Narrative:

On oct/mon/06; at approximately XA45 hours; I departed pof; en route to dxe. This flight was to relocate the aircraft owned by government agency due to runway closures at pof. I obtained a duats WX briefing; consulted the taf's and metar's and listened to the nearest ASOS information; prior to departing. I obtained a void/clearance time from the st louis FSS; using my cell phone. Immediately upon departure and entry to IMC; I noticed significant turbulence. I was able to contact ZME on 120.07; close to 4000 ft MSL. I notified them of the turbulence and requested radar vectors to the maw VOR. I was advised I could make my request on the next frequency. After several moments I asked if I was given the next frequency to make my request and I was informed I would by handed off shortly. When I was advised to switch to ZME on 133.65; I made my request for radar vectors to get to the maw VOR so I could use the VOR/DME runway 36 at dxe. I was advised I could not be given vectors and would have to shoot the full approach. I naved to the maw VOR; turbulence was severe. I attempted a procedure turn; but had trouble controling the aircraft. I began to lose situational awareness. ZME advised me I was off course and began giving me headings to get me back on the course. As I attempted to track the 351 degree radial outbound from maw VOR I continued to experience severe turbulence. My course; altitude and speed varied repeatedly. ZME advised me I was over the airport; too high and they would take me back around. I had trouble controling the aircraft and I told the controller I was experiencing severe turbulence. I also began having conflicting readings of course heading from my compass; panel mounted northstar GPS and my backup yoke-mounted lowrance airmap. ZME attempted to give me headings again to get me back on course. I told them I was now getting a low voltage indication light. I asked the controller where the nearest VFR WX was located. He asked if I wanted to go back to pof. I did not. He later asked me if the WX looked better out my left or right side. I told him I was IMC. I asked him for a heading to the nearest VFR in case I lost my electrical system; and I told him I had 5+ hours of fuel on board. He stated none was available. I told him I was having trouble with my system of navigation. I don't believe I directly told him; but my directional gyroscope; which had been acting up; was now completely non-functioning. I followed headings as directed; maintained control of the aircraft as best I could due to the turbulence. ZME brought me back around and said they turned me right on top of the radial and now I was already through it. He stated he would take me back around and give me a better chance to get on course. My assigned altitudes varied from 3000 ft to 2100 ft. When I again told him about the turbulence I told him he had to get me out of the current turbulence. The response was to give me a block altitude of 2500-3500 ft. ZME took me back around on the course; but told me I was too far left. The controller stated he was going to take me back around. I told him I was going to track the course; correct and put the airplane on the ground. I confirmed with him that I was correcting to the course. The controller then told me I was now right on the course and cleared me to advisory frequency. I broke out at approximately 700-800 ft. I was left of course and I maneuvered to runway 36. It was raining. I touched down in the first third of the runway. I applied my brakes and developed a severe vibration. I had been experiencing similar vibrations before and had just had the plane inspected to look for the cause. I did not feel I could safely perform a go around so I kept the nose down and held the brakes. The aircraft shook so violently I wasn't sure I was going to be able to keep it on the runway. As I got the aircraft slowed I was able to put the flaps up and the vibration lessened when I was able to pull back on the yoke. I successfully slowed the aircraft and exited the runway without further incident. Postflt inspection that night revealed slight damage to the aluminum landing gear covers and the plastic grommets. A preflight inspection the following morning prior to a scheduled maintenance flight revealed the right elevatorend cap was bent; small tears were visible and 2 rivets were missing. No obvious signs of impact were present. I am not sure if this is an in-flight structural failure. I believe the ZME controllers did an excellent job of helping me. My only suggestion would be to allow the pilot to determine if flying straight and level to VFR would be best for his abilities and specific location. An area with less turbulence might have helped. 5 hours of flight time opens up more possibilities. The other major factor would involve my decision to go in the WX as it existed that day. I realize now my experience and recency coupled with the vibration and marginally functional directional gyroscope I had been experiencing now make the flight appear too risky to be prudent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182R PLT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB WHICH; COMBINED WITH DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE FAILURE; MADE IT DIFFICULT TO FLY THE APCH.

Narrative: ON OCT/MON/06; AT APPROX XA45 HRS; I DEPARTED POF; ENRTE TO DXE. THIS FLT WAS TO RELOCATE THE ACFT OWNED BY GOV AGENCY DUE TO RWY CLOSURES AT POF. I OBTAINED A DUATS WX BRIEFING; CONSULTED THE TAF'S AND METAR'S AND LISTENED TO THE NEAREST ASOS INFO; PRIOR TO DEPARTING. I OBTAINED A VOID/CLRNC TIME FROM THE ST LOUIS FSS; USING MY CELL PHONE. IMMEDIATELY UPON DEP AND ENTRY TO IMC; I NOTICED SIGNIFICANT TURB. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ZME ON 120.07; CLOSE TO 4000 FT MSL. I NOTIFIED THEM OF THE TURB AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE MAW VOR. I WAS ADVISED I COULD MAKE MY REQUEST ON THE NEXT FREQ. AFTER SEVERAL MOMENTS I ASKED IF I WAS GIVEN THE NEXT FREQ TO MAKE MY REQUEST AND I WAS INFORMED I WOULD BY HANDED OFF SHORTLY. WHEN I WAS ADVISED TO SWITCH TO ZME ON 133.65; I MADE MY REQUEST FOR RADAR VECTORS TO GET TO THE MAW VOR SO I COULD USE THE VOR/DME RWY 36 AT DXE. I WAS ADVISED I COULD NOT BE GIVEN VECTORS AND WOULD HAVE TO SHOOT THE FULL APCH. I NAVED TO THE MAW VOR; TURB WAS SEVERE. I ATTEMPTED A PROC TURN; BUT HAD TROUBLE CTLING THE ACFT. I BEGAN TO LOSE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. ZME ADVISED ME I WAS OFF COURSE AND BEGAN GIVING ME HDGS TO GET ME BACK ON THE COURSE. AS I ATTEMPTED TO TRACK THE 351 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND FROM MAW VOR I CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE TURB. MY COURSE; ALT AND SPD VARIED REPEATEDLY. ZME ADVISED ME I WAS OVER THE ARPT; TOO HIGH AND THEY WOULD TAKE ME BACK AROUND. I HAD TROUBLE CTLING THE ACFT AND I TOLD THE CTLR I WAS EXPERIENCING SEVERE TURB. I ALSO BEGAN HAVING CONFLICTING READINGS OF COURSE HDG FROM MY COMPASS; PANEL MOUNTED NORTHSTAR GPS AND MY BACKUP YOKE-MOUNTED LOWRANCE AIRMAP. ZME ATTEMPTED TO GIVE ME HDGS AGAIN TO GET ME BACK ON COURSE. I TOLD THEM I WAS NOW GETTING A LOW VOLTAGE INDICATION LIGHT. I ASKED THE CTLR WHERE THE NEAREST VFR WX WAS LOCATED. HE ASKED IF I WANTED TO GO BACK TO POF. I DID NOT. HE LATER ASKED ME IF THE WX LOOKED BETTER OUT MY L OR R SIDE. I TOLD HIM I WAS IMC. I ASKED HIM FOR A HDG TO THE NEAREST VFR IN CASE I LOST MY ELECTRICAL SYS; AND I TOLD HIM I HAD 5+ HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD. HE STATED NONE WAS AVAILABLE. I TOLD HIM I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY SYS OF NAV. I DON'T BELIEVE I DIRECTLY TOLD HIM; BUT MY DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE; WHICH HAD BEEN ACTING UP; WAS NOW COMPLETELY NON-FUNCTIONING. I FOLLOWED HDGS AS DIRECTED; MAINTAINED CTL OF THE ACFT AS BEST I COULD DUE TO THE TURB. ZME BROUGHT ME BACK AROUND AND SAID THEY TURNED ME RIGHT ON TOP OF THE RADIAL AND NOW I WAS ALREADY THROUGH IT. HE STATED HE WOULD TAKE ME BACK AROUND AND GIVE ME A BETTER CHANCE TO GET ON COURSE. MY ASSIGNED ALTS VARIED FROM 3000 FT TO 2100 FT. WHEN I AGAIN TOLD HIM ABOUT THE TURB I TOLD HIM HE HAD TO GET ME OUT OF THE CURRENT TURB. THE RESPONSE WAS TO GIVE ME A BLOCK ALT OF 2500-3500 FT. ZME TOOK ME BACK AROUND ON THE COURSE; BUT TOLD ME I WAS TOO FAR L. THE CTLR STATED HE WAS GOING TO TAKE ME BACK AROUND. I TOLD HIM I WAS GOING TO TRACK THE COURSE; CORRECT AND PUT THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND. I CONFIRMED WITH HIM THAT I WAS CORRECTING TO THE COURSE. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME I WAS NOW RIGHT ON THE COURSE AND CLRED ME TO ADVISORY FREQ. I BROKE OUT AT APPROX 700-800 FT. I WAS L OF COURSE AND I MANEUVERED TO RWY 36. IT WAS RAINING. I TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE RWY. I APPLIED MY BRAKES AND DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION. I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING SIMILAR VIBRATIONS BEFORE AND HAD JUST HAD THE PLANE INSPECTED TO LOOK FOR THE CAUSE. I DID NOT FEEL I COULD SAFELY PERFORM A GAR SO I KEPT THE NOSE DOWN AND HELD THE BRAKES. THE ACFT SHOOK SO VIOLENTLY I WASN'T SURE I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT ON THE RWY. AS I GOT THE ACFT SLOWED I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FLAPS UP AND THE VIBRATION LESSENED WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PULL BACK ON THE YOKE. I SUCCESSFULLY SLOWED THE ACFT AND EXITED THE RWY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POSTFLT INSPECTION THAT NIGHT REVEALED SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE ALUMINUM LNDG GEAR COVERS AND THE PLASTIC GROMMETS. A PREFLT INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING MORNING PRIOR TO A SCHEDULED MAINT FLT REVEALED THE R ELEVATOREND CAP WAS BENT; SMALL TEARS WERE VISIBLE AND 2 RIVETS WERE MISSING. NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF IMPACT WERE PRESENT. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS AN INFLT STRUCTURAL FAILURE. I BELIEVE THE ZME CTLRS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF HELPING ME. MY ONLY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO ALLOW THE PLT TO DETERMINE IF FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL TO VFR WOULD BE BEST FOR HIS ABILITIES AND SPECIFIC LOCATION. AN AREA WITH LESS TURB MIGHT HAVE HELPED. 5 HRS OF FLT TIME OPENS UP MORE POSSIBILITIES. THE OTHER MAJOR FACTOR WOULD INVOLVE MY DECISION TO GO IN THE WX AS IT EXISTED THAT DAY. I REALIZE NOW MY EXPERIENCE AND RECENCY COUPLED WITH THE VIBRATION AND MARGINALLY FUNCTIONAL DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING NOW MAKE THE FLT APPEAR TOO RISKY TO BE PRUDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.