icing is a safety issue....flying w/o fuel is also a safety issue.

if you know you're about to run out of fuel (you should have .5
hr reserve if you're a stickler), and if you attempt to fly w/o
knowing how far you'll have to go to get vfr descent...you're
taking a major chance.

also, going thru a cloud layer or rain is not automatic an
automatic fall to the ground like stone situation. in MOST cases
one gets into trouble because of flying quite a while in icing
conditions...ice layer builds up...drag increases...airspeed
decreases...and eventuall stalls.

in your scenario...if you've above the airport AND you're running
short on fuel...setting yourself on the downwind to the active and
descending should be ok. land w/o extending the flaps.

others might disagree...but my point is weighing the two situations -
icing when you're over the airfield w/ running out of fuel.

bman.

p.s. com'n lets build up this newsgroup!!!


"Wyatt Emmerich" wrote in message
...
Let's say you take off on a long cross country with no forecast of icing.
By
the time you arrive at your destination, a 2,000-foot layer exist below
you
with temps of 30 F. You are getting low on fuel. Is it legal to descend
through the thin layer even if you are in an airplane without known icing?