Narrative:

I was en route from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 in a 182 turbo at night in VFR conditions. About arriving at the border; I saw that there was WX ahead. I noted the freezing level via the G1000 xm radio WX service was 12000 ft in the local area. I saw that I would be heading into clouds ahead and was on flight following with approach so I asked for an IFR clearance. I was issued 'cleared to ZZZ3.' I was glancing at the ZZZ3 on the G1000 every once in awhile and noticed a storm cell in my path. I notified ATC. They said they did not have anything on radar. Approximately 3 mins after that transmission; I began to notice ice (rime) building up on my wing. Concerned; I asked ATC to divert me to the west; out of the trailing edge of the cell I was about to fly into. They told me that due to terrain; I would have to wait 8 mins before they could divert me. In the next few mins; I saw accumulations of approximately 2-3 inches of mixed ice on the wing and inches(?) of clear ice on the tail (both horizontal and vertical stabilizers). I previously had the autoplt on; and the plane was banking to the left and pitching up. I disconnected autoplt; made sure the pitot and propeller heat were on and took control of the plane. I needed quite a bit of forward pressure to keep the airplane from losing airspeed. I was in IMC and made sure the plane was straight and level. I was unable to hold altitude and thus had to descend below MEA. I notified ATC and then told me to try and climb to 10000 ft for terrain avoidance. I told them that I would not and would be able to avoid terrain via taws-B. They vectored me to the ILS for ZZZ3. After I had been below the MEA for a few mins; the ice had all come off the airframe. There was moderate turbulence in the area and I noted 60 KT crosswind which turned into a headwind as I approached the inbound ILS course. I flew past the course once; being disoriented by the turbulence; but then interrupted and flew the ILS down to approximately 200 ft above minimums when I saw the airport. I was cleared to land via left downwind and noticed it was raining when I was on final. Problem arose: I believe I should have delayed or postponed the flight as there were many airmets out for turbulence and icing (above 12000 ft). I flew into a cloud and the temperature dropped and ice started forming. Contributing factors: precipitation in clouds. Forecasted freezing level was not actual. Bad decision making by PIC. Discovered: I used a flashlight to check surfaces after entering IMC. Corrective action: asked for diversion. Descended to above freezing temperatures. Human performance considerations: WX checking -- airmets should have told me to stay put; but I decided to continue. After weighing decision of climbing to possible non-icing conditions or descending to above freezing temperatures; I chose the latter; but it pushed me below the MEA for the route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 TURBO ENCOUNTERED IMC AND ICING. AFTER IFR CLRNC WAS UNABLE TO MAINT ALT DUE TO ICE AND DIVERTED TO A NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 IN A 182 TURBO AT NIGHT IN VFR CONDITIONS. ABOUT ARRIVING AT THE BORDER; I SAW THAT THERE WAS WX AHEAD. I NOTED THE FREEZING LEVEL VIA THE G1000 XM RADIO WX SVC WAS 12000 FT IN THE LCL AREA. I SAW THAT I WOULD BE HDG INTO CLOUDS AHEAD AND WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH APCH SO I ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC. I WAS ISSUED 'CLRED TO ZZZ3.' I WAS GLANCING AT THE ZZZ3 ON THE G1000 EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE AND NOTICED A STORM CELL IN MY PATH. I NOTIFIED ATC. THEY SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON RADAR. APPROX 3 MINS AFTER THAT XMISSION; I BEGAN TO NOTICE ICE (RIME) BUILDING UP ON MY WING. CONCERNED; I ASKED ATC TO DIVERT ME TO THE W; OUT OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE CELL I WAS ABOUT TO FLY INTO. THEY TOLD ME THAT DUE TO TERRAIN; I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 8 MINS BEFORE THEY COULD DIVERT ME. IN THE NEXT FEW MINS; I SAW ACCUMULATIONS OF APPROX 2-3 INCHES OF MIXED ICE ON THE WING AND INCHES(?) OF CLR ICE ON THE TAIL (BOTH HORIZ AND VERT STABILIZERS). I PREVIOUSLY HAD THE AUTOPLT ON; AND THE PLANE WAS BANKING TO THE L AND PITCHING UP. I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT; MADE SURE THE PITOT AND PROP HEAT WERE ON AND TOOK CTL OF THE PLANE. I NEEDED QUITE A BIT OF FORWARD PRESSURE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE FROM LOSING AIRSPD. I WAS IN IMC AND MADE SURE THE PLANE WAS STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. I WAS UNABLE TO HOLD ALT AND THUS HAD TO DSND BELOW MEA. I NOTIFIED ATC AND THEN TOLD ME TO TRY AND CLB TO 10000 FT FOR TERRAIN AVOIDANCE. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD NOT AND WOULD BE ABLE TO AVOID TERRAIN VIA TAWS-B. THEY VECTORED ME TO THE ILS FOR ZZZ3. AFTER I HAD BEEN BELOW THE MEA FOR A FEW MINS; THE ICE HAD ALL COME OFF THE AIRFRAME. THERE WAS MODERATE TURB IN THE AREA AND I NOTED 60 KT XWIND WHICH TURNED INTO A HEADWIND AS I APCHED THE INBOUND ILS COURSE. I FLEW PAST THE COURSE ONCE; BEING DISORIENTED BY THE TURB; BUT THEN INTERRUPTED AND FLEW THE ILS DOWN TO APPROX 200 FT ABOVE MINIMUMS WHEN I SAW THE ARPT. I WAS CLRED TO LAND VIA L DOWNWIND AND NOTICED IT WAS RAINING WHEN I WAS ON FINAL. PROB AROSE: I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE DELAYED OR POSTPONED THE FLT AS THERE WERE MANY AIRMETS OUT FOR TURB AND ICING (ABOVE 12000 FT). I FLEW INTO A CLOUD AND THE TEMP DROPPED AND ICE STARTED FORMING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PRECIP IN CLOUDS. FORECASTED FREEZING LEVEL WAS NOT ACTUAL. BAD DECISION MAKING BY PIC. DISCOVERED: I USED A FLASHLIGHT TO CHK SURFACES AFTER ENTERING IMC. CORRECTIVE ACTION: ASKED FOR DIVERSION. DSNDED TO ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: WX CHKING -- AIRMETS SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME TO STAY PUT; BUT I DECIDED TO CONTINUE. AFTER WEIGHING DECISION OF CLBING TO POSSIBLE NON-ICING CONDITIONS OR DSNDING TO ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS; I CHOSE THE LATTER; BUT IT PUSHED ME BELOW THE MEA FOR THE RTE.

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.