Narrative:

I had been checking WX at least once a day for a week prior to making this flight. I postponed the flight each day because a chance of afternoon thunderstorms were forecast. Several calls to bridgeport FSS on sunday morning all gave a great forecast for the day with no thunderstorm forecast. We flew to our destination, ack, conducted our business and called for WX before heading out to the airport. I called WX again at the airport and was told of light rain, south and southwest of orh. We departed IFR and called boston radio about 20 mins into the flight. They reported level 1 and 2 in a line putnam to the south, and a later request told of a level 5 west of worcester. I requested RNAV direct cly to land downwind on runway 29 to stay away from the WX. I asked if my new heading would be clear of any WX and I was told yes, that all the WX was west and south of orh. I descended out of 8000 ft for 6000 ft and was cleared to 4000 ft. I went through such severe turbulence I had all I could do to hold the plane level. My original heading was approximately 340 degrees and ended up 060 degrees after I stabilized. I don't know my altitude at that time. Control wanted to vector me back towards cly to a heading back into the darkest part of the clouds. I stated that it looked brighter straight ahead and would like to continue on my present heading until stabilized. I was asked by control a few mins later what altitude I was at and what altitude was I cleared to. I responded I was around 3000 ft and had been cleared to 4000 ft but had just gone through some severe WX and had all I could do to keep the wings level. I was told to go back to 4000 ft, that I was cleared for the visual. I have spent my entire flying career avoiding this kind of WX by simply never flying when it's forecast or there's a chance of it. I believe the following actions prevented a possible accident: 1) I resisted the temptation to do a 180 degree turn, knowing that the shortest route out of the WX was probably straight ahead. 2) reduced power. 3) ability to hand-fly the airplane under those conditions by instruments. 4) remaining reasonably calm and in control. All the above were possible because of recurrent training and lots of reading. I subscribe to IFR and consider it valuable and essential reading. I filed a PIREP that evening when I arrived home. I visited the tower the next day to discuss what happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB HAS ALTDEV.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN CHKING WX AT LEAST ONCE A DAY FOR A WK PRIOR TO MAKING THIS FLT. I POSTPONED THE FLT EACH DAY BECAUSE A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON TSTMS WERE FORECAST. SEVERAL CALLS TO BRIDGEPORT FSS ON SUNDAY MORNING ALL GAVE A GREAT FORECAST FOR THE DAY WITH NO TSTM FORECAST. WE FLEW TO OUR DEST, ACK, CONDUCTED OUR BUSINESS AND CALLED FOR WX BEFORE HEADING OUT TO THE ARPT. I CALLED WX AGAIN AT THE ARPT AND WAS TOLD OF LIGHT RAIN, S AND SW OF ORH. WE DEPARTED IFR AND CALLED BOSTON RADIO ABOUT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT. THEY RPTED LEVEL 1 AND 2 IN A LINE PUTNAM TO THE S, AND A LATER REQUEST TOLD OF A LEVEL 5 W OF WORCESTER. I REQUESTED RNAV DIRECT CLY TO LAND DOWNWIND ON RWY 29 TO STAY AWAY FROM THE WX. I ASKED IF MY NEW HDG WOULD BE CLR OF ANY WX AND I WAS TOLD YES, THAT ALL THE WX WAS W AND S OF ORH. I DSNDED OUT OF 8000 FT FOR 6000 FT AND WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT. I WENT THROUGH SUCH SEVERE TURB I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO HOLD THE PLANE LEVEL. MY ORIGINAL HDG WAS APPROX 340 DEGS AND ENDED UP 060 DEGS AFTER I STABILIZED. I DON'T KNOW MY ALT AT THAT TIME. CTL WANTED TO VECTOR ME BACK TOWARDS CLY TO A HDG BACK INTO THE DARKEST PART OF THE CLOUDS. I STATED THAT IT LOOKED BRIGHTER STRAIGHT AHEAD AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE ON MY PRESENT HDG UNTIL STABILIZED. I WAS ASKED BY CTL A FEW MINS LATER WHAT ALT I WAS AT AND WHAT ALT WAS I CLRED TO. I RESPONDED I WAS AROUND 3000 FT AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO 4000 FT BUT HAD JUST GONE THROUGH SOME SEVERE WX AND HAD ALL I COULD DO TO KEEP THE WINGS LEVEL. I WAS TOLD TO GO BACK TO 4000 FT, THAT I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE FLYING CAREER AVOIDING THIS KIND OF WX BY SIMPLY NEVER FLYING WHEN IT'S FORECAST OR THERE'S A CHANCE OF IT. I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS PREVENTED A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT: 1) I RESISTED THE TEMPTATION TO DO A 180 DEG TURN, KNOWING THAT THE SHORTEST RTE OUT OF THE WX WAS PROBABLY STRAIGHT AHEAD. 2) REDUCED PWR. 3) ABILITY TO HAND-FLY THE AIRPLANE UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS BY INSTS. 4) REMAINING REASONABLY CALM AND IN CTL. ALL THE ABOVE WERE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF RECURRENT TRAINING AND LOTS OF READING. I SUBSCRIBE TO IFR AND CONSIDER IT VALUABLE AND ESSENTIAL READING. I FILED A PIREP THAT EVENING WHEN I ARRIVED HOME. I VISITED THE TWR THE NEXT DAY TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED.

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.