Narrative:

After departing abq, I was given a clearance to intercept v- 12 and climb to 12000 ft. While climbing to my assigned altitude and turning to an intercept heading I saw that the clouds in front of me were looking rather dark and menacing. I asked ZAB if there were thunderstorms along my route of flight and was told there were none. Several mins later I was still feeling doubtful about the approaching WX so again I asked center and was told they had nothing on their radar and had not received any PIREPS. I had received 2 complete WX briefings from FSS several hours apart during the day and there had been no mention of thunderstorms or severe WX along my route of flight. I was still feeling doubtful about the conditions but continued because of the communication from center. I entered the clouds and quickly encountered severe turbulence and rain. Downdrafts caused rates of dscnts that varied between 1000 and 1500 FPM and with full power the aircraft barely maintained 80 KTS of airspeed with the stall warning horn going off intermittently. The turbulence was severe enough that I was unable to maintain my heading and was struggling to maintain altitude. I was very concerned about the altitude because I had consulted a WAC chart before entering the clouds to get an idea of terrain and knew I had mountains below me. I was also very concerned about icing. When I finally emerged from the cell I was completely turned around. Center asked me my destination, which I told them was las, as originally planned. They asked me if I knew I was heading east and I told them I had encountered severe WX and wanted to return to abq for landing. I assumed that since FSS nor center had mentioned this type of WX that I would enter benign IFR conditions. Unfortunately, I did not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN FLIES INTO SEVERE WX, UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT, HDG.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING ABQ, I WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO INTERCEPT V- 12 AND CLB TO 12000 FT. WHILE CLBING TO MY ASSIGNED ALT AND TURNING TO AN INTERCEPT HDG I SAW THAT THE CLOUDS IN FRONT OF ME WERE LOOKING RATHER DARK AND MENACING. I ASKED ZAB IF THERE WERE TSTMS ALONG MY RTE OF FLT AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NONE. SEVERAL MINS LATER I WAS STILL FEELING DOUBTFUL ABOUT THE APCHING WX SO AGAIN I ASKED CTR AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD NOTHING ON THEIR RADAR AND HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY PIREPS. I HAD RECEIVED 2 COMPLETE WX BRIEFINGS FROM FSS SEVERAL HRS APART DURING THE DAY AND THERE HAD BEEN NO MENTION OF TSTMS OR SEVERE WX ALONG MY RTE OF FLT. I WAS STILL FEELING DOUBTFUL ABOUT THE CONDITIONS BUT CONTINUED BECAUSE OF THE COM FROM CTR. I ENTERED THE CLOUDS AND QUICKLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND RAIN. DOWNDRAFTS CAUSED RATES OF DSCNTS THAT VARIED BTWN 1000 AND 1500 FPM AND WITH FULL PWR THE ACFT BARELY MAINTAINED 80 KTS OF AIRSPD WITH THE STALL WARNING HORN GOING OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE TURB WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MY HDG AND WAS STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ALT. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ALT BECAUSE I HAD CONSULTED A WAC CHART BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS TO GET AN IDEA OF TERRAIN AND KNEW I HAD MOUNTAINS BELOW ME. I WAS ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ICING. WHEN I FINALLY EMERGED FROM THE CELL I WAS COMPLETELY TURNED AROUND. CTR ASKED ME MY DEST, WHICH I TOLD THEM WAS LAS, AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED. THEY ASKED ME IF I KNEW I WAS HDG E AND I TOLD THEM I HAD ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WX AND WANTED TO RETURN TO ABQ FOR LNDG. I ASSUMED THAT SINCE FSS NOR CTR HAD MENTIONED THIS TYPE OF WX THAT I WOULD ENTER BENIGN IFR CONDITIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID NOT.

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.