Narrative:

3 passenger and myself were on a pleasure flight that was planned VFR that would depart from ZZZ and then land in ZZZ1 for lunch. The flight departed ZZZ and arrived in ZZZ1 under VFR conditions as forecasted. While in ZZZ1; snow showers that had been forecasted to develop late afternoon (XD00Z) began to build and the conditions quickly worsened to IMC at around XA00Z. After consulting the NWS's aviation digital data services supplementary icing information website in addition to obtaining an FSS WX briefing; I made the determination to begin the return trip and take off when the precipitation stopped. The snow stopped at around XB00Z and the visibility quickly increased so we departed in VFR and obtained our IFR clearance en route. At about 5000 ft MSL (3 degrees celsius) we entered IMC and light to moderate mixed ice which accumulated to about 1/2 inch on the leading edges of the wing and stabilator. I immediately requested a turn direct to ZZZ1; was given a descent into VMC; and landed under VFR without incident. After landing; I filed a PIREP stating the sky conditions and the icing that was encountered. At roughly XC00Z I again reviewed the WX from adds and from an FSS briefer who informed me that an airmet for icing had been issued over my route of flight; however; conditions were improving and ceilings were lifting. I again departed ZZZ1 VFR at about XD00Z and decided to cruise VFR on top (7000-8000 ft MSL) to ZZZ in order to remain above and out of the clouds; with the expectation that the clouds over ZZZ would become scattered/broken during my arrival time (as forecasted). 40 NM from my destination (it was now nighttime) it had become evident that the clouds were not breaking; however; I was still VMC and elected to continue to ZZZ. While approximately 30 NM from ZZZ; the WX was reported at roughly 1700 ft scattered; 3500 ft broken; and 5500 ft undercast with a visibility of 4 mi and light/blowing snow. I elected to find a 'hole' in the clouds and descend below the cloud deck in order to maintain VFR and prevent having to descend through clouds. While descending; and at approximately 5000 ft; I entered IMC and then snow. I continued my descent with the hopes of 'breaking out;' but at 3000 ft MSL; I realized that the WX forecasted and reported was not accurate. Instead of remaining in the precipitation; I elected to climb to 7000 ft MSL in the hopes of reaching a break in the layers. At 6000 ft MSL; I contacted approach and requested an IFR clearance into ZZZ and was then given vectors to the ILS. Knowing that the precipitation was heavier at the lower altitudes and unable to continue my climb; I informed the approach controller that I would like to remain at 6000 ft MSL and shoot a 'steeper' descent while intercepting the ILS. I remained in IMC while in precipitation and landed without incident. My decision to continue my flight into IMC; which in my opinion would have contained icing; was largely based upon my distance from my destination and from the information I gathered from the various WX sources. In hindsight; my decision to continue was largely based upon the graphic representation that the supplementary icing information model from the NWS provided. I have since reviewed the website and it does state that it should be used only as supplementary information to more primary information such as airmets. While the information that I was given was a large part in my decision to continue; I was also influenced by other factors; most importantly 'get homeitis;' as I had family in town. In my opinion; the best decision that I made that evening was to realize the seriousness of my situation and contact ATC for help. While I didn't declare an emergency; the additional guidance and WX forecasting provided did help calm my nerves. In closing; the end cause of this situation was my decision to begin a flight with the understanding that I would be able to maintain VFR or MVFR throughout. My decision to continue was heavily influenced by the WX information I had obtained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT REPORTS FLYING INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. FLIGHT LANDS SAFELY AFTER OBTAINING IFR CLEARANCE AND VECTORS TO THE ILS.

Narrative: 3 PAX AND MYSELF WERE ON A PLEASURE FLT THAT WAS PLANNED VFR THAT WOULD DEPART FROM ZZZ AND THEN LAND IN ZZZ1 FOR LUNCH. THE FLT DEPARTED ZZZ AND ARRIVED IN ZZZ1 UNDER VFR CONDITIONS AS FORECASTED. WHILE IN ZZZ1; SNOW SHOWERS THAT HAD BEEN FORECASTED TO DEVELOP LATE AFTERNOON (XD00Z) BEGAN TO BUILD AND THE CONDITIONS QUICKLY WORSENED TO IMC AT AROUND XA00Z. AFTER CONSULTING THE NWS'S AVIATION DIGITAL DATA SVCS SUPPLEMENTARY ICING INFO WEBSITE IN ADDITION TO OBTAINING AN FSS WX BRIEFING; I MADE THE DETERMINATION TO BEGIN THE RETURN TRIP AND TAKE OFF WHEN THE PRECIP STOPPED. THE SNOW STOPPED AT AROUND XB00Z AND THE VISIBILITY QUICKLY INCREASED SO WE DEPARTED IN VFR AND OBTAINED OUR IFR CLRNC ENRTE. AT ABOUT 5000 FT MSL (3 DEGS CELSIUS) WE ENTERED IMC AND LIGHT TO MODERATE MIXED ICE WHICH ACCUMULATED TO ABOUT 1/2 INCH ON THE LEADING EDGES OF THE WING AND STABILATOR. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A TURN DIRECT TO ZZZ1; WAS GIVEN A DSCNT INTO VMC; AND LANDED UNDER VFR WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG; I FILED A PIREP STATING THE SKY CONDITIONS AND THE ICING THAT WAS ENCOUNTERED. AT ROUGHLY XC00Z I AGAIN REVIEWED THE WX FROM ADDS AND FROM AN FSS BRIEFER WHO INFORMED ME THAT AN AIRMET FOR ICING HAD BEEN ISSUED OVER MY RTE OF FLT; HOWEVER; CONDITIONS WERE IMPROVING AND CEILINGS WERE LIFTING. I AGAIN DEPARTED ZZZ1 VFR AT ABOUT XD00Z AND DECIDED TO CRUISE VFR ON TOP (7000-8000 FT MSL) TO ZZZ IN ORDER TO REMAIN ABOVE AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS; WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THE CLOUDS OVER ZZZ WOULD BECOME SCATTERED/BROKEN DURING MY ARR TIME (AS FORECASTED). 40 NM FROM MY DEST (IT WAS NOW NIGHTTIME) IT HAD BECOME EVIDENT THAT THE CLOUDS WERE NOT BREAKING; HOWEVER; I WAS STILL VMC AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. WHILE APPROX 30 NM FROM ZZZ; THE WX WAS RPTED AT ROUGHLY 1700 FT SCATTERED; 3500 FT BROKEN; AND 5500 FT UNDERCAST WITH A VISIBILITY OF 4 MI AND LIGHT/BLOWING SNOW. I ELECTED TO FIND A 'HOLE' IN THE CLOUDS AND DSND BELOW THE CLOUD DECK IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR AND PREVENT HAVING TO DSND THROUGH CLOUDS. WHILE DSNDING; AND AT APPROX 5000 FT; I ENTERED IMC AND THEN SNOW. I CONTINUED MY DSCNT WITH THE HOPES OF 'BREAKING OUT;' BUT AT 3000 FT MSL; I REALIZED THAT THE WX FORECASTED AND RPTED WAS NOT ACCURATE. INSTEAD OF REMAINING IN THE PRECIP; I ELECTED TO CLB TO 7000 FT MSL IN THE HOPES OF REACHING A BREAK IN THE LAYERS. AT 6000 FT MSL; I CONTACTED APCH AND REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC INTO ZZZ AND WAS THEN GIVEN VECTORS TO THE ILS. KNOWING THAT THE PRECIP WAS HEAVIER AT THE LOWER ALTS AND UNABLE TO CONTINUE MY CLB; I INFORMED THE APCH CTLR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN AT 6000 FT MSL AND SHOOT A 'STEEPER' DSCNT WHILE INTERCEPTING THE ILS. I REMAINED IN IMC WHILE IN PRECIP AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY DECISION TO CONTINUE MY FLT INTO IMC; WHICH IN MY OPINION WOULD HAVE CONTAINED ICING; WAS LARGELY BASED UPON MY DISTANCE FROM MY DEST AND FROM THE INFO I GATHERED FROM THE VARIOUS WX SOURCES. IN HINDSIGHT; MY DECISION TO CONTINUE WAS LARGELY BASED UPON THE GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION THAT THE SUPPLEMENTARY ICING INFO MODEL FROM THE NWS PROVIDED. I HAVE SINCE REVIEWED THE WEBSITE AND IT DOES STATE THAT IT SHOULD BE USED ONLY AS SUPPLEMENTARY INFO TO MORE PRIMARY INFO SUCH AS AIRMETS. WHILE THE INFO THAT I WAS GIVEN WAS A LARGE PART IN MY DECISION TO CONTINUE; I WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY OTHER FACTORS; MOST IMPORTANTLY 'GET HOMEITIS;' AS I HAD FAMILY IN TOWN. IN MY OPINION; THE BEST DECISION THAT I MADE THAT EVENING WAS TO REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF MY SITUATION AND CONTACT ATC FOR HELP. WHILE I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER; THE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AND WX FORECASTING PROVIDED DID HELP CALM MY NERVES. IN CLOSING; THE END CAUSE OF THIS SITUATION WAS MY DECISION TO BEGIN A FLT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR OR MVFR THROUGHOUT. MY DECISION TO CONTINUE WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE WX INFO I HAD OBTAINED.

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.