An IFR SR22 pilot at 3;000 ft requested to remain at 3;000 ft because of suspected icing at higher a...

Attributes
ACN	948011
Time
Date	201105
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	SR22
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Private Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 14 Flight Crew Total 2100 Flight Crew Type 1500
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence

Narrative:

I filed IFR 5;000 ft MSL. When with approach I asked that 3;000 ft be final altitude because of clouds and potential icing at 4;000 - 6;500 ft. At 3;000 ft I was safely under cloud deck at about 35 degrees. Approach asked me to ascend to 7;000 ft MSL. I told them to negotiate with center because ascending would likely be into icing conditions. They said no; so I started the ascent and picked up enough [ice] to affect the conditions of flight. At 7;000 ft MSL I was in the clear but having difficulty with control. I declared an emergency while I waited for the ice to bleed off. This was on a 360 degree heading. When the ice was reduced I requested course; headed for the airport; and landed without incident. My mistake was that of accommodating ATC instead of terminating radar coverage and proceeding to destination VFR. I'll never do that again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An IFR SR22 Pilot at 3;000 FT requested to remain at 3;000 FT because of suspected icing at higher altitudes IMC. ATC would not relent on a clearance to 7;000 FT and in the climb airframe ice accumulated so the pilot declared an emergency.

Narrative: I filed IFR 5;000 FT MSL. When with Approach I asked that 3;000 FT be final altitude because of clouds and potential icing at 4;000 - 6;500 FT. At 3;000 FT I was safely under cloud deck at about 35 degrees. Approach asked me to ascend to 7;000 FT MSL. I told them to negotiate with Center because ascending would likely be into icing conditions. They said no; so I started the ascent and picked up enough [ice] to affect the conditions of flight. At 7;000 FT MSL I was in the clear but having difficulty with control. I declared an emergency while I waited for the ice to bleed off. This was on a 360 degree heading. When the ice was reduced I requested course; headed for the airport; and landed without incident. My mistake was that of accommodating ATC instead of terminating radar coverage and proceeding to destination VFR. I'll never do that again.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

An IFR SR22 pilot at 3;000 ft requested to remain at 3;000 ft because of suspected icing at higher altitudes IMC. ATC would not relent on a clearance to 7;000 ft and in the climb airframe ice accumulated so the pilot declared an emergency.