That wasn't a diversion and it wasn't a landing. What?
OK, so my goal is to have landed in all 48 states by the end of the summer. I'll knock out the New England states this weeked, and early next week, and knocking out the southeas states after Gaston's, leaving me only North Dakota to deal with in July. Maryland is one of those states that didn't really fit into any other trips I was taking so, I decided to incorporate it on my way to Wings. Only cost me about 45 minutes to an hour versus going direct, so I said what the hey, lets do it. Launch out of 9D9 and get above the layer at 4 or 5 thousand. Smooth sailing until eastern Ohio. I'm was 9000 and everything was looking good. WAS. There's this big milky cloud just off to my north and I end up getting absorbed by it. Outside air temperature - 30º Check the wing root. Hmmm, looks like a little bit of ice. Not too bad, however. I had been on the instruments, so I hadn't looked out front in a few minutes. Hey, what's that glaze?
"2212R request lower for icing."
"Stand by."
...
...
...
...
...
"12R Descend maintain 5000."
"5000 12R."
So I start down from 5000 and my airspeed starts to drop. (Oh yeah did I mention I don't have pitot heat on my plane? That's changeing real soon.) So I'm in a descent with my airspeed starting to drop, and suddenly it starts to go up up up - almost to Vns. Well, my RPMs are the same (around 2400), and my pitch hasn't changed, the static port must have froze over. I contemplated breaking open the VSI for my alternate static, but the OAT is above 32F now, and the ice is starting to peel off the wind screen. I know my altimeter is not accurate right now, but I know my rate of descent was only about 300fpm when I started, so I just start running the calculations in my head. I should be at about 5500 feet now, even though the altimeter shows higher and the ASI has now gone to 0. The GPS altimeter shows about 5500, so I start to arrest my descent, and then the altimeter snaps from 6500 to 5500 and the ASI goes to where is should be. All is well.
I pull up the ASOS/AWOS at 2G4 to get an idea of what was going on there. I was expecting 4000BKN but that's not the case because I'm at 5000 and still in the goo. Gusting winds 9 to 20 out of the SW, 100 overcast 1-1/2 mie vis with mist. Well, lets shoot the approach anyway and see what happens. I might get a miracle hole. No joy. And I am getting slammed around below 1500 AGL. I hit my MDA (400 agl) on the approach and feel like a cork in a hurricane. I didn't bother to fly to the MAP because I'm only 400 above the ground and all over the place. I go missed and continue on my way to Wings. Fun stuff. Never had to go missed before, and never got more than a crystal or two of ice before. Made for a long flight. 1.8 actual.
