Narrative:

I had planned a nice VFR flight around the hpn-bdr-pou area with a friend who's transitioning to fixed wing. I'd gotten VFR WX for all three and it was reporting good VFR conditions. Basically clear (few at 7000 ft) a bit windy 15 KTS gusting 20 KTS. But looked like it was going to be a nice flight. At 7500 ft over bdr he remarked that there were clouds at 7000 ft over the sound. He'd never been in IMC and was curious. Not having planned to go IFR; not having checked airmets; icing forecasts or even WX over long island; I called ny approach and asked for an IFR clearance to brookhaven. We were cleared to descend through the layer; canceled on the other side and made a nice VFR landing. On the way back we filed an IFR flight plan to mmk. On climb out we were cleared to mad at 5000 ft. During the climb out my copilot remarked that it was getting colder out. (2 degrees C on the OAT.) I hadn't even thought of ice; as it was nice in ct. I was wearing a short sleeve shirt even! We were in the clouds so I started keeping an eye out for ice on the struts. At 5000 ft the temperature dropped below zero and we kept watch. At some point we started to hit a little precipitation and there was a little bit of build-up. While thinking about my options we flew into what must have been some much stronger precipitation. It felt like we flew through a wall of ice. Suddenly the windshield was covered. And I could see some rime building up on the leading edges; perhaps 1/8 inches. I called ny and asked for higher. (Probably a bit of panic in my voice; this was the first time I'd ever seen anything like this kind of ice in person.) but I got stepped on. In the next 30 seconds or so I decided to start climbing out; even though I'd not gotten a clearance for higher. I called back again 20 seconds later and was cleared to 7000 ft; but with an admonishment for busting my altitude. I was already at 5500 ft or so. We were on top at 7000 ft and the ice melted off. I have to say I was a bit shaken -- though my copilot didn't seem to notice. On descent to meriden I was still a bit shaken; and seemed to forget I was on an IFR plan. Once we had the field in sight I started a VFR descent without canceling my clearance or reporting the field in sight. Again busting a clearance -- in fact I only remembered when the controller queried my altitude. I clearly hadn't gotten my composure back. That was enough of a reminder and the rest of the flight stayed VFR and uneventful. I'd say this was purely human factors at work; namely my poor planning and poor decision making that led me to file IFR right through some icing conditions. Even while I had nexrad; xm WX and even if I'd put 2 and 2 together to look at 'clouds' and '-2 C' I should have realized what I was getting into. I've not looked in my logbook yet; but it's even possible I wasn't current IFR (since it's the end of the spring; it might have lapsed in the last month). Contributing was probably my determination to not disappoint a friend. Something that should definitely not cloud my judgement. Lesson learned I hope.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT; EXPERIENCING ICING CONDITIONS; INITIATED CLB WITHOUT CLEARANCE. LATER IN FLT; DEPARTED ASSIGNED ALT AGAIN; FORGETTING HE WAS ON IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED A NICE VFR FLT AROUND THE HPN-BDR-POU AREA WITH A FRIEND WHO'S TRANSITIONING TO FIXED WING. I'D GOTTEN VFR WX FOR ALL THREE AND IT WAS RPTING GOOD VFR CONDITIONS. BASICALLY CLR (FEW AT 7000 FT) A BIT WINDY 15 KTS GUSTING 20 KTS. BUT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE A NICE FLT. AT 7500 FT OVER BDR HE REMARKED THAT THERE WERE CLOUDS AT 7000 FT OVER THE SOUND. HE'D NEVER BEEN IN IMC AND WAS CURIOUS. NOT HAVING PLANNED TO GO IFR; NOT HAVING CHKED AIRMETS; ICING FORECASTS OR EVEN WX OVER LONG ISLAND; I CALLED NY APCH AND ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO BROOKHAVEN. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND THROUGH THE LAYER; CANCELED ON THE OTHER SIDE AND MADE A NICE VFR LNDG. ON THE WAY BACK WE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO MMK. ON CLBOUT WE WERE CLRED TO MAD AT 5000 FT. DURING THE CLBOUT MY COPLT REMARKED THAT IT WAS GETTING COLDER OUT. (2 DEGS C ON THE OAT.) I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF ICE; AS IT WAS NICE IN CT. I WAS WEARING A SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT EVEN! WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS SO I STARTED KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR ICE ON THE STRUTS. AT 5000 FT THE TEMP DROPPED BELOW ZERO AND WE KEPT WATCH. AT SOME POINT WE STARTED TO HIT A LITTLE PRECIP AND THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF BUILD-UP. WHILE THINKING ABOUT MY OPTIONS WE FLEW INTO WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN SOME MUCH STRONGER PRECIP. IT FELT LIKE WE FLEW THROUGH A WALL OF ICE. SUDDENLY THE WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED. AND I COULD SEE SOME RIME BUILDING UP ON THE LEADING EDGES; PERHAPS 1/8 INCHES. I CALLED NY AND ASKED FOR HIGHER. (PROBABLY A BIT OF PANIC IN MY VOICE; THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS KIND OF ICE IN PERSON.) BUT I GOT STEPPED ON. IN THE NEXT 30 SECONDS OR SO I DECIDED TO START CLBING OUT; EVEN THOUGH I'D NOT GOTTEN A CLRNC FOR HIGHER. I CALLED BACK AGAIN 20 SECONDS LATER AND WAS CLRED TO 7000 FT; BUT WITH AN ADMONISHMENT FOR BUSTING MY ALT. I WAS ALREADY AT 5500 FT OR SO. WE WERE ON TOP AT 7000 FT AND THE ICE MELTED OFF. I HAVE TO SAY I WAS A BIT SHAKEN -- THOUGH MY COPLT DIDN'T SEEM TO NOTICE. ON DSCNT TO MERIDEN I WAS STILL A BIT SHAKEN; AND SEEMED TO FORGET I WAS ON AN IFR PLAN. ONCE WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT I STARTED A VFR DSCNT WITHOUT CANCELING MY CLRNC OR RPTING THE FIELD IN SIGHT. AGAIN BUSTING A CLRNC -- IN FACT I ONLY REMEMBERED WHEN THE CTLR QUERIED MY ALT. I CLRLY HADN'T GOTTEN MY COMPOSURE BACK. THAT WAS ENOUGH OF A REMINDER AND THE REST OF THE FLT STAYED VFR AND UNEVENTFUL. I'D SAY THIS WAS PURELY HUMAN FACTORS AT WORK; NAMELY MY POOR PLANNING AND POOR DECISION MAKING THAT LED ME TO FILE IFR RIGHT THROUGH SOME ICING CONDITIONS. EVEN WHILE I HAD NEXRAD; XM WX AND EVEN IF I'D PUT 2 AND 2 TOGETHER TO LOOK AT 'CLOUDS' AND '-2 C' I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO. I'VE NOT LOOKED IN MY LOGBOOK YET; BUT IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE I WASN'T CURRENT IFR (SINCE IT'S THE END OF THE SPRING; IT MIGHT HAVE LAPSED IN THE LAST MONTH). CONTRIBUTING WAS PROBABLY MY DETERMINATION TO NOT DISAPPOINT A FRIEND. SOMETHING THAT SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT CLOUD MY JUDGEMENT. LESSON LEARNED I HOPE.

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.