Narrative:

I was flying on an IFR flight plan from perryville, mo, to moline, il, with 4 passenger. About 85 NM from moline, my radar showed 2 storm cells that appeared to be straight ahead and just south of moline. It looked as though I could fly between the cells by deviating to the west. Peoria approach told me about the storms in the moline area, and gave me permission to deviate as necessary. I was handed off to quad city approach at 6000 ft and then cleared, pilot's discretion, to 2400 ft. As I got closer to moline, the cells started to look worse on the radar and appeared to form 1 large cell. I felt that it would be better to land at galesburg than to fly into the cell, which was between galesburg and moline. I told the passenger that there was a strong thunderstorm just south of moline and said that I thought we should land at galesburg. 3 of the passenger reluctantly agreed, the 4TH became very angry and wanted to land at moline. It took me by surprise that he would react that way. I hadn't been around people who act that way before. At that point I could see galesburg passing by, beneath a thin broken layer of clouds. That is when I had the worst lapse of judgement in my life and decided to press on to moline in order to please the passenger. I spent the next 10-15 mi flying through turbulence like I had never imagined. On the other side of the cell there were scattered clouds, and a visual approach was made into moline. The passenger and I were glad to be on the ground and I waited until the storm had completely passed through the area before returning to galesburg, the airplane's base. I feel that my previous experience with lesser storms had lulled me into a false sense of security. Training in interping the radar may have made me realize how strong this storm was, and bolstered my resolve to land at galesburg. I know that I would not have flown through the storm had it not been for the irate passenger, and wish that I had been better prepared to deal with that kind of person. I knew that I was responsible for the safety of the flight, but my desire to please the passenger, coupled with my previous experience with thunderstorms and lack of familiarity with airborne radar, clouded my judgement and I made the wrong decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RELATIVELY NEW C421 PLT, CARRYING 4 PAX, DECIDED TO DIVERT DUE TO TSTM CELL ACTIVITY. HE SUCCUMBED TO EMOTIONAL PRESSURE FROM A PAX AND CONTINUED TO THEIR DEST. APPARENTLY, THEY EXPERIENCED EXTREME TURB AND ALL WERE FRIGHTENED.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PERRYVILLE, MO, TO MOLINE, IL, WITH 4 PAX. ABOUT 85 NM FROM MOLINE, MY RADAR SHOWED 2 STORM CELLS THAT APPEARED TO BE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND JUST S OF MOLINE. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH I COULD FLY BTWN THE CELLS BY DEVIATING TO THE W. PEORIA APCH TOLD ME ABOUT THE STORMS IN THE MOLINE AREA, AND GAVE ME PERMISSION TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY. I WAS HANDED OFF TO QUAD CITY APCH AT 6000 FT AND THEN CLRED, PLT'S DISCRETION, TO 2400 FT. AS I GOT CLOSER TO MOLINE, THE CELLS STARTED TO LOOK WORSE ON THE RADAR AND APPEARED TO FORM 1 LARGE CELL. I FELT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LAND AT GALESBURG THAN TO FLY INTO THE CELL, WHICH WAS BTWN GALESBURG AND MOLINE. I TOLD THE PAX THAT THERE WAS A STRONG TSTM JUST S OF MOLINE AND SAID THAT I THOUGHT WE SHOULD LAND AT GALESBURG. 3 OF THE PAX RELUCTANTLY AGREED, THE 4TH BECAME VERY ANGRY AND WANTED TO LAND AT MOLINE. IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE THAT HE WOULD REACT THAT WAY. I HADN'T BEEN AROUND PEOPLE WHO ACT THAT WAY BEFORE. AT THAT POINT I COULD SEE GALESBURG PASSING BY, BENEATH A THIN BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS. THAT IS WHEN I HAD THE WORST LAPSE OF JUDGEMENT IN MY LIFE AND DECIDED TO PRESS ON TO MOLINE IN ORDER TO PLEASE THE PAX. I SPENT THE NEXT 10-15 MI FLYING THROUGH TURB LIKE I HAD NEVER IMAGINED. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CELL THERE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS, AND A VISUAL APCH WAS MADE INTO MOLINE. THE PAX AND I WERE GLAD TO BE ON THE GND AND I WAITED UNTIL THE STORM HAD COMPLETELY PASSED THROUGH THE AREA BEFORE RETURNING TO GALESBURG, THE AIRPLANE'S BASE. I FEEL THAT MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH LESSER STORMS HAD LULLED ME INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. TRAINING IN INTERPING THE RADAR MAY HAVE MADE ME REALIZE HOW STRONG THIS STORM WAS, AND BOLSTERED MY RESOLVE TO LAND AT GALESBURG. I KNOW THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THE STORM HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE IRATE PAX, AND WISH THAT I HAD BEEN BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THAT KIND OF PERSON. I KNEW THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT, BUT MY DESIRE TO PLEASE THE PAX, COUPLED WITH MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH TSTMS AND LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRBORNE RADAR, CLOUDED MY JUDGEMENT AND I MADE THE WRONG DECISION.

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.