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Small aircraft encounters ice during cruise. On descent accumulation makes it difficult to level off. Descent below assigned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 240847 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199305 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : myv |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8600 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zoa |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 240847 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I experienced light rime ice during the flight and reported this to ATC. On descent, the accumulation increased between 11000 ft and 10000 ft making it impossible to level out. At 9000 ft I descended below my assigned altitude approximately 400 ft and recovered my altitude to the assigned level of 9000 ft. The controller informed me of the descent below assigned altitude as I was recovering and asked me if the ice was creating a problem. I informed him we were 'aware of the situation' and were regaining altitude. As a side note, the ice broke off slowly below 9000 ft which was also the base of the cloud layer. I did not inform ATC of the deviation from assigned altitude because the recovery was in progress and I did not feel the reporting would be significant.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS ICE DURING CRUISE. ON DSCNT ACCUMULATION MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO LEVEL OFF. DSCNT BELOW ASSIGNED.
Narrative: I EXPERIENCED LIGHT RIME ICE DURING THE FLT AND RPTED THIS TO ATC. ON DSCNT, THE ACCUMULATION INCREASED BTWN 11000 FT AND 10000 FT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO LEVEL OUT. AT 9000 FT I DSNDED BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT APPROX 400 FT AND RECOVERED MY ALT TO THE ASSIGNED LEVEL OF 9000 FT. THE CTLR INFORMED ME OF THE DSCNT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT AS I WAS RECOVERING AND ASKED ME IF THE ICE WAS CREATING A PROB. I INFORMED HIM WE WERE 'AWARE OF THE SIT' AND WERE REGAINING ALT. AS A SIDE NOTE, THE ICE BROKE OFF SLOWLY BELOW 9000 FT WHICH WAS ALSO THE BASE OF THE CLOUD LAYER. I DID NOT INFORM ATC OF THE DEV FROM ASSIGNED ALT BECAUSE THE RECOVERY WAS IN PROGRESS AND I DID NOT FEEL THE RPTING WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT.
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.