AN SMA PLT ICED HIS PITOT TUBE.

Narrative

THIS WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH ICE. THERE WAS VERY SLIGHT RIME ICE ON THE VERY LEADING EDGE OF THE WINGS; PERHAPS 1/4 INCH THICK BUT NOT CONTINUOUS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE WINGS. NO CHANGE WAS EVIDENT OF FLT CHARACTERISTICS. THE PITOT ICED OVER AND I LOST AIRSPD INDICATION FOR ABOUT 2 MINS. I TURNED ON PITOT HEAT AND IT CAME BACK IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS. I LEFT IT ON. I WOULD NOT BE FILING A RPT EXCEPT THAT WHEN THE PITOT ICED OVER; I FELT IT NECESSARY/PRUDENT TO RPT THE LOSS OF THE INST TO ATC. AS I WAS RPTING IT; IT CAME BACK. THE CTLR ASKED IF I NEEDED TO CHANGE ALT TO GET OUT OF THE ICE. I KNEW THERE WAS NO PRECIPITATION. I DID NOT THINK IT WARRANTED CHANGING ALT AT THAT TIME. I SAID I WANTED TO CONTINUE THE VECTORING; AND I WOULD INFORM THEM IF I DEEMED CHANGE NECESSARY. NO FURTHER INCIDENTS (EXCEPT A GAR BECAUSE OF GUSTY SURFACE WINDS) OCCURRED. A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE PLTS; SOME OF WHICH HEARD MY RPT TO ATC. THERE IS CERTAINLY; EVIDENT TO ME; PRESSURE NOT TO FEEL FREE TO MAKE RPTS AS I DID TO ATC. I HAVE ACCEPTED THAT; AS A GENERAL RULE; ANY ICING IS UNACCEPTABLE. HOWEVER; KNOWING WHAT THE SITUATION WAS WITH THE PRECIPITATION AND AMOUNT OF ICING; I WOULD HAVE REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT (MY FILED ALT) UNTIL FINAL APCH FIX INBOUND. I WOULD HAVE STAYED OUT OF THE IMC AND MINIMIZED WHAT MINOR AMOUNT OF ICING THERE WAS. MOREOVER; HENCEFORTH; ANY RPTS OF ICING WILL WEIGH HEAVILY IN MY DECISION NOT TO GO. I UNDERSTAND THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN. AS TO WHETHER I WOULD RPT THE TEMPORARY LOSS OF AIRSPD INDICATION AGAIN OR NOT; I WOULD NOT RPT IT UNTIL EITHER I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS NOT COMING BACK OR IF I HAD THE SMALLEST INDICATION OF A REAL PROBLEM (SUCH AS A THICKER FREEZING AREA OR FASTER BUILDUP) THEN I WOULD RPT IT. WHEN YOU ARE LEARNING; SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU ARE IN DANGER WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY NOT.