Narrative:

En route from troutdale, or, to rnt, VFR, early evening, cruising approximately 1500-2500' MSL. Primary navigation was to follow I-5 north, supplemented by appropriate VOR's. We were well below a cloud layer. Proceeding northeast from olympia, cruising at reduced power to readily follow the road, and to allow a turbulence air penetration speed as FSS had advised turbulence for washington. At 20 NM southwest of sea VOR, we encountered a violent, severe gust that almost inverted the aircraft and turned us back south. I recovered from the gust, got my bearings back, saw I-5 and turned northeast again, to continue. Again struck several times by violent gusts, turning the aircraft, with downdrafts in excess of 1000 FPM at intervals of several seconds but not long duration, with the aircraft turned to 45 degree bank angles from side to side. We repeatedly recovered, while descending to 1200', but I was unable to control the aircraft and follow the road at the same time. In recovering, we deviated north from our intended route. I then called flight watch, advising them I had a problem with the workload, requested vectors to rnt (which was reporting 7 mi visibility, good VFR conditions), and was turned over to sea approach. Received squawk code, radar contact, cleared to enter the TCA and climb to 3000' with vectors to rnt. The ADF died at this time (reported to sea), so we got vectored, now in calm IFR conditions, to a base leg from rnt. Again hit some turbulence, engine started to miss, advised sea approach of fuel concern, although I believed I had 1 hour or more remaining. Sea advised possible carburetor ice and to use heat, which I had been using at a reduced level. Additional heat smoothed the engine, and I advised sea. We then broke out of the clouds over rnt, were descended to 2000' and then released to contact rnt tower, in full VFR conditions. We landed normally. We fueled the aircraft, taking 66 gals on the following sunday (79 usable). I really feel that the purpose of FSS is to assist and aid GA with timely, accurate and correct reports and forecasts. I did not received this for this trip, and had to be very careful by myself to fly safely and legally. I do participate in the system with numerous PIREPS and contacts, having made over 3- during this trip of 1100 NM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT ENCOUNTERS TURBULENCE, IMC CONDITIONS AND REQUIRES ATC ASSISTANCE TO REACH RNT.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM TROUTDALE, OR, TO RNT, VFR, EARLY EVENING, CRUISING APPROX 1500-2500' MSL. PRIMARY NAV WAS TO FOLLOW I-5 N, SUPPLEMENTED BY APPROPRIATE VOR'S. WE WERE WELL BELOW A CLOUD LAYER. PROCEEDING NE FROM OLYMPIA, CRUISING AT REDUCED PWR TO READILY FOLLOW THE ROAD, AND TO ALLOW A TURB AIR PENETRATION SPD AS FSS HAD ADVISED TURB FOR WASHINGTON. AT 20 NM SW OF SEA VOR, WE ENCOUNTERED A VIOLENT, SEVERE GUST THAT ALMOST INVERTED THE ACFT AND TURNED US BACK S. I RECOVERED FROM THE GUST, GOT MY BEARINGS BACK, SAW I-5 AND TURNED NE AGAIN, TO CONTINUE. AGAIN STRUCK SEVERAL TIMES BY VIOLENT GUSTS, TURNING THE ACFT, WITH DOWNDRAFTS IN EXCESS OF 1000 FPM AT INTERVALS OF SEVERAL SECS BUT NOT LONG DURATION, WITH THE ACFT TURNED TO 45 DEG BANK ANGLES FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WE REPEATEDLY RECOVERED, WHILE DSNDING TO 1200', BUT I WAS UNABLE TO CTL THE ACFT AND FOLLOW THE ROAD AT THE SAME TIME. IN RECOVERING, WE DEVIATED N FROM OUR INTENDED RTE. I THEN CALLED FLT WATCH, ADVISING THEM I HAD A PROB WITH THE WORKLOAD, REQUESTED VECTORS TO RNT (WHICH WAS RPTING 7 MI VISIBILITY, GOOD VFR CONDITIONS), AND WAS TURNED OVER TO SEA APCH. RECEIVED SQUAWK CODE, RADAR CONTACT, CLRED TO ENTER THE TCA AND CLB TO 3000' WITH VECTORS TO RNT. THE ADF DIED AT THIS TIME (RPTED TO SEA), SO WE GOT VECTORED, NOW IN CALM IFR CONDITIONS, TO A BASE LEG FROM RNT. AGAIN HIT SOME TURB, ENG STARTED TO MISS, ADVISED SEA APCH OF FUEL CONCERN, ALTHOUGH I BELIEVED I HAD 1 HR OR MORE REMAINING. SEA ADVISED POSSIBLE CARB ICE AND TO USE HEAT, WHICH I HAD BEEN USING AT A REDUCED LEVEL. ADDITIONAL HEAT SMOOTHED THE ENG, AND I ADVISED SEA. WE THEN BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS OVER RNT, WERE DSNDED TO 2000' AND THEN RELEASED TO CONTACT RNT TWR, IN FULL VFR CONDITIONS. WE LANDED NORMALLY. WE FUELED THE ACFT, TAKING 66 GALS ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY (79 USABLE). I REALLY FEEL THAT THE PURPOSE OF FSS IS TO ASSIST AND AID GA WITH TIMELY, ACCURATE AND CORRECT RPTS AND FORECASTS. I DID NOT RECEIVED THIS FOR THIS TRIP, AND HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL BY MYSELF TO FLY SAFELY AND LEGALLY. I DO PARTICIPATE IN THE SYS WITH NUMEROUS PIREPS AND CONTACTS, HAVING MADE OVER 3- DURING THIS TRIP OF 1100 NM.

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.