Narrative:

WX briefer gave me all available information for atchison, ks to tulsa, ok, including thunderstorm activity in and along my original route of flight. At this point I decided to go east around thunderstorm activity as to avoid any encounters with them. I informed FSS that I would activate VFR flight plan if traversing the TCA at kansas city was going to be any problem. Initial contact with ATC was through kansas city center. They instructed me to contact kansas city approach control. Approach control issued a squawk code and radar contact was established. I asked for radar vectors around the thunderstorm activity and was asked if I wanted to go IFR or VFR, I chose to go IFR. Clearance was given, 'cleared to tulsa international via radar vectors', and acknowledged. A heading of 180 degree was given at an altitude of 3000'. After reaching 3000' I reported level at 3000' and within a few minutes I was in IMC and reduced to maneuvering speed. Cruise was continued with an occasional light chop. Rain was encountered and increased frequency in chop. I requested a lower altitude and was denied due to 'towers in my area'. Cruise was continued at present altitude and heading until I saw lightning ahead of my position, also the turbulence increased in intensity. I reported same to approach control and they asked if I wanted to turn around. I answered affirmatively and started a standard rate turn to the left to reverse my course. At this point the plane was hit by a violent updraft that registered at near 2000 FPM climb on vsi. This was followed by a series of vertical shears, up and down. All gyro instruments were virtually unreadable. All control movements were for airspeed control. We were ejected from the cloud base in the 4TH oscillation and in a nose down attitude, at which point full aircraft control was regained. Due to the hilly terrain and the presence of towers in the area (one of which was within 1 mi of landing sight) I opted to make a precautionary landing rather than subject the aircraft, my passenger, or myself to any further danger. I felt at the time, and still do contend, that this was the only safe option. The nose gear was held off as long as possible on landing, however the effort was stifled by a drainage ditch at the edge of the mile field. Considering the alternative it was far less serious than it could have been, as there were no injuries. This was also reflected in the report to be filed by the kansas city FSDO. They classified it as a 'minor incident.' reporter states he knew there was a line of thunderstorms and felt he could go around it. Accepted IFR clearance because he was too close to kansas city to chance getting into their airspace. When ejected from the cloud he was only a few hundred feet above the ground. Since he had carefully reviewed the route he knew there were power lines, hills and towers in the area. He did not want to chance hitting any of the above. Visibility was about 1/2 mi. That field looked like the prettiest thing he had ever seen. FAA questioned at great length why he did not try to fly out of the WX area. His explanation seemed to satisfy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INTO TSTM ON RADAR VECTORS. PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: WX BRIEFER GAVE ME ALL AVAILABLE INFO FOR ATCHISON, KS TO TULSA, OK, INCLUDING TSTM ACTIVITY IN AND ALONG MY ORIGINAL ROUTE OF FLT. AT THIS POINT I DECIDED TO GO E AROUND TSTM ACTIVITY AS TO AVOID ANY ENCOUNTERS WITH THEM. I INFORMED FSS THAT I WOULD ACTIVATE VFR FLT PLAN IF TRAVERSING THE TCA AT KANSAS CITY WAS GOING TO BE ANY PROBLEM. INITIAL CONTACT WITH ATC WAS THROUGH KANSAS CITY CENTER. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT KANSAS CITY APCH CTL. APCH CTL ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE AND RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. I ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS AROUND THE TSTM ACTIVITY AND WAS ASKED IF I WANTED TO GO IFR OR VFR, I CHOSE TO GO IFR. CLRNC WAS GIVEN, 'CLRED TO TULSA INTERNATIONAL VIA RADAR VECTORS', AND ACKNOWLEDGED. A HDG OF 180 DEG WAS GIVEN AT AN ALT OF 3000'. AFTER REACHING 3000' I REPORTED LEVEL AT 3000' AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES I WAS IN IMC AND REDUCED TO MANEUVERING SPEED. CRUISE WAS CONTINUED WITH AN OCCASIONAL LIGHT CHOP. RAIN WAS ENCOUNTERED AND INCREASED FREQ IN CHOP. I REQUESTED A LOWER ALT AND WAS DENIED DUE TO 'TOWERS IN MY AREA'. CRUISE WAS CONTINUED AT PRESENT ALT AND HDG UNTIL I SAW LIGHTNING AHEAD OF MY POSITION, ALSO THE TURBULENCE INCREASED IN INTENSITY. I REPORTED SAME TO APCH CTL AND THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO TURN AROUND. I ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVELY AND STARTED A STANDARD RATE TURN TO THE LEFT TO REVERSE MY COURSE. AT THIS POINT THE PLANE WAS HIT BY A VIOLENT UPDRAFT THAT REGISTERED AT NEAR 2000 FPM CLIMB ON VSI. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF VERTICAL SHEARS, UP AND DOWN. ALL GYRO INSTRUMENTS WERE VIRTUALLY UNREADABLE. ALL CONTROL MOVEMENTS WERE FOR AIRSPEED CONTROL. WE WERE EJECTED FROM THE CLOUD BASE IN THE 4TH OSCILLATION AND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AT WHICH POINT FULL ACFT CTL WAS REGAINED. DUE TO THE HILLY TERRAIN AND THE PRESENCE OF TOWERS IN THE AREA (ONE OF WHICH WAS WITHIN 1 MI OF LNDG SIGHT) I OPTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG RATHER THAN SUBJECT THE ACFT, MY PAX, OR MYSELF TO ANY FURTHER DANGER. I FELT AT THE TIME, AND STILL DO CONTEND, THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY SAFE OPTION. THE NOSE GEAR WAS HELD OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE ON LNDG, HOWEVER THE EFFORT WAS STIFLED BY A DRAINAGE DITCH AT THE EDGE OF THE MILE FIELD. CONSIDERING THE ALTERNATIVE IT WAS FAR LESS SERIOUS THAN IT COULD HAVE BEEN, AS THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THIS WAS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE REPORT TO BE FILED BY THE KANSAS CITY FSDO. THEY CLASSIFIED IT AS A 'MINOR INCIDENT.' REPORTER STATES HE KNEW THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS AND FELT HE COULD GO AROUND IT. ACCEPTED IFR CLRNC BECAUSE HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO KANSAS CITY TO CHANCE GETTING INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. WHEN EJECTED FROM THE CLOUD HE WAS ONLY A FEW HUNDRED FEET ABOVE THE GND. SINCE HE HAD CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE ROUTE HE KNEW THERE WERE POWER LINES, HILLS AND TWRS IN THE AREA. HE DID NOT WANT TO CHANCE HITTING ANY OF THE ABOVE. VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI. THAT FIELD LOOKED LIKE THE PRETTIEST THING HE HAD EVER SEEN. FAA QUESTIONED AT GREAT LENGTH WHY HE DID NOT TRY TO FLY OUT OF THE WX AREA. HIS EXPLANATION SEEMED TO SATISFY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.