<< >> NASA ASRS Report 130295, November 1989

Due to reports of icing, an inexperienced small aircraft pilot requests climb from 6000' to 7000', encounters carburetor and structural icing such that aircraft cannot climb.

Attributes
ACN	130295
Time
Date	198911
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hvq
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5700 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v128
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 335 flight time type : 230
ASRS Report	130295
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After starting a climb from 6000 to a new assigned altitude of 7000 due to reported icing by ATC ahead, got only to an altitude of about 6200 before engine roughness required application of carburetor heat. The reduction of power available and the start and accumulation of mixed icing was such that the climb stopped. Level flight could not be maintained and the aircraft descended to about 5700. Due to frequency congestion at the time ATC contacted us about the situation before I was able to get to them. A new assigned altitude of 5000 was received, descended to, and the flight concluded normally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO REPORTS OF ICING, AN INEXPERIENCED SMA PLT REQUESTS CLIMB FROM 6000' TO 7000', ENCOUNTERS CARBURETOR AND STRUCTURAL ICING SUCH THAT ACFT CANNOT CLIMB.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING A CLIMB FROM 6000 TO A NEW ASSIGNED ALT OF 7000 DUE TO REPORTED ICING BY ATC AHEAD, GOT ONLY TO AN ALT OF ABOUT 6200 BEFORE ENGINE ROUGHNESS REQUIRED APPLICATION OF CARBURETOR HEAT. THE REDUCTION OF POWER AVAILABLE AND THE START AND ACCUMULATION OF MIXED ICING WAS SUCH THAT THE CLIMB STOPPED. LEVEL FLT COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED AND THE ACFT DESCENDED TO ABOUT 5700. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AT THE TIME ATC CONTACTED US ABOUT THE SITUATION BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THEM. A NEW ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 WAS RECEIVED, DESCENDED TO, AND THE FLT CONCLUDED NORMALLY.

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.