Narrative:

This flight began from beaver falls, PA, as a VFR flight of 3 with myself in the small aircraft and 1 passenger. There were also 2 MTR's flying in loose formation with pontiac, mi (ptk), our final destination, and an en route pass to willow run airport where 1 MTR was to land. The en route WX was haze all the way with no adverse WX predicted at destination or en route. After departure and climb to 8500 ft I contacted akron approach, advised them of our intentions for the flight of 3, and was given a transponder code. Akron then told me to contact cleveland, which was done. We continued west of cle. At this point I contacted dtw approach on 125.15. After the conversation with dtw approach, the other MTR then advised me he would change his destination from willow run to ptk and since I had the LORAN for direct navigation he would follow me. I finally raised dtw approach on 134.3, advised her of our intentions, gave a position report, and got a transponder code so we proceeded direct to ptk. When we were over the detroit river and north of grosse isle, dtw approach advised me of WX 5-6 mi west of us at level 2-3 which I acknowledged. I was then on a heading of 348 degrees and approximately 19 LORAN mi from ptk at 8500 ft and VFR. At this point we both were VFR and everything looked ok on our heading with visual haze looking the same as it had been from beaver falls (the haze appeared very light in color, almost white). While looking west I could see the dark WX area dtw approach had notified me of. All of a sudden I encountered instant violent turbulence and torrential rain that caught me totally off guard. The airplane entered a rapid descent, turned to the left, and rolled almost vertical. The next thing I did was to concentrate on the attitude indicator and managed to bring the wings level. I realized that at our very high rate of speed I had to very slowly and smoothly bring the stick back so as not to lose or damage the control surfaces or stall when coming out. I then glanced at the airspeed and it was slowing so I kept back pressure on the stick until I got normal climb speed. The airplane was not under control and I was heading east which would take me out of the WX. Detroit center had called me several times but I could not understand any of his xmissions, which I assumed was due to the heavy rain. Dtw approach then gave me a heading and asked if I wanted to go to detroit city or pontiac and I advised him we would continue to ptk (at this point I was over dtw city airport). I called dtw approach and stated I had to descend in order to maintain VFR and he told me to descend to 3000 ft and call him when I reached this altitude, which I did. Dtw approach then gave me a heading to ptk (which was the same as the LORAN showed) and told me to descend to 2500 ft, which I did and advise when I had ptk airport in sight. I shortly advised dtw approach that I had ptk in sight and was 4.5 mi from the field. Dtw approach then advised me to contact ptk tower, which I did and they cleared me to land. After landing ptk, I taxied to the ramp and the MTR that was with me had just parked and the crew was unbuckling. When I discussed our situation with them the pilot stated his situation as follows: he saw us enter a left turn descending at which time he also hit the turbulence and his rate of climb showed 3000 ft with a nose down attitude of 20 degrees. He elected to climb to 9500 ft, continued on to ptk, descended north of the field and landed. I then called (per ptk request) dtw approach and asked for the area supervisor. He asked for my name, address, telephone, pilot certificate number and type aircraft. He did not ask any questions further but stated that I encountered problems, which I responded that we hit heavy rain. He also indicated his belief that my aircraft may have entered the dtw TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT IN FLT OF 3 ENCOUNTERS WIND SHEAR, ENTERS TCA.

Narrative: THIS FLT BEGAN FROM BEAVER FALLS, PA, AS A VFR FLT OF 3 WITH MYSELF IN THE SMA AND 1 PAX. THERE WERE ALSO 2 MTR'S FLYING IN LOOSE FORMATION WITH PONTIAC, MI (PTK), OUR FINAL DEST, AND AN ENRTE PASS TO WILLOW RUN ARPT WHERE 1 MTR WAS TO LAND. THE ENRTE WX WAS HAZE ALL THE WAY WITH NO ADVERSE WX PREDICTED AT DEST OR ENRTE. AFTER DEP AND CLB TO 8500 FT I CONTACTED AKRON APCH, ADVISED THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS FOR THE FLT OF 3, AND WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE. AKRON THEN TOLD ME TO CONTACT CLEVELAND, WHICH WAS DONE. WE CONTINUED W OF CLE. AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED DTW APCH ON 125.15. AFTER THE CONVERSATION WITH DTW APCH, THE OTHER MTR THEN ADVISED ME HE WOULD CHANGE HIS DEST FROM WILLOW RUN TO PTK AND SINCE I HAD THE LORAN FOR DIRECT NAV HE WOULD FOLLOW ME. I FINALLY RAISED DTW APCH ON 134.3, ADVISED HER OF OUR INTENTIONS, GAVE A POS RPT, AND GOT A XPONDER CODE SO WE PROCEEDED DIRECT TO PTK. WHEN WE WERE OVER THE DETROIT RIVER AND N OF GROSSE ISLE, DTW APCH ADVISED ME OF WX 5-6 MI W OF US AT LEVEL 2-3 WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. I WAS THEN ON A HDG OF 348 DEGS AND APPROX 19 LORAN MI FROM PTK AT 8500 FT AND VFR. AT THIS POINT WE BOTH WERE VFR AND EVERYTHING LOOKED OK ON OUR HDG WITH VISUAL HAZE LOOKING THE SAME AS IT HAD BEEN FROM BEAVER FALLS (THE HAZE APPEARED VERY LIGHT IN COLOR, ALMOST WHITE). WHILE LOOKING W I COULD SEE THE DARK WX AREA DTW APCH HAD NOTIFIED ME OF. ALL OF A SUDDEN I ENCOUNTERED INSTANT VIOLENT TURB AND TORRENTIAL RAIN THAT CAUGHT ME TOTALLY OFF GUARD. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A RAPID DSCNT, TURNED TO THE L, AND ROLLED ALMOST VERT. THE NEXT THING I DID WAS TO CONCENTRATE ON THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND MANAGED TO BRING THE WINGS LEVEL. I REALIZED THAT AT OUR VERY HIGH RATE OF SPD I HAD TO VERY SLOWLY AND SMOOTHLY BRING THE STICK BACK SO AS NOT TO LOSE OR DAMAGE THE CTL SURFACES OR STALL WHEN COMING OUT. I THEN GLANCED AT THE AIRSPD AND IT WAS SLOWING SO I KEPT BACK PRESSURE ON THE STICK UNTIL I GOT NORMAL CLB SPD. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT UNDER CTL AND I WAS HDG E WHICH WOULD TAKE ME OUT OF THE WX. DETROIT CTR HAD CALLED ME SEVERAL TIMES BUT I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND ANY OF HIS XMISSIONS, WHICH I ASSUMED WAS DUE TO THE HVY RAIN. DTW APCH THEN GAVE ME A HDG AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO GO TO DETROIT CITY OR PONTIAC AND I ADVISED HIM WE WOULD CONTINUE TO PTK (AT THIS POINT I WAS OVER DTW CITY ARPT). I CALLED DTW APCH AND STATED I HAD TO DSND IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR AND HE TOLD ME TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND CALL HIM WHEN I REACHED THIS ALT, WHICH I DID. DTW APCH THEN GAVE ME A HDG TO PTK (WHICH WAS THE SAME AS THE LORAN SHOWED) AND TOLD ME TO DSND TO 2500 FT, WHICH I DID AND ADVISE WHEN I HAD PTK ARPT IN SIGHT. I SHORTLY ADVISED DTW APCH THAT I HAD PTK IN SIGHT AND WAS 4.5 MI FROM THE FIELD. DTW APCH THEN ADVISED ME TO CONTACT PTK TWR, WHICH I DID AND THEY CLRED ME TO LAND. AFTER LNDG PTK, I TAXIED TO THE RAMP AND THE MTR THAT WAS WITH ME HAD JUST PARKED AND THE CREW WAS UNBUCKLING. WHEN I DISCUSSED OUR SIT WITH THEM THE PLT STATED HIS SIT AS FOLLOWS: HE SAW US ENTER A L TURN DSNDING AT WHICH TIME HE ALSO HIT THE TURB AND HIS RATE OF CLB SHOWED 3000 FT WITH A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE OF 20 DEGS. HE ELECTED TO CLB TO 9500 FT, CONTINUED ON TO PTK, DSNDED N OF THE FIELD AND LANDED. I THEN CALLED (PER PTK REQUEST) DTW APCH AND ASKED FOR THE AREA SUPVR. HE ASKED FOR MY NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE, PLT CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND TYPE ACFT. HE DID NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS FURTHER BUT STATED THAT I ENCOUNTERED PROBS, WHICH I RESPONDED THAT WE HIT HVY RAIN. HE ALSO INDICATED HIS BELIEF THAT MY ACFT MAY HAVE ENTERED THE DTW TCA.

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.