Narrative:

On sep/xa/98 while en route from detroit city airport to louisville bowman field, I unintentionally deviated from my assigned altitude due to WX conditions. As the flight progressed, it was apparent from the radio traffic among pilots, controllers and flight service as well as a general announcement made, as I recall, by ZID that WX in the cincinnati area was bad. I told ZID that I had decided to stop short of my original destination and land in dayton to wait out the WX. I repeated my statement to dayton approach who volunteered that he thought he could route me around the WX via the richmond and shelbyville vors. After checking with ZID he cleared me for that route. Prior to reaching richmond, however, I was told to proceed direct nabb which turned me back towards the adverse WX. To avoid the hot restr area west of cincinnati, I was later given a heading of 180 degrees which, I think, caused me to further penetration the area of bad WX. At 8000 ft I was IMC and encountering moderate turbulence and intermittent heavy rain. I requested and was cleared to a lower altitude of 6000 ft where conditions were the same. I found myself wrestling with the controls to stay at 6000 ft. When I realized that I was in an updraft, I maintained level attitude and rode it out. I informed cincinnati approach that I was at 6600 ft and unable to control my altitude and that I needed to get down. The controller told me that another 5 mi and he'd have me on the other side of the WX. After a brief period of uncontrolled ascent I was able to descend. Approach cleared me down to 5000 ft and then 4000 ft where conditions were vastly better. The controller did respond promptly to my requests for altitude changes and deviations from assigned headings. I was then handed off to louisville approach. Had I been allowed to proceed with the clearance given me by dayton approach I would have remained well north and west of the cincinnati area and, I think, the difficult flying conditions which contributed to my violation. I certainly never intended to fly into hazardous WX. I was, after all, prepared to situation in dayton. I am puzzled as to why I was vectored back towards cincinnati when, apparently, conditions in central and south central indiana were better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN C182 AFTER CAREFULLY CHKING WX, DEPARTED DET IFR TO LOU ON IFR FLT PLAN. ON A PORTION OF HIS FLT ENRTE, THE PLT ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AND ADVISED THE CTLR THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO CTL HIS ALT AND DEVIATED 600 FT FROM HIS ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/98 WHILE ENRTE FROM DETROIT CITY ARPT TO LOUISVILLE BOWMAN FIELD, I UNINTENTIONALLY DEVIATED FROM MY ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO WX CONDITIONS. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, IT WAS APPARENT FROM THE RADIO TFC AMONG PLTS, CTLRS AND FLT SVC AS WELL AS A GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT MADE, AS I RECALL, BY ZID THAT WX IN THE CINCINNATI AREA WAS BAD. I TOLD ZID THAT I HAD DECIDED TO STOP SHORT OF MY ORIGINAL DEST AND LAND IN DAYTON TO WAIT OUT THE WX. I REPEATED MY STATEMENT TO DAYTON APCH WHO VOLUNTEERED THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD RTE ME AROUND THE WX VIA THE RICHMOND AND SHELBYVILLE VORS. AFTER CHKING WITH ZID HE CLRED ME FOR THAT RTE. PRIOR TO REACHING RICHMOND, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT NABB WHICH TURNED ME BACK TOWARDS THE ADVERSE WX. TO AVOID THE HOT RESTR AREA W OF CINCINNATI, I WAS LATER GIVEN A HDG OF 180 DEGS WHICH, I THINK, CAUSED ME TO FURTHER PENETRATION THE AREA OF BAD WX. AT 8000 FT I WAS IMC AND ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB AND INTERMITTENT HVY RAIN. I REQUESTED AND WAS CLRED TO A LOWER ALT OF 6000 FT WHERE CONDITIONS WERE THE SAME. I FOUND MYSELF WRESTLING WITH THE CTLS TO STAY AT 6000 FT. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS IN AN UPDRAFT, I MAINTAINED LEVEL ATTITUDE AND RODE IT OUT. I INFORMED CINCINNATI APCH THAT I WAS AT 6600 FT AND UNABLE TO CTL MY ALT AND THAT I NEEDED TO GET DOWN. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT ANOTHER 5 MI AND HE'D HAVE ME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WX. AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF UNCTLED ASCENT I WAS ABLE TO DSND. APCH CLRED ME DOWN TO 5000 FT AND THEN 4000 FT WHERE CONDITIONS WERE VASTLY BETTER. THE CTLR DID RESPOND PROMPTLY TO MY REQUESTS FOR ALT CHANGES AND DEVS FROM ASSIGNED HDGS. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO LOUISVILLE APCH. HAD I BEEN ALLOWED TO PROCEED WITH THE CLRNC GIVEN ME BY DAYTON APCH I WOULD HAVE REMAINED WELL N AND W OF THE CINCINNATI AREA AND, I THINK, THE DIFFICULT FLYING CONDITIONS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MY VIOLATION. I CERTAINLY NEVER INTENDED TO FLY INTO HAZARDOUS WX. I WAS, AFTER ALL, PREPARED TO SIT IN DAYTON. I AM PUZZLED AS TO WHY I WAS VECTORED BACK TOWARDS CINCINNATI WHEN, APPARENTLY, CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA WERE BETTER.

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.