In-flight WX encounter. Emergency declared. Landed canada without flight plan.

Attributes
ACN	101395
Time
Date	198812
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dtw airport : yqg
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 622 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw tower : yqg
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 139 flight time type : 31
ASRS Report	101395
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had planned to depart phn or yng at approximately am. Prior to departure I called lan FSS for a WX briefing. Upon being informed that conditions along the route from phn to yng were marginal (after a recent frontal passage), I elected to return to my home base at ptk. I received current yzr and ptk WX from lan FSS. No flight precautions were issued and ceilings were 2000-3000' with 7 mi visibility. Forecast WX for this route of flight was VFR. I departed phn at approximately am and conditions were as advised by lan FSS. It was very dark and overcast at approximately 8000', with a broken layer at 3000'. Forward visibility was about 7 mi. Approximately 10 DME mi east of ptk O suddenly encountered clouds. I immediately turned 180 degrees and found clouds had closed in behind me--none of which were forecast or visible until contact. I attempted to contact lan FSS but was unsuccessful. I contacted det approach and requested assistance. I was unable to make ground contact and requested vectors or be allowed to climb to VFR. I was given vectors and climbed above the cloud layer. I declared an emergency at that time because my airspeed indicator and vertical speed indicator failed due to pitot ice. (At no time however was there any structural ice). At 6000' I was clear of clouds, pitot heat had cleared the ice, and I regained my airspeed indicators. I got det in sight, but was unable to descend through clouds that were closing in. Det approach gave us vectors to keep me clear of clouds to yqg where I landed west/O incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated canada has no problem with the situation. However, FAA is threatening violation for penetrating TCA. Reporter feels strongly he was not in TCA. Only time it was even possible is while being vectored by approach after declaring emergency. He has heard tapes and feels he did nothing wrong. Before declaring emergency verbally, he squawked 7700 on transponder to alert ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT WX ENCOUNTER. EMERGENCY DECLARED. LANDED CANADA WITHOUT FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED TO DEPART PHN OR YNG AT APPROX AM. PRIOR TO DEP I CALLED LAN FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING. UPON BEING INFORMED THAT CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE FROM PHN TO YNG WERE MARGINAL (AFTER A RECENT FRONTAL PASSAGE), I ELECTED TO RETURN TO MY HOME BASE AT PTK. I RECEIVED CURRENT YZR AND PTK WX FROM LAN FSS. NO FLT PRECAUTIONS WERE ISSUED AND CEILINGS WERE 2000-3000' WITH 7 MI VISIBILITY. FORECAST WX FOR THIS ROUTE OF FLT WAS VFR. I DEPARTED PHN AT APPROX AM AND CONDITIONS WERE AS ADVISED BY LAN FSS. IT WAS VERY DARK AND OVCST AT APPROX 8000', WITH A BROKEN LAYER AT 3000'. FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 7 MI. APPROX 10 DME MI E OF PTK O SUDDENLY ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED 180 DEGS AND FOUND CLOUDS HAD CLOSED IN BEHIND ME--NONE OF WHICH WERE FORECAST OR VISIBLE UNTIL CONTACT. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT LAN FSS BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I CONTACTED DET APCH AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE GND CONTACT AND REQUESTED VECTORS OR BE ALLOWED TO CLB TO VFR. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS AND CLBED ABOVE THE CLOUD LAYER. I DECLARED AN EMER AT THAT TIME BECAUSE MY AIRSPD INDICATOR AND VERT SPD INDICATOR FAILED DUE TO PITOT ICE. (AT NO TIME HOWEVER WAS THERE ANY STRUCTURAL ICE). AT 6000' I WAS CLR OF CLOUDS, PITOT HEAT HAD CLRED THE ICE, AND I REGAINED MY AIRSPD INDICATORS. I GOT DET IN SIGHT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DSND THROUGH CLOUDS THAT WERE CLOSING IN. DET APCH GAVE US VECTORS TO KEEP ME CLR OF CLOUDS TO YQG WHERE I LANDED W/O INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED CANADA HAS NO PROB WITH THE SITUATION. HOWEVER, FAA IS THREATENING VIOLATION FOR PENETRATING TCA. RPTR FEELS STRONGLY HE WAS NOT IN TCA. ONLY TIME IT WAS EVEN POSSIBLE IS WHILE BEING VECTORED BY APCH AFTER DECLARING EMER. HE HAS HEARD TAPES AND FEELS HE DID NOTHING WRONG. BEFORE DECLARING EMER VERBALLY, HE SQUAWKED 7700 ON TRANSPONDER TO ALERT ATC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.