Narrative:

Flight plan was filed from ZZZ to ZZZ1. I was PIC and had 2 passenger. Initially; I was cleared for 8000 ft. On climb out; I was advised by approach of reported moderate rime ice. I reached 8000 ft without entering any clouds. Sky was broken and clouds were in layers. I encountered strong headwinds of approximately 50 KTS directly on the nose. Shortly after reaching 8000 ft; indicated airspeed dropped to about 80 KIAS and ground speed dropped to 45 KTS. I hit a mountain wave; but was able to maintain altitude. The mountain wave disappeared; indicated airspeed increased to about 105 KIAS and the plane climbed above the assigned altitude to 8600 ft. I advised approach that I encountered a mountain wave and then had the opposite problem and could not maintain altitude. Approach acknowledged that I could not maintain altitude. Shortly after advising ATC; I requested to climb to 10000 ft to avoid clouds. I was cleared to 10000 ft. On climbing to 10000 ft; a second mountain wave was encountered; in which I could not maintain altitude. I requested approach to return to ZZZ. I was cleared to ZZZ. I requested to stay above the clouds as some of the clouds were rather dark and the outside air temperature was -10 degrees celsius. I didn't want to pick up ice. The sky was broken and I saw a large hole through which I had visual ground contact. I requested to spiral down through the hole; which I attempted to do after receiving approach clearance. Despite power at idle setting; I couldn't lose any altitude. I was stuck in the updrafts on the windward side of the mountains. I was essentially a glider. After about a half dozen 360 degree turns; I decided I had to get away from the mountains and requested approach for vectors to the ILS runway 4 at ZZZ and to stay high until I got away from the mountains. I shot the runway 4 ILS approach and circled and landed on runway 22. I'm not sure what rules and/or regulations I potentially violated. While the controllers were helpful and accommodating; at least one of the controllers was rather terse and seemed annoyed; asking at one point whether or not I had been briefed about the icing. During the entire flight; I was only in the clouds for about 30 seconds and did not pick up any ice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PILOT REPORTS ENCOUNTERING MOUNTAIN WAVES WHICH EXCEED THE AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT; BOTH ASCENDING AND DESCENDING.

Narrative: FLT PLAN WAS FILED FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. I WAS PIC AND HAD 2 PAX. INITIALLY; I WAS CLRED FOR 8000 FT. ON CLBOUT; I WAS ADVISED BY APCH OF RPTED MODERATE RIME ICE. I REACHED 8000 FT WITHOUT ENTERING ANY CLOUDS. SKY WAS BROKEN AND CLOUDS WERE IN LAYERS. I ENCOUNTERED STRONG HEADWINDS OF APPROX 50 KTS DIRECTLY ON THE NOSE. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING 8000 FT; INDICATED AIRSPD DROPPED TO ABOUT 80 KIAS AND GND SPD DROPPED TO 45 KTS. I HIT A MOUNTAIN WAVE; BUT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. THE MOUNTAIN WAVE DISAPPEARED; INDICATED AIRSPD INCREASED TO ABOUT 105 KIAS AND THE PLANE CLBED ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT TO 8600 FT. I ADVISED APCH THAT I ENCOUNTERED A MOUNTAIN WAVE AND THEN HAD THE OPPOSITE PROB AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. APCH ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. SHORTLY AFTER ADVISING ATC; I REQUESTED TO CLB TO 10000 FT TO AVOID CLOUDS. I WAS CLRED TO 10000 FT. ON CLBING TO 10000 FT; A SECOND MOUNTAIN WAVE WAS ENCOUNTERED; IN WHICH I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. I REQUESTED APCH TO RETURN TO ZZZ. I WAS CLRED TO ZZZ. I REQUESTED TO STAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS AS SOME OF THE CLOUDS WERE RATHER DARK AND THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -10 DEGS CELSIUS. I DIDN'T WANT TO PICK UP ICE. THE SKY WAS BROKEN AND I SAW A LARGE HOLE THROUGH WHICH I HAD VISUAL GND CONTACT. I REQUESTED TO SPIRAL DOWN THROUGH THE HOLE; WHICH I ATTEMPTED TO DO AFTER RECEIVING APCH CLRNC. DESPITE PWR AT IDLE SETTING; I COULDN'T LOSE ANY ALT. I WAS STUCK IN THE UPDRAFTS ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS. I WAS ESSENTIALLY A GLIDER. AFTER ABOUT A HALF DOZEN 360 DEG TURNS; I DECIDED I HAD TO GET AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS AND REQUESTED APCH FOR VECTORS TO THE ILS RWY 4 AT ZZZ AND TO STAY HIGH UNTIL I GOT AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS. I SHOT THE RWY 4 ILS APCH AND CIRCLED AND LANDED ON RWY 22. I'M NOT SURE WHAT RULES AND/OR REGS I POTENTIALLY VIOLATED. WHILE THE CTLRS WERE HELPFUL AND ACCOMMODATING; AT LEAST ONE OF THE CTLRS WAS RATHER TERSE AND SEEMED ANNOYED; ASKING AT ONE POINT WHETHER OR NOT I HAD BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT THE ICING. DURING THE ENTIRE FLT; I WAS ONLY IN THE CLOUDS FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND DID NOT PICK UP ANY ICE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.