LOW TIME INST RATED PVT PLT ENCOUNTERS ICING ON IFR FLT PLAN. BECAME CONFUSED; DECLARED EMER. WITH ASSISTANCE OF ARTCC DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT.

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THE FORECAST AT ACV AFTER XA00 WAS VISIBILITY 6 MI; LIGHT RAIN; 1200 FT BROKEN; 2500 FT OVCST. FREEZING LEVEL WAS FORECAST TO BE BTWN 5000 FT AND 9000 FT. MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO GET TO ACV AND DSND THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER THAT I THOUGHT WAS BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. ENRTE FROM STS TO ACV IN CRUISE AT 8000 FT I WAS CALCULATING IF WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE OUR DEST. IT APPEARED THAT I WOULD NOT MAKE ACV WITH THE REQUIRED RESERVES AND I WAS LOOKING AT MY OPTIONS. AT THE TIMES WHEN I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW; I THOUGHT I COULD SEE ABOUT 50 MI AHEAD BTWN THE LAYERS. WHILE FOCUSED ON THE INSTS AND MY CHARTS; I HAD ENTERED A CLOUD AND SAW THE WATER START TO CONDENSE AND FREEZE. I NOTIFIED ATC I WAS TURNING AROUND AND RETURNING TO STS. THE CTLR CLRED ME TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT. I HAD PANICKED AND WAS NO LONGER THINKING CLRLY. I HAD MADE A TURN BUT NOT TO A SPECIFIC HEADING. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS; SO ASKED ATC IF I WAS HEADED BACK. I WAS HEADED OUT TO SEA. THEY GAVE ME A VECTOR BACK. I DID EXIT THE CLOUD AND WAS ONCE AGAIN BTWN LAYERS. THERE SEEMED TO BE A THIN LAYER OF ICE EVERYWHERE. ATC REQUESTED ME TO DSND TO 6000 FT OR CLB TO 7000 FT. I REFUSED AND STATED THAT I WOULD DECLARE AN EMER TO STAY WHERE I WAS. I NAVED BACK TO STS. I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS. I WAS GIVEN MY OWN NAV REQUIRING A PROC TURN. I DID NOT WANT TO TRAVERSE A CLOUD TWICE; BUT I HAD NOT COMMUNICATED THIS TO ATC. I WAS ABOUT TO INSIST ON A RADAR VECTOR TO FINAL SO I WOULD ONLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS ONCE. WHEN I PASSED OVER THE VOR; I NOTIFIED ATC THAT I HAD STS IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING TO SPIRAL DOWN. ATC APPROVED THE VISUAL APCH. ALL THE ICE WAS MELTED BY 5500 FT IN THE SPIRAL; I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32 AND LANDED. I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND INFORMED TO CONTACT THE ZOA SUPVR. IT WAS NOTED THAT I HAD NOT TOLD ATC ABOUT THE ICE AND THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO CLB AND DSND OR WHY I DECLARED AN EMER TO STAY AT A VFR ALT. THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT HIS CTLRS WERE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE ME. SUMMARY: I NEED TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE IN MY FLT PLANNING. THE CTLR DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE ICING SIT. DSNDING MADE EVERYTHING A LOT WORSE. I NEED TO COMMUNICATE BETTER SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND MY SIT.