An small aircraft pilot iced his pitot tube.

Attributes
ACN	227770
Time
Date	199211
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fxe
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : atl
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 260 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	227770
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was my first encounter with ice. There was very slight rime ice on the very leading edge of the wings, perhaps 1/4 inch thick but not continuous throughout the length of the wings. No change was evident of flight characteristics. The pitot iced over and I lost airspeed indication for about 2 mins. I turned on pitot heat and it came back in about 30 seconds. I left it on. I would not be filing a report except that when the pitot iced over, I felt it necessary/prudent to report the loss of the instrument to ATC. As I was reporting it, it came back. The controller asked if I needed to change altitude to get out of the ice. I knew there was no precipitation. I did not think it warranted changing altitude at that time. I said I wanted to continue the vectoring, and I would inform them if I deemed change necessary. No further incidents (except a go around because of gusty surface winds) occurred. A lot of my friends are pilots, some of which heard my report to ATC. There is certainly, evident to me, pressure not to feel free to make reports as I did to ATC. I have accepted that, as a general rule, any icing is unacceptable. However, knowing what the situation was with the precipitation and amount of icing, I would have requested to maintain 7000 ft (my filed altitude) until final approach fix inbound. I would have stayed out of the IMC and minimized what minor amount of icing there was. Moreover, henceforth, any reports of icing will weigh heavily in my decision not to go. I understand the possibility of freezing rain. As to whether I would report the temporary loss of airspeed indication again or not, I would not report it until either I was pretty sure it was not coming back or if I had the smallest indication of a real problem (such as a thicker freezing area or faster buildup) then I would report it. When you are learning, sometimes you think you are in danger when you are actually not.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT ICED HIS PITOT TUBE.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH ICE. THERE WAS VERY SLIGHT RIME ICE ON THE VERY LEADING EDGE OF THE WINGS, PERHAPS 1/4 INCH THICK BUT NOT CONTINUOUS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE WINGS. NO CHANGE WAS EVIDENT OF FLT CHARACTERISTICS. THE PITOT ICED OVER AND I LOST AIRSPD INDICATION FOR ABOUT 2 MINS. I TURNED ON PITOT HEAT AND IT CAME BACK IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS. I LEFT IT ON. I WOULD NOT BE FILING A RPT EXCEPT THAT WHEN THE PITOT ICED OVER, I FELT IT NECESSARY/PRUDENT TO RPT THE LOSS OF THE INST TO ATC. AS I WAS RPTING IT, IT CAME BACK. THE CTLR ASKED IF I NEEDED TO CHANGE ALT TO GET OUT OF THE ICE. I KNEW THERE WAS NO PRECIPITATION. I DID NOT THINK IT WARRANTED CHANGING ALT AT THAT TIME. I SAID I WANTED TO CONTINUE THE VECTORING, AND I WOULD INFORM THEM IF I DEEMED CHANGE NECESSARY. NO FURTHER INCIDENTS (EXCEPT A GAR BECAUSE OF GUSTY SURFACE WINDS) OCCURRED. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE PLTS, SOME OF WHICH HEARD MY RPT TO ATC. THERE IS CERTAINLY, EVIDENT TO ME, PRESSURE NOT TO FEEL FREE TO MAKE RPTS AS I DID TO ATC. I HAVE ACCEPTED THAT, AS A GENERAL RULE, ANY ICING IS UNACCEPTABLE. HOWEVER, KNOWING WHAT THE SITUATION WAS WITH THE PRECIPITATION AND AMOUNT OF ICING, I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT (MY FILED ALT) UNTIL FINAL APCH FIX INBOUND. I WOULD HAVE STAYED OUT OF THE IMC AND MINIMIZED WHAT MINOR AMOUNT OF ICING THERE WAS. MOREOVER, HENCEFORTH, ANY RPTS OF ICING WILL WEIGH HEAVILY IN MY DECISION NOT TO GO. I UNDERSTAND THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN. AS TO WHETHER I WOULD RPT THE TEMPORARY LOSS OF AIRSPD INDICATION AGAIN OR NOT, I WOULD NOT RPT IT UNTIL EITHER I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS NOT COMING BACK OR IF I HAD THE SMALLEST INDICATION OF A REAL PROBLEM (SUCH AS A THICKER FREEZING AREA OR FASTER BUILDUP) THEN I WOULD RPT IT. WHEN YOU ARE LEARNING, SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU ARE IN DANGER WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY NOT.

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