Narrative:

I checked duats and WX.communication both on the early morning of the flight. There was an airmet for mountain obscuration and icing for over the mountains. I climbed to 13500 ft MSL and approached the west side of the mountains to assess the WX conditions and found hazy layers of clouds that posed no immediate danger. There was a tailwind of approximately 40 KTS. I found myself in a thin cloud layer and attempted to climb out of it; but the tailwind pushed me deeper into the clouds very quickly. I looked down to my wing and found a thin layer of ice. I immediately turned around to escape the clouds; but was then flying into a 40 KT headwind. The ice continued to build up until I was unable to maintain altitude. Because I was moving so slowly over the ground and losing altitude; I called up center and declared an emergency. I naved toward ZZZ and popped out of the clouds at an altitude of 9500 ft MSL. I continued on to ZZZ and landed without further complication. My perception of the situation before icing occurred was that I was safe enough to observe the WX elements without compromising VFR. But the tailwind and the changing dynamics of the clouds put me in IMC very quickly. As soon as I noticed ice; I turned around and headed for the nearest airport. Having spent a lot of flight time in IMC; I felt comfortable navigating around it; but had never before experienced icing so did not consider the dangers of flying near conditions suitable for icing. In retrospect; I feel that perhaps I would have been better served by continuing on without turning around given the tailwind since there were accessible airports ahead of me to the east; but given the factors involved; I did what I had been trained to do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TB20 PLT ENCOUNTERS ICING AND IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. DECLARES AN EMER; DSNDS OUT OF ICING AND DIVERTS TO ANOTHER ARPT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: I CHKED DUATS AND WX.COM BOTH ON THE EARLY MORNING OF THE FLT. THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AND ICING FOR OVER THE MOUNTAINS. I CLBED TO 13500 FT MSL AND APCHED THE W SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS TO ASSESS THE WX CONDITIONS AND FOUND HAZY LAYERS OF CLOUDS THAT POSED NO IMMEDIATE DANGER. THERE WAS A TAILWIND OF APPROX 40 KTS. I FOUND MYSELF IN A THIN CLOUD LAYER AND ATTEMPTED TO CLB OUT OF IT; BUT THE TAILWIND PUSHED ME DEEPER INTO THE CLOUDS VERY QUICKLY. I LOOKED DOWN TO MY WING AND FOUND A THIN LAYER OF ICE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND TO ESCAPE THE CLOUDS; BUT WAS THEN FLYING INTO A 40 KT HEADWIND. THE ICE CONTINUED TO BUILD UP UNTIL I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. BECAUSE I WAS MOVING SO SLOWLY OVER THE GND AND LOSING ALT; I CALLED UP CTR AND DECLARED AN EMER. I NAVED TOWARD ZZZ AND POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT AN ALT OF 9500 FT MSL. I CONTINUED ON TO ZZZ AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATION. MY PERCEPTION OF THE SITUATION BEFORE ICING OCCURRED WAS THAT I WAS SAFE ENOUGH TO OBSERVE THE WX ELEMENTS WITHOUT COMPROMISING VFR. BUT THE TAILWIND AND THE CHANGING DYNAMICS OF THE CLOUDS PUT ME IN IMC VERY QUICKLY. AS SOON AS I NOTICED ICE; I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED FOR THE NEAREST ARPT. HAVING SPENT A LOT OF FLT TIME IN IMC; I FELT COMFORTABLE NAVING AROUND IT; BUT HAD NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED ICING SO DID NOT CONSIDER THE DANGERS OF FLYING NEAR CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR ICING. IN RETROSPECT; I FEEL THAT PERHAPS I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SERVED BY CONTINUING ON WITHOUT TURNING AROUND GIVEN THE TAILWIND SINCE THERE WERE ACCESSIBLE ARPTS AHEAD OF ME TO THE E; BUT GIVEN THE FACTORS INVOLVED; I DID WHAT I HAD BEEN TRAINED TO DO.

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.