Narrative:

Aug/fri/92 I filed a VFR cross country flight to tampa, fl. FSS briefing WX as less than VFR and VFR not recommended, scattered thunderstorms en route. Upon departure I encountered ceilings less than 1000 ft with visibility of at least 5 mi. Flight through tlh produced no thunderstorms only small showers, in vicinity of perry, fl, was first thunderstorm encountered. I landed at perry-foley airport and waited for the storm to pass. I notified FSS of the delay, received an update on the WX and extended my flight plan. WX brief was the same as before. Leaving perry, the ceiling was still less than a 1000 ft, yet visibility was still better than 3 mi. I encountered a small rain shower in the vicinity of cross city and continued south. South of chiefland is where I encountered the thunderstorms. The rain was light at first and it looked like a small rain shower but it turned out to be the mother of all thunderstorms. As the visibility started decreasing I decided that for safety's sake it was time to turn around and head back to perry. After completing a 180 degree turn I saw that the thunderstorm had completely surrounded me. I continued my turn back to the south thinking I had a better chance to make crystal river rather than flying with the thunderstorm to the north back to perry. During my turn I was looking for some forced landing areas but all the areas I saw were saturated with standing water. By this time the visibility had dropped to a mi or less, the rain started coming down even harder, the engine started missing and the visibility was decreasing at an alarming rate. It was at this time I elected to land on united states highway 19 just a few short mi north of inglis, fl. I touched down in a break in traffic, tried braking but just started to slide sideways. Releasing the brakes, I tried aerodynamic braking and began to hydroplane. I neutralized all control surfaces and continued down the road. Quickly approaching a car, I moved to the left lane as the car was in the right. The braking was still not very effective so I tried lifting my right wing to clear but was not producing enough lift to be effective. I neutralized all controls again just prior to clipping the top of the car with the outboard 1/3 of my right wing. I continued down the left lane until I slowed down enough to pull off onto the paved median, at which time I started shutting down the aircraft. The damage sustained by both the aircraft and the motor vehicle were minor. No personal injuries sustained. As a helicopter pilot by profession, I found that there is a big difference in the way of thinking when flying rotary wing versus flying fixed wing aircraft. Premission planning takes on a whole new meaning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER OFF ARPT LNDG PERFORMED BY SMA PLT AFTER IMC IN VFR FLT DURING TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: AUG/FRI/92 I FILED A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT TO TAMPA, FL. FSS BRIEFING WX AS LESS THAN VFR AND VFR NOT RECOMMENDED, SCATTERED TSTMS ENRTE. UPON DEP I ENCOUNTERED CEILINGS LESS THAN 1000 FT WITH VISIBILITY OF AT LEAST 5 MI. FLT THROUGH TLH PRODUCED NO TSTMS ONLY SMALL SHOWERS, IN VICINITY OF PERRY, FL, WAS FIRST TSTM ENCOUNTERED. I LANDED AT PERRY-FOLEY ARPT AND WAITED FOR THE STORM TO PASS. I NOTIFIED FSS OF THE DELAY, RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON THE WX AND EXTENDED MY FLT PLAN. WX BRIEF WAS THE SAME AS BEFORE. LEAVING PERRY, THE CEILING WAS STILL LESS THAN A 1000 FT, YET VISIBILITY WAS STILL BETTER THAN 3 MI. I ENCOUNTERED A SMALL RAIN SHOWER IN THE VICINITY OF CROSS CITY AND CONTINUED S. S OF CHIEFLAND IS WHERE I ENCOUNTERED THE TSTMS. THE RAIN WAS LIGHT AT FIRST AND IT LOOKED LIKE A SMALL RAIN SHOWER BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MOTHER OF ALL TSTMS. AS THE VISIBILITY STARTED DECREASING I DECIDED THAT FOR SAFETY'S SAKE IT WAS TIME TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO PERRY. AFTER COMPLETING A 180 DEG TURN I SAW THAT THE TSTM HAD COMPLETELY SURROUNDED ME. I CONTINUED MY TURN BACK TO THE S THINKING I HAD A BETTER CHANCE TO MAKE CRYSTAL RIVER RATHER THAN FLYING WITH THE TSTM TO THE N BACK TO PERRY. DURING MY TURN I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME FORCED LNDG AREAS BUT ALL THE AREAS I SAW WERE SATURATED WITH STANDING WATER. BY THIS TIME THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO A MI OR LESS, THE RAIN STARTED COMING DOWN EVEN HARDER, THE ENG STARTED MISSING AND THE VISIBILITY WAS DECREASING AT AN ALARMING RATE. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I ELECTED TO LAND ON UNITED STATES HWY 19 JUST A FEW SHORT MI N OF INGLIS, FL. I TOUCHED DOWN IN A BREAK IN TFC, TRIED BRAKING BUT JUST STARTED TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. RELEASING THE BRAKES, I TRIED AERODYNAMIC BRAKING AND BEGAN TO HYDROPLANE. I NEUTRALIZED ALL CTL SURFACES AND CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD. QUICKLY APCHING A CAR, I MOVED TO THE L LANE AS THE CAR WAS IN THE R. THE BRAKING WAS STILL NOT VERY EFFECTIVE SO I TRIED LIFTING MY R WING TO CLR BUT WAS NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH LIFT TO BE EFFECTIVE. I NEUTRALIZED ALL CTLS AGAIN JUST PRIOR TO CLIPPING THE TOP OF THE CAR WITH THE OUTBOARD 1/3 OF MY R WING. I CONTINUED DOWN THE L LANE UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO PULL OFF ONTO THE PAVED MEDIAN, AT WHICH TIME I STARTED SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT. THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED BY BOTH THE ACFT AND THE MOTOR VEHICLE WERE MINOR. NO PERSONAL INJURIES SUSTAINED. AS A HELI PLT BY PROFESSION, I FOUND THAT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY OF THINKING WHEN FLYING ROTARY WING VERSUS FLYING FIXED WING ACFT. PREMISSION PLANNING TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING.

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.