The pilot of a high performance home built encountered icing at FL220 ft and lost his instruments because of pitot static ice. He declared an emergency and descended to a warmer altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	803233
Time
Date	200808
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice Turbulence Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	803233
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On vector to avoid thunderstorm; altitude FL220. Clear air. Flew into misty cloud layer. Outside air temperature went from +8 degrees C to 0 degrees C and light to moderate rime icing. Indicated airspeed began to decrease and altitude indication erratic. Suspected faulty pitot heat and recycled switch. Ensured rocker switch made contact. With erratic pitot static system was unable to maintain altitude. Airspeed went to zero; standby airspeed indicator read zero as well. Multiple altitude excursions. Unable to communication with ATC due to static from convective activity. Declared emergency and asked for lower and warmer altitude. Descended to warm air and pitot static system appeared to return to normal. Canceled emergency and continued to destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PILOT OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME BUILT ENCOUNTERED ICING AT FL220 FT AND LOST HIS INSTRUMENTS BECAUSE OF PITOT STATIC ICE. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DESCENDED TO A WARMER ALTITUDE.

Narrative: ON VECTOR TO AVOID TSTM; ALT FL220. CLR AIR. FLEW INTO MISTY CLOUD LAYER. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WENT FROM +8 DEGS C TO 0 DEGS C AND LIGHT TO MODERATE RIME ICING. INDICATED AIRSPD BEGAN TO DECREASE AND ALT INDICATION ERRATIC. SUSPECTED FAULTY PITOT HEAT AND RECYCLED SWITCH. ENSURED ROCKER SWITCH MADE CONTACT. WITH ERRATIC PITOT STATIC SYS WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. AIRSPD WENT TO ZERO; STANDBY AIRSPD INDICATOR READ ZERO AS WELL. MULTIPLE ALT EXCURSIONS. UNABLE TO COM WITH ATC DUE TO STATIC FROM CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. DECLARED EMER AND ASKED FOR LOWER AND WARMER ALT. DSNDED TO WARM AIR AND PITOT STATIC SYS APPEARED TO RETURN TO NORMAL. CANCELED EMER AND CONTINUED TO DEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.