Narrative:

This aircraft is not approved for flight into known icing. Once airborne; I immediately encountered building clouds that were rough; so I asked for and received clearance to 12000 ft. I remained at this altitude until roughly lamar; co; at which time the undercast had built to just below my altitude. Enjoying a nice tailwind and not interested in finding rough air again; I asked for and received clearance to 14000 ft. Also at this time; reading the xm WX display and seeing cloud tops at about my altitude at 10 O'clock position; I changed my routing to go direct to searle VOR (sae) rather than sny; as the eastward turn would keep me further away from the clouds. I also saw a gap between green depicted WX that lay on the route from sae to 6s8; and wanted to go through that rather than through the green depicted WX northwest of sny. At sae; I turned northwest on course. I could see over the undercast that was before me; so I elected to maintain my altitude rather than to descend into the clouds. The outside air temperature was -8 degrees C. I had no reports of temperatures at lower altitudes; but I hadn't asked either. I did get an update on the airmets from denver flight watch before my turn and found them unchanged from those I had been briefed. I neither asked for not received PIREPS at my location. About 15 mins into this course; the undercast rose to meet me. A few mins more and I was enveloped by cloud. I had either misjudged the level of the tops or they rose to meet me. I watched them as I approached and didn't think they were building (perhaps I misjudged that) and I could safely go over the top so as to remain totally clear of cloud. Almost immediately ice crystals began to form on my windshield. Due to the principal color of my fuselage and wings; it took a min or two for me to see the beginnings of ice accumulation on my wings. As soon as I did; I contacted ZDV and asked to 'make a 180 degree turn to get clear of the clouds; as I was beginning to pick up light rime ice.' the controller cleared me for a turn to 180 degrees. I called back and told him 'no; I want to reverse my course to get clear of the clouds.' he then asked me my intentions. I responded 'first; I want to turn around and then I'll work that out and get back to you.' he cleared me for the course reversal; which I executed. He asked the reason for the deviation and I told him I was beginning to collect light rime ice. About that time a bonanza came on the frequency and volunteered that he was at 8000 ft and was in above freezing air and was ice free. I asked the controller for his location and was told he was about 25 mi west of the chadron VOR (cdr); about 70 NM northwest of my position. At that time; I called and told the controller my intentions were to return to sae; descend; and once below the freezing level; turn back on course to 6s8. I asked for and was cleared to 8000 ft. I set up a 700 FPM descent and started losing ice at around 10000 ft. At no time did I ever have more than a 1/2 inch bead of ice on my leading edges. As the outside air temperature was then 0 degrees C and rising; I asked for and received clearance for another course reversal to return to 'direct 6s8' and continued the descent. When I crossed through 9000 ft the controller told me I'd be out of radar coverage at 8000 ft in a few mi but I could continue. He asked me to tell him when I could accept higher. I told him I was in above freezing air at 9000 ft and could remain there if he was able. He cleared me for that and I stayed at 9000 ft. After 30-40 mins; I began to break through the northern edge of the cloud cover and was able to return to 10000 ft. After another 15 mins or so; I was able to return to 12000 ft as I was completely in the clear. The balance of the trip was uneventful. Contributing factors: 1) my desire to remain at an altitude I knew to be turbulence free (14000 ft). 2) my poor assessment of the altitude of the cloud tops before me as I turned northwest and/or my misreading of the stability of those cloud tops. Corrective action: 1) finding myself in the situation I did; I responded without hesitation and; I think correctly. Human performance considerations: had iknown before what I learned about the conditions; I should have descended to an above freezing altitude before making my turn to the northwest and entering the clouds. Doing so would have avoided this encounter altogether. I believe I remained at 14000 ft for 2 reasons: 1) I knew; due to the airmet; turbulence was possible and I wanted to remain where I knew it to be smooth. 2) I knew; due to the airmet; icing was possible and I wanted to remain clear of cloud altogether if I could. I elected the course reversal rather than continuing while descending because I knew there was clear air behind me and I thought I'd have to descend several thousand ft through icing conditions if I flew straight ahead. There were no abnormal or outside factors; such as fatigue; darkness; or anything else that affected my performance. Given the same set of circumstances; I would make this flight again; but I would not allow myself to get trapped above the freezing level in clouds. I learned a lot from this trip which; fortunately; ended without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PILOT OF A BE55; NOT EQUIPPED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING; ENCOUNTERS ICING CONDITIONS IN ZDV AIRSPACE AT 14000 FEET ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT.

Narrative: THIS ACFT IS NOT APPROVED FOR FLT INTO KNOWN ICING. ONCE AIRBORNE; I IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED BUILDING CLOUDS THAT WERE ROUGH; SO I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO 12000 FT. I REMAINED AT THIS ALT UNTIL ROUGHLY LAMAR; CO; AT WHICH TIME THE UNDERCAST HAD BUILT TO JUST BELOW MY ALT. ENJOYING A NICE TAILWIND AND NOT INTERESTED IN FINDING ROUGH AIR AGAIN; I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO 14000 FT. ALSO AT THIS TIME; READING THE XM WX DISPLAY AND SEEING CLOUD TOPS AT ABOUT MY ALT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS; I CHANGED MY ROUTING TO GO DIRECT TO SEARLE VOR (SAE) RATHER THAN SNY; AS THE EASTWARD TURN WOULD KEEP ME FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CLOUDS. I ALSO SAW A GAP BTWN GREEN DEPICTED WX THAT LAY ON THE RTE FROM SAE TO 6S8; AND WANTED TO GO THROUGH THAT RATHER THAN THROUGH THE GREEN DEPICTED WX NW OF SNY. AT SAE; I TURNED NW ON COURSE. I COULD SEE OVER THE UNDERCAST THAT WAS BEFORE ME; SO I ELECTED TO MAINTAIN MY ALT RATHER THAN TO DSND INTO THE CLOUDS. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -8 DEGS C. I HAD NO RPTS OF TEMPS AT LOWER ALTS; BUT I HADN'T ASKED EITHER. I DID GET AN UPDATE ON THE AIRMETS FROM DENVER FLT WATCH BEFORE MY TURN AND FOUND THEM UNCHANGED FROM THOSE I HAD BEEN BRIEFED. I NEITHER ASKED FOR NOT RECEIVED PIREPS AT MY LOCATION. ABOUT 15 MINS INTO THIS COURSE; THE UNDERCAST ROSE TO MEET ME. A FEW MINS MORE AND I WAS ENVELOPED BY CLOUD. I HAD EITHER MISJUDGED THE LEVEL OF THE TOPS OR THEY ROSE TO MEET ME. I WATCHED THEM AS I APCHED AND DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE BUILDING (PERHAPS I MISJUDGED THAT) AND I COULD SAFELY GO OVER THE TOP SO AS TO REMAIN TOTALLY CLR OF CLOUD. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ICE CRYSTALS BEGAN TO FORM ON MY WINDSHIELD. DUE TO THE PRINCIPAL COLOR OF MY FUSELAGE AND WINGS; IT TOOK A MIN OR TWO FOR ME TO SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF ICE ACCUMULATION ON MY WINGS. AS SOON AS I DID; I CONTACTED ZDV AND ASKED TO 'MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO GET CLR OF THE CLOUDS; AS I WAS BEGINNING TO PICK UP LIGHT RIME ICE.' THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR A TURN TO 180 DEGS. I CALLED BACK AND TOLD HIM 'NO; I WANT TO REVERSE MY COURSE TO GET CLR OF THE CLOUDS.' HE THEN ASKED ME MY INTENTIONS. I RESPONDED 'FIRST; I WANT TO TURN AROUND AND THEN I'LL WORK THAT OUT AND GET BACK TO YOU.' HE CLRED ME FOR THE COURSE REVERSAL; WHICH I EXECUTED. HE ASKED THE REASON FOR THE DEV AND I TOLD HIM I WAS BEGINNING TO COLLECT LIGHT RIME ICE. ABOUT THAT TIME A BONANZA CAME ON THE FREQ AND VOLUNTEERED THAT HE WAS AT 8000 FT AND WAS IN ABOVE FREEZING AIR AND WAS ICE FREE. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR HIS LOCATION AND WAS TOLD HE WAS ABOUT 25 MI W OF THE CHADRON VOR (CDR); ABOUT 70 NM NW OF MY POS. AT THAT TIME; I CALLED AND TOLD THE CTLR MY INTENTIONS WERE TO RETURN TO SAE; DSND; AND ONCE BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL; TURN BACK ON COURSE TO 6S8. I ASKED FOR AND WAS CLRED TO 8000 FT. I SET UP A 700 FPM DSCNT AND STARTED LOSING ICE AT AROUND 10000 FT. AT NO TIME DID I EVER HAVE MORE THAN A 1/2 INCH BEAD OF ICE ON MY LEADING EDGES. AS THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS THEN 0 DEGS C AND RISING; I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR ANOTHER COURSE REVERSAL TO RETURN TO 'DIRECT 6S8' AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT. WHEN I CROSSED THROUGH 9000 FT THE CTLR TOLD ME I'D BE OUT OF RADAR COVERAGE AT 8000 FT IN A FEW MI BUT I COULD CONTINUE. HE ASKED ME TO TELL HIM WHEN I COULD ACCEPT HIGHER. I TOLD HIM I WAS IN ABOVE FREEZING AIR AT 9000 FT AND COULD REMAIN THERE IF HE WAS ABLE. HE CLRED ME FOR THAT AND I STAYED AT 9000 FT. AFTER 30-40 MINS; I BEGAN TO BREAK THROUGH THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE CLOUD COVER AND WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO 10000 FT. AFTER ANOTHER 15 MINS OR SO; I WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO 12000 FT AS I WAS COMPLETELY IN THE CLR. THE BALANCE OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MY DESIRE TO REMAIN AT AN ALT I KNEW TO BE TURB FREE (14000 FT). 2) MY POOR ASSESSMENT OF THE ALT OF THE CLOUD TOPS BEFORE ME AS I TURNED NW AND/OR MY MISREADING OF THE STABILITY OF THOSE CLOUD TOPS. CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) FINDING MYSELF IN THE SITUATION I DID; I RESPONDED WITHOUT HESITATION AND; I THINK CORRECTLY. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: HAD IKNOWN BEFORE WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE CONDITIONS; I SHOULD HAVE DSNDED TO AN ABOVE FREEZING ALT BEFORE MAKING MY TURN TO THE NW AND ENTERING THE CLOUDS. DOING SO WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS ENCOUNTER ALTOGETHER. I BELIEVE I REMAINED AT 14000 FT FOR 2 REASONS: 1) I KNEW; DUE TO THE AIRMET; TURB WAS POSSIBLE AND I WANTED TO REMAIN WHERE I KNEW IT TO BE SMOOTH. 2) I KNEW; DUE TO THE AIRMET; ICING WAS POSSIBLE AND I WANTED TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUD ALTOGETHER IF I COULD. I ELECTED THE COURSE REVERSAL RATHER THAN CONTINUING WHILE DSNDING BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS CLR AIR BEHIND ME AND I THOUGHT I'D HAVE TO DSND SEVERAL THOUSAND FT THROUGH ICING CONDITIONS IF I FLEW STRAIGHT AHEAD. THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL OR OUTSIDE FACTORS; SUCH AS FATIGUE; DARKNESS; OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT AFFECTED MY PERFORMANCE. GIVEN THE SAME SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES; I WOULD MAKE THIS FLT AGAIN; BUT I WOULD NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO GET TRAPPED ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL IN CLOUDS. I LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS TRIP WHICH; FORTUNATELY; ENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.