Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 27; Flight Crew Total 763; Flight Crew Type 132
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Diverted
Weather; Human Factors
Flying VFR-on-top at 9500 ft MSL. No flight plan filed and no VFR flight following in place. Since weather is VFR-on-top; I decided to go to an area where there is no icing and planned to take IFR clearance and land at an airport SW of MSP. However; I encountered icing conditions in stratus layers as I could see on the windshield and also on leading edges of the wings. Tried contacting Minneapolis Center for couple of minutes on 128.0 and 134.0 and got no reply; and I observed that ice build-up is progressing. I was monitoring the ceilings constantly in flight using Foreflight and Stratus device. HON reported 1200 OVC. Since I could not contact Minneapolis Center and thinking that turning around may expose me to more icing; I made a decision to just descend so that I can be in contact with the ground and hence descended through the clouds to an area nearer to HON. Once I broke out of the clouds between HON and BKX; I decided to proceed to BKX clear of clouds in class G airspace and safely landed at BKX where I spent the rest of the day and the night. After landing; I noticed that wing leading edges has around 1/8 to 1/4 inch ice.
A single engine pilot at 9500 feet; VFR on top; reported encountering icing conditions but was unable to contact Center for an IFR clearance to descend. A descent was initiated into IMC without a clearance; to VMC below 2400 feet. After landing; ice was still adhering to the leading edge of the wing.