Narrative:

I was en route from bzn to 1v5 via west of west yellowstone, west of teton mountain, along south of windriver range direct 1v5 on a VFR flight plan. Forecast WX en route was MVFR. WX was better than forecast until approximately 30 mi west of ckw VOR where an overcast covered the ground. I requested flight following and received a transponder code after calling flight watch and hearing den was IFR with some reported ice between 14000-16000 ft. Rawlins, laramie, and cheyenne were also IFR with low ceilings, but hayden was still VFR. I told ATC I would be climbing and probably need an IFR clearance. At about 17000 ft, I requested an IFR clearance as it appeared I might not clear the clouds ahead. ATC (134.5) told me to file with FSS. I filed with casper radio on 122.4 and called ATC a few mins later to be told they hadn't received the flight plan. ATC told me to refile. I talked with casper radio again and they said the flight plan had been sent. I called ATC again and they still did not have the plan and refused to give me a clearance. I continued climbing very slowly at maximum power (C182 service ceiling is 17900 ft) trying to stay above the clouds and again requested a clearance at FL180. I was refused and told to contact FSS again. ATC asked my atl and I replied 18200 ft. Outside temperature -20 degrees C. He told me I should not be at that altitude and I replied, 'I'm aware of that, sir.' after several more rebukes, he told me to contact FSS again. I did so, still trying to maintain FL182 just above the clouds and FSS gave me another frequency (132.1?) who gave me an immediate clearance to bjc as requested earlier and as filed with an altitude of FL190. I indicated I might be unable FL190 and was given a block altitude of 17000 ft FL190. Clouds appeared slightly higher toward hayden cheyenne at that time. I flew in and out of the clouds reaching FL185 at maximum power and vy of approximately 90 KIAS toward tomsn intersection as cleared. Ice built slowly and I was back to FL181 by tomsn. At tomsn I requested a heading directly to the plains (due to ice) instead of direct bjc as cleared, and my request was approved immediately (heading of 080 degrees instead of 126 degrees to get out of the mountains quickly). I was cleared to lower by ATC and was told to expect the most ice between 16000 ft and 14000 ft. I descended quickly and picked up about another 1/2 inch rime ice on the wing leading edge beyond the 1/2 inch that had already accumulated. Den approach was very helpful and inquired about the ice buildup. ILS runway 29 to bjc was normal and the ice began to break off at about 810 ft AGL as I dropped below the clouds. I should probably have reversed course earlier, but the only clear airport I knew of was jac. WX had deteriorated rapidly in den and I didn't know if wyoming had also done so. ATC knew I would need an IFR clearance, that I was in a C182 with marginal climb performance, that I would like to stay above the clouds for as long as possible to avoid ice and made life as difficult as possible until I got a different controller who was very helpful. I think the first controller put us at risk more than I did by limiting my climb options and making me focus on unnecessary 'processes' instead of focusing on flying the airplane. The following controllers were great.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT, FLYING TOWARD RISING TERRAIN WHILE AVOIDING IMC CONDITIONS, EXPERIENCED UNREASONABLE DELAYS IN RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC FOR A FLT PLAN HE HAD FILED WITH FSS 4 SEPARATE TIMES.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM BZN TO 1V5 VIA W OF WEST YELLOWSTONE, W OF TETON MOUNTAIN, ALONG S OF WINDRIVER RANGE DIRECT 1V5 ON A VFR FLT PLAN. FORECAST WX ENRTE WAS MVFR. WX WAS BETTER THAN FORECAST UNTIL APPROX 30 MI W OF CKW VOR WHERE AN OVCST COVERED THE GND. I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND RECEIVED A XPONDER CODE AFTER CALLING FLT WATCH AND HEARING DEN WAS IFR WITH SOME RPTED ICE BTWN 14000-16000 FT. RAWLINS, LARAMIE, AND CHEYENNE WERE ALSO IFR WITH LOW CEILINGS, BUT HAYDEN WAS STILL VFR. I TOLD ATC I WOULD BE CLBING AND PROBABLY NEED AN IFR CLRNC. AT ABOUT 17000 FT, I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC AS IT APPEARED I MIGHT NOT CLR THE CLOUDS AHEAD. ATC (134.5) TOLD ME TO FILE WITH FSS. I FILED WITH CASPER RADIO ON 122.4 AND CALLED ATC A FEW MINS LATER TO BE TOLD THEY HADN'T RECEIVED THE FLT PLAN. ATC TOLD ME TO REFILE. I TALKED WITH CASPER RADIO AGAIN AND THEY SAID THE FLT PLAN HAD BEEN SENT. I CALLED ATC AGAIN AND THEY STILL DID NOT HAVE THE PLAN AND REFUSED TO GIVE ME A CLRNC. I CONTINUED CLBING VERY SLOWLY AT MAX PWR (C182 SVC CEILING IS 17900 FT) TRYING TO STAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND AGAIN REQUESTED A CLRNC AT FL180. I WAS REFUSED AND TOLD TO CONTACT FSS AGAIN. ATC ASKED MY ATL AND I REPLIED 18200 FT. OUTSIDE TEMP -20 DEGS C. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD NOT BE AT THAT ALT AND I REPLIED, 'I'M AWARE OF THAT, SIR.' AFTER SEVERAL MORE REBUKES, HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT FSS AGAIN. I DID SO, STILL TRYING TO MAINTAIN FL182 JUST ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND FSS GAVE ME ANOTHER FREQ (132.1?) WHO GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO BJC AS REQUESTED EARLIER AND AS FILED WITH AN ALT OF FL190. I INDICATED I MIGHT BE UNABLE FL190 AND WAS GIVEN A BLOCK ALT OF 17000 FT FL190. CLOUDS APPEARED SLIGHTLY HIGHER TOWARD HAYDEN CHEYENNE AT THAT TIME. I FLEW IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS REACHING FL185 AT MAX PWR AND VY OF APPROX 90 KIAS TOWARD TOMSN INTXN AS CLRED. ICE BUILT SLOWLY AND I WAS BACK TO FL181 BY TOMSN. AT TOMSN I REQUESTED A HDG DIRECTLY TO THE PLAINS (DUE TO ICE) INSTEAD OF DIRECT BJC AS CLRED, AND MY REQUEST WAS APPROVED IMMEDIATELY (HDG OF 080 DEGS INSTEAD OF 126 DEGS TO GET OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS QUICKLY). I WAS CLRED TO LOWER BY ATC AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THE MOST ICE BTWN 16000 FT AND 14000 FT. I DSNDED QUICKLY AND PICKED UP ABOUT ANOTHER 1/2 INCH RIME ICE ON THE WING LEADING EDGE BEYOND THE 1/2 INCH THAT HAD ALREADY ACCUMULATED. DEN APCH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE ICE BUILDUP. ILS RWY 29 TO BJC WAS NORMAL AND THE ICE BEGAN TO BREAK OFF AT ABOUT 810 FT AGL AS I DROPPED BELOW THE CLOUDS. I SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE REVERSED COURSE EARLIER, BUT THE ONLY CLR ARPT I KNEW OF WAS JAC. WX HAD DETERIORATED RAPIDLY IN DEN AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF WYOMING HAD ALSO DONE SO. ATC KNEW I WOULD NEED AN IFR CLRNC, THAT I WAS IN A C182 WITH MARGINAL CLB PERFORMANCE, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO STAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID ICE AND MADE LIFE AS DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE UNTIL I GOT A DIFFERENT CTLR WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL. I THINK THE FIRST CTLR PUT US AT RISK MORE THAN I DID BY LIMITING MY CLB OPTIONS AND MAKING ME FOCUS ON UNNECESSARY 'PROCESSES' INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE. THE FOLLOWING CTLRS WERE GREAT.

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.