Narrative:

Problems on IFR at IMC--icing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: this was the first time the reporter had ever been in icing conditions and when he started to lose airspeed he declared an emergency and ZNY gave him vectors to the nearest airport. Says he learned more about flying IFR in those few mins before he broke out under the clouds then he ever had learned from all his reading and verbal flight instructions. The problem was that he forgot to turn on the pitot heat and did not discover the error until he was VFR and the airspeed came back. Before this he began to have doubts about all his instruments and thus declared an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENCOUNTERED ICING IN CRUISE AT 9000'. PLT REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WHERE A SAFE LNDG WAS COMPLETED.

Narrative: PROBS ON IFR AT IMC--ICING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE RPTR HAD EVER BEEN IN ICING CONDITIONS AND WHEN HE STARTED TO LOSE AIRSPD HE DECLARED AN EMER AND ZNY GAVE HIM VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT. SAYS HE LEARNED MORE ABOUT FLYING IFR IN THOSE FEW MINS BEFORE HE BROKE OUT UNDER THE CLOUDS THEN HE EVER HAD LEARNED FROM ALL HIS READING AND VERBAL FLT INSTRUCTIONS. THE PROB WAS THAT HE FORGOT TO TURN ON THE PITOT HEAT AND DID NOT DISCOVER THE ERROR UNTIL HE WAS VFR AND THE AIRSPD CAME BACK. BEFORE THIS HE BEGAN TO HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT ALL HIS INSTRUMENTS AND THUS DECLARED AN EMER.

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.