C310 charter pilot lost control of aircraft in clear air while circumnaving thunderstorms when turbu...

Attributes
ACN	556305
Time
Date	200208
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 250 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Windshear Thunderstorm
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	DVR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 1090 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	556305
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

I was flying a charter from naples, fl, to tallahassee, fl. I filed a DVFR flight plan so I could fly west around some thunderstorms. At about 50-80 mi north of tampa, around the crystal river area, I was at 6500 ft MSL VFR, about 10-15 mi out over the water. I hit severe turbulence and/or windshear. I was immediately asking center for vector or different altitudes. I got 1 big jolt of turbulence and the second wave rolled my plane over and out of control. I pulled power back to 20 KTS above maneuvering speed (va) in case of wind gust that could bring plane lower than va. The plane felt like it rolled on its back and did a wing-over before falling straight down toward ground. I fought to keep wings level and once they were level and we were falling, I chopped the power to keep from exceeding yellow line and stressing the plane. I pulled back on the yoke some and held continuous pressure trying not to stress plane and applied up trim to help hold the pressure. At 4000 ft MSL the angle we were falling was not as bad -- 2000 ft MSL somewhat trying to fly out, and at 1000-500 ft MSL the airplane was almost level and flying again. I regained full control of aircraft about 200-300 ft MSL again. No damage, except for 2 windows that blew out. I declared an emergency finally, as the windows blew in the descent. My headset went out the window too. ZJX gave me an immediate vector to crystal river airport where we landed safely. I praise the guy at ZJX that I was talking to. He gave me good vectors, WX in the area and most importantly, once I regained control of the plane, helped me figure out where I was. When the windows blew, I lost my headsets, charts, and GPS. I was dead reckoning. I turned east 090 degrees toward land and he gave me a 085 degree heading to crystal river. Now I know about turbulence and windshear. It comes out of nowhere. One min the flight is smooth, and the next we are falling to the earth. Glad to be on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 CHARTER PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT IN CLR AIR WHILE CIRCUMNAVING TSTMS WHEN TURB AND WINDSHEAR SUDDENLY ROLLED THE ACFT INVERTED AND IT WENT INTO A VERT DIVE. FULL RECOVERY WAS AFFECTED AT 200 FT ABOVE THE WATER.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A CHARTER FROM NAPLES, FL, TO TALLAHASSEE, FL. I FILED A DVFR FLT PLAN SO I COULD FLY W AROUND SOME TSTMS. AT ABOUT 50-80 MI N OF TAMPA, AROUND THE CRYSTAL RIVER AREA, I WAS AT 6500 FT MSL VFR, ABOUT 10-15 MI OUT OVER THE WATER. I HIT SEVERE TURB AND/OR WINDSHEAR. I WAS IMMEDIATELY ASKING CTR FOR VECTOR OR DIFFERENT ALTS. I GOT 1 BIG JOLT OF TURB AND THE SECOND WAVE ROLLED MY PLANE OVER AND OUT OF CTL. I PULLED PWR BACK TO 20 KTS ABOVE MANEUVERING SPD (VA) IN CASE OF WIND GUST THAT COULD BRING PLANE LOWER THAN VA. THE PLANE FELT LIKE IT ROLLED ON ITS BACK AND DID A WING-OVER BEFORE FALLING STRAIGHT DOWN TOWARD GND. I FOUGHT TO KEEP WINGS LEVEL AND ONCE THEY WERE LEVEL AND WE WERE FALLING, I CHOPPED THE PWR TO KEEP FROM EXCEEDING YELLOW LINE AND STRESSING THE PLANE. I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE SOME AND HELD CONTINUOUS PRESSURE TRYING NOT TO STRESS PLANE AND APPLIED UP TRIM TO HELP HOLD THE PRESSURE. AT 4000 FT MSL THE ANGLE WE WERE FALLING WAS NOT AS BAD -- 2000 FT MSL SOMEWHAT TRYING TO FLY OUT, AND AT 1000-500 FT MSL THE AIRPLANE WAS ALMOST LEVEL AND FLYING AGAIN. I REGAINED FULL CTL OF ACFT ABOUT 200-300 FT MSL AGAIN. NO DAMAGE, EXCEPT FOR 2 WINDOWS THAT BLEW OUT. I DECLARED AN EMER FINALLY, AS THE WINDOWS BLEW IN THE DSCNT. MY HEADSET WENT OUT THE WINDOW TOO. ZJX GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO CRYSTAL RIVER ARPT WHERE WE LANDED SAFELY. I PRAISE THE GUY AT ZJX THAT I WAS TALKING TO. HE GAVE ME GOOD VECTORS, WX IN THE AREA AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ONCE I REGAINED CTL OF THE PLANE, HELPED ME FIGURE OUT WHERE I WAS. WHEN THE WINDOWS BLEW, I LOST MY HEADSETS, CHARTS, AND GPS. I WAS DEAD RECKONING. I TURNED E 090 DEGS TOWARD LAND AND HE GAVE ME A 085 DEG HDG TO CRYSTAL RIVER. NOW I KNOW ABOUT TURB AND WINDSHEAR. IT COMES OUT OF NOWHERE. ONE MIN THE FLT IS SMOOTH, AND THE NEXT WE ARE FALLING TO THE EARTH. GLAD TO BE ON THE GND.

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.

C310 charter pilot lost control of aircraft in clear air while circumnaving thunderstorms when turbulence and windshear suddenly rolled the aircraft inverted and it went into a vertical dive. Full recovery was affected at 200 ft above the water.