Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 19; Flight Crew Total 484; Flight Crew Type 479
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
ATC requested that I descend from 8;000 ft. I entered the clouds and picked up ice very quickly. Pitot iced over and lost altitude & VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator) gauges. I began trouble-shooting; immediately turned on pitot heat. Immediately turned on defroster for windscreen de-icing (very busy in a bumpy situation) and most important to keep cool and wings level. Lost altitude and was reminded by ATC (Air Traffic Control) not to deviate from assigned altitude. I informed ATC that I was rapidly picking up ice and was busy resolving. I was aviating and navigating; but possibly not communicating as clearly I could have. I was busy being safe... Losing my altimeter was not helpful at that time. ATC requested that I call them after landing at ZZZ airport. Proceeded to perform the RNAV 1 (Area Navigation) and called ATC on the ground. It was summer and I was not expecting ice to build up so fast.
PA28 pilot reported an icing encounter that necessitated a deviation from an assigned altitude.