Rookie Mistakes

On Saturday, I took my first flight alone after passing my IFR checkride. I intended to fly to Blairstown airport in New Jersey for breakfast. After training so hard to get the IFR rating, I just wanted to get some time in the plane without having my CFI around.

The weather was marginal, but with my new instrument rating, nothing could stop me. I took off VFR and climbed to 4,500 feet. The visibility was barely 5 miles and it looked to be getting worse ahead. I waited a few minutes but it soon became apparent that I would not complete the trip VFR. I called ATC and asked for a pop-up clearance to Blairstown. By the time I'd copied the clearance, updated the GPS and pulled the appropriate approach plate, I was in the soup and behind the airplane. My forehead is beaded with sweat and I'm amazed at how quickly things are deteriorating. As I try to make a standard rate turn to get on course to the IAF for Blairstown, my scan is slow and I lose the plane in roll to the right and have to recover from an unusual attitude -- 45 degree right bank and 25 degrees nose down! I recover quickly, but I am clearly shaken.

Once back to straight and level, I scan the gauges and my airspeed is 15kts lower than it should be. I check the outside temperature and it's -1C -- ICE! As panic tries to overtake me, I force it back down and remember my training -- don't hesitate, do something. I increase RPM and throttle to the maximum. Next, I call ATC, tell them I'm picking up ice and I request an immediate 180. They grant my request and I am careful in this turn to keep the plane stable in a standard rate turn. Once established in the reverse direction, I scan the wings for buildup, but don't see anything on the wings in the white soup outside the window. The airspeed is still way to low for my current power settings -- how did this happen so fast?!?

As my eyes scan to the right across the instrument panel, I notice the pitot heat was not on. How could I be so stupid! I turn it on and within 15 seconds, the airspeed indicator begins to rise. ICE? -- the only ice I had was in the pitot tube, not on the wings. I felt incredibly stupid and completely unworthy of my recent rating. Just then, ATC inquired as to my condition. I sheepishly said the 180 seemed to do the trick and that I wanted to return to White Plains immediately. He gave me vectors to join the localizer for Runway 16. I used the autopilot for about 15 minutes to collect myself and prepare for the approach to White Plains.

I flew the ILS by hand and did a very good job keeping the needles centered. It was the first time I had started "down the slide" without my CFI in the right seat to double-check my actions. It's referred to as "pucker time"; the feeling you get when you begin to decend towards the ground in an airplane while not being able to see anything out the windows! I broke out of the clouds at approximately 1,100 ft with the runway right where it's was supposed to be. The rest of the landing was uneventful, but I was very glad to be back on solid ground. While flying a solid approach by hand allowed me to finish on a good note, the entire experience shook my confidence. I had come very close to putting the plane into an unusual attitude at only 4,500ft MSL. I was fortunate that my training kicked in and I was able to recover. I will not make these mistakes again.