Narrative:

I was on a 135 flight from btf to bpt. There was a line of thunderstorms from the gulf to shreveport. I had looked at the baton rouge radar and it looked like there was a break just north of lch. I told the controllers what I wanted to do and he approved deviations for WX. I headed for what had looked like a way through the front. I called flight watch and de ridder radio and they said there was no way through it. Lch approach asked if I wanted to continue and I said yes. I looked for lightning flashes to help guide me, since I didn't have radar, but it was just dark. I thought it might not be that bad since I didn't see lightning. I was wrong. I must have flown right into a cell .I had slowed the aircraft down to maneuvering speed. It was like hitting a wall. The aircraft was getting thrashed around like crazy. I had a hard time keeping it level. My altimeter shot up. I gained about 1000'; in 10 seconds and lost 500' in the same amount of time. I told the controller I was turning around. He told me to maintain 5000' and I told him I didn't now if it could, so reclred me for a block of altitude. I turned around because the line was 20 NM wide and would have taken approximately 4 mins to get through. I had had enough in 10 seconds. I have flown with thunderstorms briefed along my route many times and rarely found them to be as predicted. However, since I started flying cargo I have noticed a greatly improved accuracy. The briefings are far more realistic. It seems like the briefers realized you will probably go anyway and need to know what's really there. The standard briefings my students and I received while instructing were always gloom and doom. I had a lot of skepticism about the briefings. That, plus the 'get the job done' attitude of cargo flying, made me attempt it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED ATX CARGO PLT ATTEMPTS TO TANGO WITH TSTM.

Narrative: I WAS ON A 135 FLT FROM BTF TO BPT. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS FROM THE GULF TO SHREVEPORT. I HAD LOOKED AT THE BATON ROUGE RADAR AND IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS A BREAK JUST N OF LCH. I TOLD THE CTLRS WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND HE APPROVED DEVS FOR WX. I HEADED FOR WHAT HAD LOOKED LIKE A WAY THROUGH THE FRONT. I CALLED FLT WATCH AND DE RIDDER RADIO AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO WAY THROUGH IT. LCH APCH ASKED IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE AND I SAID YES. I LOOKED FOR LIGHTNING FLASHES TO HELP GUIDE ME, SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE RADAR, BUT IT WAS JUST DARK. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT NOT BE THAT BAD SINCE I DIDN'T SEE LIGHTNING. I WAS WRONG. I MUST HAVE FLOWN RIGHT INTO A CELL .I HAD SLOWED THE ACFT DOWN TO MANEUVERING SPD. IT WAS LIKE HITTING A WALL. THE ACFT WAS GETTING THRASHED AROUND LIKE CRAZY. I HAD A HARD TIME KEEPING IT LEVEL. MY ALTIMETER SHOT UP. I GAINED ABOUT 1000'; IN 10 SECS AND LOST 500' IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. I TOLD THE CTLR I WAS TURNING AROUND. HE TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 5000' AND I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T NOW IF IT COULD, SO RECLRED ME FOR A BLOCK OF ALT. I TURNED AROUND BECAUSE THE LINE WAS 20 NM WIDE AND WOULD HAVE TAKEN APPROX 4 MINS TO GET THROUGH. I HAD HAD ENOUGH IN 10 SECS. I HAVE FLOWN WITH TSTMS BRIEFED ALONG MY RTE MANY TIMES AND RARELY FOUND THEM TO BE AS PREDICTED. HOWEVER, SINCE I STARTED FLYING CARGO I HAVE NOTICED A GREATLY IMPROVED ACCURACY. THE BRIEFINGS ARE FAR MORE REALISTIC. IT SEEMS LIKE THE BRIEFERS REALIZED YOU WILL PROBABLY GO ANYWAY AND NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S REALLY THERE. THE STANDARD BRIEFINGS MY STUDENTS AND I RECEIVED WHILE INSTRUCTING WERE ALWAYS GLOOM AND DOOM. I HAD A LOT OF SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE BRIEFINGS. THAT, PLUS THE 'GET THE JOB DONE' ATTITUDE OF CARGO FLYING, MADE ME ATTEMPT IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.