Narrative:

We decided to take off in VFR conditions and see if we could make it through VFR. We were able to see that the WX was deteriorating so we started to file an IFR flight plan; however it was not complete when I flew the aircraft into the IMC. I broke my first far when I flew into IMC conditions without an IFR flight plan. We soon after received a clearance from center and flew on checking for ice the whole time. Approximately 2 mins into the flight after receiving the IFR clearance I noticed that ice was beginning to form on our leading edges and our windshield as well. This startled me and we informed center that we were building ice and needed to change our destination to the closest airport. We were cleared to ZZZ1 but upon hearing from center that the WX in ZZZ1 was misting I broke my second far and deviated from assigned heading and altitude to get out of the clouds and precipitation. The report of mist made me think that the safest alternative was fly back the way that we had come and to descend out of the clouds immediately. Once we had turned around we were out of IMC within mins and landed safely in ZZZ. We stayed the rest of that evening as well as the next day and night; waiting for the WX to improve. I did many things wrong: I should have planned better to avoid getting in this situation. I should have turned around immediately before entering IMC. My biggest problem was my eagerness to get home; also we knew that behind this poor WX; the ceilings were much higher and there was no precipitation. This made me think that if we could just break through we could make it the rest of the way VFR. In retrospect; I also should have informed ATC of my intentions; however at the time I thought it more important to get out of the poor situation that we were in. My lack of experience in icing conditions contributed to my poor decisions; I was not sure how quickly it was forming or just how much was enough to put us into a situation that would make it impossible to maintain altitude. I am very thankful to have made it out of this situation safely. One of the worst attitudes to have in these sits is 'get-there-itis' something I have been taught from the beginning of my flight training and I experienced first hand why operational pitfalls are preached to flight students. I learned a lot from this experience; most important of the lessons learned was how to avoid this situation. I will not ever again get into a situation like this with such a poor plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PILOT FLIES INTO IMC BEFORE OBTAINING IFR CLEARANCE. AFTER IFR CLEARANCE IS OBTAINED ICING CONDITIONS ARE ENCOUNTERED AND REPORTER REVERSES COURSE AND DESCENDS WITHOUT ATC APPROVAL.

Narrative: WE DECIDED TO TAKE OFF IN VFR CONDITIONS AND SEE IF WE COULD MAKE IT THROUGH VFR. WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT THE WX WAS DETERIORATING SO WE STARTED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN; HOWEVER IT WAS NOT COMPLETE WHEN I FLEW THE ACFT INTO THE IMC. I BROKE MY FIRST FAR WHEN I FLEW INTO IMC CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN IFR FLT PLAN. WE SOON AFTER RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM CTR AND FLEW ON CHKING FOR ICE THE WHOLE TIME. APPROX 2 MINS INTO THE FLT AFTER RECEIVING THE IFR CLRNC I NOTICED THAT ICE WAS BEGINNING TO FORM ON OUR LEADING EDGES AND OUR WINDSHIELD AS WELL. THIS STARTLED ME AND WE INFORMED CTR THAT WE WERE BUILDING ICE AND NEEDED TO CHANGE OUR DEST TO THE CLOSEST ARPT. WE WERE CLRED TO ZZZ1 BUT UPON HEARING FROM CTR THAT THE WX IN ZZZ1 WAS MISTING I BROKE MY SECOND FAR AND DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND PRECIP. THE RPT OF MIST MADE ME THINK THAT THE SAFEST ALTERNATIVE WAS FLY BACK THE WAY THAT WE HAD COME AND TO DSND OUT OF THE CLOUDS IMMEDIATELY. ONCE WE HAD TURNED AROUND WE WERE OUT OF IMC WITHIN MINS AND LANDED SAFELY IN ZZZ. WE STAYED THE REST OF THAT EVENING AS WELL AS THE NEXT DAY AND NIGHT; WAITING FOR THE WX TO IMPROVE. I DID MANY THINGS WRONG: I SHOULD HAVE PLANNED BETTER TO AVOID GETTING IN THIS SIT. I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ENTERING IMC. MY BIGGEST PROB WAS MY EAGERNESS TO GET HOME; ALSO WE KNEW THAT BEHIND THIS POOR WX; THE CEILINGS WERE MUCH HIGHER AND THERE WAS NO PRECIP. THIS MADE ME THINK THAT IF WE COULD JUST BREAK THROUGH WE COULD MAKE IT THE REST OF THE WAY VFR. IN RETROSPECT; I ALSO SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ATC OF MY INTENTIONS; HOWEVER AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT MORE IMPORTANT TO GET OUT OF THE POOR SITUATION THAT WE WERE IN. MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN ICING CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTED TO MY POOR DECISIONS; I WAS NOT SURE HOW QUICKLY IT WAS FORMING OR JUST HOW MUCH WAS ENOUGH TO PUT US INTO A SITUATION THAT WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. I AM VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE MADE IT OUT OF THIS SITUATION SAFELY. ONE OF THE WORST ATTITUDES TO HAVE IN THESE SITS IS 'GET-THERE-ITIS' SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY FLT TRAINING AND I EXPERIENCED FIRST HAND WHY OPERATIONAL PITFALLS ARE PREACHED TO FLT STUDENTS. I LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE; MOST IMPORTANT OF THE LESSONS LEARNED WAS HOW TO AVOID THIS SIT. I WILL NOT EVER AGAIN GET INTO A SITUATION LIKE THIS WITH SUCH A POOR PLAN.

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.