Narrative:

I had filed an IFR flight plan to travel from dxr to ind at 12000 ft. I encountered some light icing in the clouds and went to 14000 ft. At 14000 ft I also encountered icing in the clouds and reported this to ATC and asked for 16000 ft with a block was given a block to FL190. After asking permission to switch frequencys to check the WX; I correctly dialed in 122.0 and chose 122.0 as the active frequency. I wanted to use the VOR DME to get my exact distance to the johnstown VOR and instead of pushing the push C/V button/knob and then turning to the VOR frequency; I turned the knob/button first; causing me to lose the ATC frequency. Got my WX briefing; because I was concerned about being pushed up higher by possible icing and then was looking for the correct ATC frequency on the chart and noted I was again going into the clouds which had twice previously caused icing. Temperature was below freezing. Since I had the block to FL190; I tried stay out of possible icing by climbing above the WX but nearly stalled the plane. Executed turns to stay out of possible icing; including a 180 degree turn. Since I had had icing twice earlier in the flight; my judgement was that my priority was to fly the plane and I needed to stay clear of possible icing. When I believe I was clear of WX I returned to course. During the incident I tried to radio ind approach (the frequency was on my GPS) tried a VOR frequency; and again briefly tried flight watch before I went back to the chart to find an ATC code. I did consider calling 121.5 but felt that I was back on course and; therefore; there was no emergency justifying the use of the emergency frequency. During the incident there were no traffic alerts shown by the GPS. Other contributing human factor was a long single pilot IFR flight with no autoplt. Another judgement by both me and ATC were checking the WX while approaching the class B airspace around pittsburgh. An equipment issue was how easy it was to twist instead of push the C/V button on the GPS and; thereby; lose my secondary frequency. In the future; I will always keep my backup frequency on the GPS and dial flight watch on my secondary communication system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH BE36 PLT ENCOUNTERS ICING; SWITCHES FREQ AND HAS LOST COM.

Narrative: I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO TRAVEL FROM DXR TO IND AT 12000 FT. I ENCOUNTERED SOME LIGHT ICING IN THE CLOUDS AND WENT TO 14000 FT. AT 14000 FT I ALSO ENCOUNTERED ICING IN THE CLOUDS AND RPTED THIS TO ATC AND ASKED FOR 16000 FT WITH A BLOCK WAS GIVEN A BLOCK TO FL190. AFTER ASKING PERMISSION TO SWITCH FREQS TO CHK THE WX; I CORRECTLY DIALED IN 122.0 AND CHOSE 122.0 AS THE ACTIVE FREQ. I WANTED TO USE THE VOR DME TO GET MY EXACT DISTANCE TO THE JOHNSTOWN VOR AND INSTEAD OF PUSHING THE PUSH C/V BUTTON/KNOB AND THEN TURNING TO THE VOR FREQ; I TURNED THE KNOB/BUTTON FIRST; CAUSING ME TO LOSE THE ATC FREQ. GOT MY WX BRIEFING; BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BEING PUSHED UP HIGHER BY POSSIBLE ICING AND THEN WAS LOOKING FOR THE CORRECT ATC FREQ ON THE CHART AND NOTED I WAS AGAIN GOING INTO THE CLOUDS WHICH HAD TWICE PREVIOUSLY CAUSED ICING. TEMP WAS BELOW FREEZING. SINCE I HAD THE BLOCK TO FL190; I TRIED STAY OUT OF POSSIBLE ICING BY CLBING ABOVE THE WX BUT NEARLY STALLED THE PLANE. EXECUTED TURNS TO STAY OUT OF POSSIBLE ICING; INCLUDING A 180 DEG TURN. SINCE I HAD HAD ICING TWICE EARLIER IN THE FLT; MY JUDGEMENT WAS THAT MY PRIORITY WAS TO FLY THE PLANE AND I NEEDED TO STAY CLR OF POSSIBLE ICING. WHEN I BELIEVE I WAS CLR OF WX I RETURNED TO COURSE. DURING THE INCIDENT I TRIED TO RADIO IND APCH (THE FREQ WAS ON MY GPS) TRIED A VOR FREQ; AND AGAIN BRIEFLY TRIED FLT WATCH BEFORE I WENT BACK TO THE CHART TO FIND AN ATC CODE. I DID CONSIDER CALLING 121.5 BUT FELT THAT I WAS BACK ON COURSE AND; THEREFORE; THERE WAS NO EMER JUSTIFYING THE USE OF THE EMER FREQ. DURING THE INCIDENT THERE WERE NO TFC ALERTS SHOWN BY THE GPS. OTHER CONTRIBUTING HUMAN FACTOR WAS A LONG SINGLE PLT IFR FLT WITH NO AUTOPLT. ANOTHER JUDGEMENT BY BOTH ME AND ATC WERE CHKING THE WX WHILE APCHING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AROUND PITTSBURGH. AN EQUIP ISSUE WAS HOW EASY IT WAS TO TWIST INSTEAD OF PUSH THE C/V BUTTON ON THE GPS AND; THEREBY; LOSE MY SECONDARY FREQ. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ALWAYS KEEP MY BACKUP FREQ ON THE GPS AND DIAL FLT WATCH ON MY SECONDARY COM SYS.

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.