Narrative:

The following is the chain of events leading up to my situation. About XA30 10/sat/05; I contacted buffalo flight service to file an IFR flight plan for a XB00 departure from hvn to 26N. There was no forecast of icing for my route. However; the briefer did mention if any icing were to occur it would be between hvn and the jfk VOR and that below long island there would be little or no chance of icing. To be safe; I filed for 4000 ft to try and remain clear of any potential icing since the ceilings were about 5000 ft at hvn. My clearance was not as filed and I was given 6000 ft as my cruise altitude. Once cleared to 6000 ft the controller eventually gave me 'vectors' to 'dixie' thus avoiding a dog leg which would have taken me to deer park VOR on to V16; to jfk VOR to dixie. I accordingly adjusted my flight plan in my garmin 430 for the new routing. After switching frequency's the next controller gave me direct deer park VOR. Again I changed flight plans in the garmin 430. When I got to the deer park VOR; I continued direct to the 'dixie' intersection; when the controller asked why I wasn't on V16 going to jfk VOR; I explained what had happened. He then cleared me direct to the jfk VOR. While en route to the jfk VOR I started to pick up some light rime ice. I was almost on top and could see the sun with breaks in the clouds allowing me to also see the ground. I was not too concerned about the ice since it was very light and if necessary I could have requested higher or lower and since the FSS briefer mentioned a low to no probability of icing below long island and since I was almost to jfk; I opted to stay were I was. The icing however did cause a problem and my pitot static system iced up. This caused my airspeed indicator; vertical speed indicator; altimeter and the altitude hold on my autoplt to act erratically. All of the above was caused by my pitot heat system failing. If the pitot heat had not failed; I would not be writing this report. Eventually I lost 300 ft on my altitude which the controller advised me of. I explained briefly what had happened; disengaged the autoplt; climbed back up to 6000 ft; crossed over the jfk VOR; was in the clear and continued on to 26N without any further incident. What I learned from this was: 1) to avoid cockpit confusion; I should have questioned the controller that was sending me back to the deer park VOR; V16; etc when the previous controller had given me vectors to the 'dixie' intersection. 2) I should have reported the light rime ice regardless of knowing that I would be out of it very shortly and that I did not think it would create a problem for me. 3) I should have used the alternate static source once I detected the problem. Today; I had my maintenance shop confirm that the elements in my pitot tube had failed. They did and are being replaced as I write this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot stated that ATC made no additional comments about his altitude loss. He felt the need to file his report as a backup in the event that there was a question about his behavior.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IMC PA32-300 ENCOUNTERED ICING WITH A PREVIOUS UNKNOWN PITOT HEAT FAILURE; LOST 300 FT AND EXPERIENCED ERRATIC AIRSPEED; ALT; AND V/S.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO MY SIT. ABOUT XA30 10/SAT/05; I CONTACTED BUFFALO FLT SVC TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR A XB00 DEP FROM HVN TO 26N. THERE WAS NO FORECAST OF ICING FOR MY RTE. HOWEVER; THE BRIEFER DID MENTION IF ANY ICING WERE TO OCCUR IT WOULD BE BETWEEN HVN AND THE JFK VOR AND THAT BELOW LONG ISLAND THERE WOULD BE LITTLE OR NO CHANCE OF ICING. TO BE SAFE; I FILED FOR 4000 FT TO TRY AND REMAIN CLR OF ANY POTENTIAL ICING SINCE THE CEILINGS WERE ABOUT 5000 FT AT HVN. MY CLRNC WAS NOT AS FILED AND I WAS GIVEN 6000 FT AS MY CRUISE ALT. ONCE CLRED TO 6000 FT THE CTLR EVENTUALLY GAVE ME 'VECTORS' TO 'DIXIE' THUS AVOIDING A DOG LEG WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME TO DEER PARK VOR ON TO V16; TO JFK VOR TO DIXIE. I ACCORDINGLY ADJUSTED MY FLT PLAN IN MY GARMIN 430 FOR THE NEW ROUTING. AFTER SWITCHING FREQUENCY'S THE NEXT CTLR GAVE ME DIRECT DEER PARK VOR. AGAIN I CHANGED FLT PLANS IN THE GARMIN 430. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEER PARK VOR; I CONTINUED DIRECT TO THE 'DIXIE' INTXN; WHEN THE CTLR ASKED WHY I WASN'T ON V16 GOING TO JFK VOR; I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE THEN CLRED ME DIRECT TO THE JFK VOR. WHILE ENRTE TO THE JFK VOR I STARTED TO PICK UP SOME LIGHT RIME ICE. I WAS ALMOST ON TOP AND COULD SEE THE SUN WITH BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS ALLOWING ME TO ALSO SEE THE GND. I WAS NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE ICE SINCE IT WAS VERY LIGHT AND IF NECESSARY I COULD HAVE REQUESTED HIGHER OR LOWER AND SINCE THE FSS BRIEFER MENTIONED A LOW TO NO PROBABILITY OF ICING BELOW LONG ISLAND AND SINCE I WAS ALMOST TO JFK; I OPTED TO STAY WERE I WAS. THE ICING HOWEVER DID CAUSE A PROB AND MY PITOT STATIC SYSTEM ICED UP. THIS CAUSED MY AIRSPEED INDICATOR; VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR; ALTIMETER AND THE ALT HOLD ON MY AUTOPLT TO ACT ERRATICALLY. ALL OF THE ABOVE WAS CAUSED BY MY PITOT HEAT SYSTEM FAILING. IF THE PITOT HEAT HAD NOT FAILED; I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS RPT. EVENTUALLY I LOST 300 FT ON MY ALT WHICH THE CTLR ADVISED ME OF. I EXPLAINED BRIEFLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED; DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT; CLBED BACK UP TO 6000 FT; CROSSED OVER THE JFK VOR; WAS IN THE CLR AND CONTINUED ON TO 26N WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS WAS: 1) TO AVOID COCKPIT CONFUSION; I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CTLR THAT WAS SENDING ME BACK TO THE DEER PARK VOR; V16; ETC WHEN THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD GIVEN ME VECTORS TO THE 'DIXIE' INTXN. 2) I SHOULD HAVE RPTED THE LIGHT RIME ICE REGARDLESS OF KNOWING THAT I WOULD BE OUT OF IT VERY SHORTLY AND THAT I DID NOT THINK IT WOULD CREATE A PROB FOR ME. 3) I SHOULD HAVE USED THE ALTERNATE STATIC SOURCE ONCE I DETECTED THE PROB. TODAY; I HAD MY MAINT SHOP CONFIRM THAT THE ELEMENTS IN MY PITOT TUBE HAD FAILED. THEY DID AND ARE BEING REPLACED AS I WRITE THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PILOT STATED THAT ATC MADE NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT HIS ALT LOSS. HE FELT THE NEED TO FILE HIS RPT AS A BACKUP IN THE EVENT THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR.

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.