Narrative:

Departed on an IFR flight plan, heading north. Had obtained a WX briefing and believed there was a 'window' to fly through the convective activity. Had planned the flight for an altitude between cloud layers. Initially, the flight went well and I was flying between layers in fairly smooth air, with 'bumps' encountered near and through clouds. Then I started to encounter rather severe turbulence that bucked and rolled the plane. All efforts were needed to keep the plane fairly straight and level. I heard other planes reporting problems with turbulence. I advised ATC of the turbulence and asked if another altitude was possible. I was instructed to descend. If anything, the turbulence was worse. After trying to fly the aircraft and maintain a heading, I decided the WX situation was too much. I told ATC that I needed to get down. ATC then started listing nearby airports, mainly small fields. Not being familiar with the area, I was not sure where they were. The plane required all my efforts and concentration to control it, so I could take only quick 'glances' at the chart. To make the situation worse, the ring on my approach plates had come apart and the turbulence scattered my approach plates over the interior of the plane. All this took place in IMC. Upon sighting a break in the clouds, I decided to descend through, to relieve the stress of flying IFR. The cloud layer was not thick. The cloud bases varied from 1500- 1800 ft AGL and visibility below the clouds was at least 15 mi. However, the turbulence was just as severe as in the clouds. Radio communications continued as I tried to locate a nearby airport. Then, ATC asked my altitude. After my response, ATC advised that IFR minimums were 3000 ft MSL (about 2800 ft AGL). I advised I was VFR under the clouds. I had difficulty controling the direction of the plane. Also, any turns made were like those at MCA, as I felt any steeper bank might roll the aircraft. ATC then again advised of his altitude minimums. Finally, another voice came over the radio and asked me to verify that I was VFR below clouds. I responded in the affirmative. Communications then took place regarding an airport at which to land. A non controled field with an NDB approach was selected. The approach plate was finally located and the beacon tuned in. Unfortunately, the ADF did not immediately lock onto the beacon and I asked ATC to verify the frequency. I then recycled the radio and received a bearing on the ADF to the field. ATC instructed me to track to the field, which I did. Upon sighting the field, I advised ATC I had the field in sight. I looked at the windsock, decided the direction to land, and crossed the field to circle onto final. ATC then came on the radio and again advised of his approach minimums, and that I was below them. I advised I had the field in sight and was circling to land. I was then instructed to squawk 1200 (which I did) and that radar services were terminated. While I did not communicate properly with ATC and respond promptly, I did comply with the first rule of aviation, which is aviate, navigation and then communicate. I also made the decisions I felt appropriate to maintain the safety of the flight (ie, descending through a shallow cloud layer into VFR). However, I should have made all my conditions known to ATC (difficulty in controling the aircraft, limited bank and the scattering of the approach plates). When unable to locate the approach plate, I should have decided on a field, requested specific vectors thereto and frequencys for the navaids, to start heading toward a specific point while locating the appropriate plate. Also, I should have immediately advised upon descending and that I was VFR. I should have been much more forceful in advising that I was going to stay at my altitude VFR, terminated IFR, and been specific in what assistance I was requesting of ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 35 BONANZA ACFT, IFR, CRUISE. PLT HAD TROUBLE CTLING ACFT IN TURB, DSDNED WHEN THERE WAS AN OPENING IN CLOUDS WITHOUT ATC CLRNC. CTLR ADVISED PLT THAT HER ALT WAS BELOW IFR MINIMUM ALT. ATC PROVIDED PLT VECTORS FOR LNDG AT DIVERSION ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, HEADING N. HAD OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AND BELIEVED THERE WAS A 'WINDOW' TO FLY THROUGH THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. HAD PLANNED THE FLT FOR AN ALT BTWN CLOUD LAYERS. INITIALLY, THE FLT WENT WELL AND I WAS FLYING BTWN LAYERS IN FAIRLY SMOOTH AIR, WITH 'BUMPS' ENCOUNTERED NEAR AND THROUGH CLOUDS. THEN I STARTED TO ENCOUNTER RATHER SEVERE TURB THAT BUCKED AND ROLLED THE PLANE. ALL EFFORTS WERE NEEDED TO KEEP THE PLANE FAIRLY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. I HEARD OTHER PLANES RPTING PROBS WITH TURB. I ADVISED ATC OF THE TURB AND ASKED IF ANOTHER ALT WAS POSSIBLE. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DSND. IF ANYTHING, THE TURB WAS WORSE. AFTER TRYING TO FLY THE ACFT AND MAINTAIN A HEADING, I DECIDED THE WX SIT WAS TOO MUCH. I TOLD ATC THAT I NEEDED TO GET DOWN. ATC THEN STARTED LISTING NEARBY ARPTS, MAINLY SMALL FIELDS. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I WAS NOT SURE WHERE THEY WERE. THE PLANE REQUIRED ALL MY EFFORTS AND CONCENTRATION TO CTL IT, SO I COULD TAKE ONLY QUICK 'GLANCES' AT THE CHART. TO MAKE THE SIT WORSE, THE RING ON MY APCH PLATES HAD COME APART AND THE TURB SCATTERED MY APCH PLATES OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE PLANE. ALL THIS TOOK PLACE IN IMC. UPON SIGHTING A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS, I DECIDED TO DSND THROUGH, TO RELIEVE THE STRESS OF FLYING IFR. THE CLOUD LAYER WAS NOT THICK. THE CLOUD BASES VARIED FROM 1500- 1800 FT AGL AND VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUDS WAS AT LEAST 15 MI. HOWEVER, THE TURB WAS JUST AS SEVERE AS IN THE CLOUDS. RADIO COMS CONTINUED AS I TRIED TO LOCATE A NEARBY ARPT. THEN, ATC ASKED MY ALT. AFTER MY RESPONSE, ATC ADVISED THAT IFR MINIMUMS WERE 3000 FT MSL (ABOUT 2800 FT AGL). I ADVISED I WAS VFR UNDER THE CLOUDS. I HAD DIFFICULTY CTLING THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANE. ALSO, ANY TURNS MADE WERE LIKE THOSE AT MCA, AS I FELT ANY STEEPER BANK MIGHT ROLL THE ACFT. ATC THEN AGAIN ADVISED OF HIS ALT MINIMUMS. FINALLY, ANOTHER VOICE CAME OVER THE RADIO AND ASKED ME TO VERIFY THAT I WAS VFR BELOW CLOUDS. I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. COMS THEN TOOK PLACE REGARDING AN ARPT AT WHICH TO LAND. A NON CTLED FIELD WITH AN NDB APCH WAS SELECTED. THE APCH PLATE WAS FINALLY LOCATED AND THE BEACON TUNED IN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ADF DID NOT IMMEDIATELY LOCK ONTO THE BEACON AND I ASKED ATC TO VERIFY THE FREQ. I THEN RECYCLED THE RADIO AND RECEIVED A BEARING ON THE ADF TO THE FIELD. ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO TRACK TO THE FIELD, WHICH I DID. UPON SIGHTING THE FIELD, I ADVISED ATC I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK, DECIDED THE DIRECTION TO LAND, AND CROSSED THE FIELD TO CIRCLE ONTO FINAL. ATC THEN CAME ON THE RADIO AND AGAIN ADVISED OF HIS APCH MINIMUMS, AND THAT I WAS BELOW THEM. I ADVISED I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND WAS CIRCLING TO LAND. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK 1200 (WHICH I DID) AND THAT RADAR SVCS WERE TERMINATED. WHILE I DID NOT COMMUNICATE PROPERLY WITH ATC AND RESPOND PROMPTLY, I DID COMPLY WITH THE FIRST RULE OF AVIATION, WHICH IS AVIATE, NAV AND THEN COMMUNICATE. I ALSO MADE THE DECISIONS I FELT APPROPRIATE TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY OF THE FLT (IE, DSNDING THROUGH A SHALLOW CLOUD LAYER INTO VFR). HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE MADE ALL MY CONDITIONS KNOWN TO ATC (DIFFICULTY IN CTLING THE ACFT, LIMITED BANK AND THE SCATTERING OF THE APCH PLATES). WHEN UNABLE TO LOCATE THE APCH PLATE, I SHOULD HAVE DECIDED ON A FIELD, REQUESTED SPECIFIC VECTORS THERETO AND FREQS FOR THE NAVAIDS, TO START HEADING TOWARD A SPECIFIC POINT WHILE LOCATING THE APPROPRIATE PLATE. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY ADVISED UPON DSNDING AND THAT I WAS VFR. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE FORCEFUL IN ADVISING THAT I WAS GOING TO STAY AT MY ALT VFR, TERMINATED IFR, AND BEEN SPECIFIC IN WHAT ASSISTANCE I WAS REQUESTING OF ATC.

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.