RWY 36 AT MY DEST WHEN ZMP RPTED BELOW 1/4 MI VISIBILITY AND AN INDEFINITE CEILING WITH SNOW; SO I SET UP FOR ILS RWY 28 INSTEAD; THINKING THAT THE SNOW WOULD BE INTERMITTENT AND PROBABLY SHORT-LIVED. AFTER CROSSING THE IAF AND SOME WAYS DOWN THE GS ON MY DSCNT; THERE WAS SUDDENLY A BIG BUMP OF TURB; AND THEN TWR CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THEY WOULD XMIT CONTINUOUS WIND CONDITIONS; WHICH HAD BECOME A DIRECT CROSSWIND FROM 350-010 DEGS AT 30-33 KTS. I CONTINUED ONWARD; CONCENTRATING ON KEEPING MY PLANE ON THE LOC AND GS. I LOOKED UP AND REALIZED THAT MY WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH ICE; AND GLANCED AT MY MIRROR AND LEADING EDGES; AND REALIZED THAT THEY WERE COVERED WITH BUMPY; SPIKY MIXED ICE. I GLANCED AT THE OAT; AND THOUGHT IT SAID BELOW 0 DEGS F; ALTHOUGH THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE. I WAS TRYING TO ANALYZE THAT WHEN I GLANCED AT MY GEM (GRAPHIC ENGINE MONITOR) AND SAW THE CYLINDER #6 EXHAUST GAS TEMP WAS VERY HIGH AND HADN'T COME DOWN WITH THE OTHERS. I CALLED TWR FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS AND TO MY DISMAY THEY RPTED AN UNCHANGED 1/4 MI WITH INDEFINITE CEILING WITH SNOW. AT THIS POINT; WITH THE HIGH EGT AND THE ICE THAT HAD ACCUMULATED; I DECIDED AGAINST A GAR AND COMMITTED TO LNDG. I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING MORE ICE; PERHAPS TO THE POINT THAT THE PLANE COULDN'T FLY; ESPECIALLY WITH A POTENTIAL ENGINE PROB. I FLEW TO THE RIGHT OF THE LOC IN HOPES OF SEEING THE RWY OUT MY L WINDOW; AND KEPT MY AIRSPD HIGHER THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE ICING. I BROKE OUT; SEEING A LARGE FIELD -- UNDOUBTEDLY THE ARPT -- WITHIN MY LIMITED VIEW; AND REALIZED THAT WITH THE WHITE SNOW COVERING EVERYTHING; I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PICK OUT THE RWY. I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE OUTLINE OF A TXWY OR RWY; REALIZED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE RWY; AND DECIDED TO LAND ON IT. I DON'T KNOW IF MY WINGS STALLED SEVERAL FEET UP OR IF IT WAS WINDSHEAR; BUT I DROPPED ONTO MY R WHEEL PRETTY HARD. I COULDN'T SEE THE TWR OR ANY OTHER BUILDINGS; AND ASSUME THAT I LANDED BELOW MINIMUMS. THE FBO CHKED OUT MY PLANE THAT AFTERNOON. THE LNDG GEAR HAD SUFFERED NO DAMAGE FROM THE HARD LNDG; BUT THEY FOUND THAT ONE OF THE #6 SPARK PLUGS HAD SHORTED OUT; EXPLAINING THE HIGH EGT. ALTHOUGH I WAS; IN A PERVERSE SORT OF WAY; PROUD OF HAVING SUCCESSFULLY LANDED WITHOUT DAMAGE OR INJURY IN BAD CONDITIONS; IN RETROSPECT THE WISER THING WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE DIVERTED OR TO HAVE HELP UPON HEARING THAT CONDITIONS HAD RAPIDLY WORSENED; INSTEAD OF OPINING THAT CONDITIONS WOULD IMPROVE BEFORE I GOT THERE. ALTHOUGH I FOUND MYSELF IN A POTENTIAL EMER; I HAD TO ADMIT THAT MY OPTIMISM SET THE STAGE FOR THE PREDICAMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.