BE90 pilot reports encountering severe turbulence at 17000 feet and losing control. Pilot recovers at 10500 feet and continues to destination. ATC advised.

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Attributes
ACN	772461
Time
Date	200801
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mei.vortac
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl single value : 17500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Beechcraft Twin Turboprop Jet Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	772461
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Climbed through light rain for 17000 ft. Broke out of clouds at 13000 ft with an additional layer above. Buildup in front caused me to ask center for 19000 ft and deviate to the right. Was in climbing right turn and upon entering clouds encountered severe turbulence and possible windshear. Aircraft was flipped inverted. I rolled the aircraft back upright and reduced power to idle. Turbulence was still severe but I regained control at 10500 ft. Proceeded on to destination. Advised center of my problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the weather that produced the severe turbulence did not show up on the aircraft radar and was a complete surprise. The aircraft was very difficult to pull out of the dive and post flight inspection revealed wrinkles in the wing skin caused by excessive loads in the pullout. The reporter is a very experienced pilot and had never encountered turbulence like this before.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE90 PILOT REPORTS ENCOUNTERING SEVERE TURBULENCE AT 17000 FEET AND LOSING CONTROL. PILOT RECOVERS AT 10500 FEET AND CONTINUES TO DESTINATION. ATC ADVISED.

Narrative: CLBED THROUGH LIGHT RAIN FOR 17000 FT. BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AT 13000 FT WITH AN ADDITIONAL LAYER ABOVE. BUILDUP IN FRONT CAUSED ME TO ASK CTR FOR 19000 FT AND DEVIATE TO THE R. WAS IN CLBING R TURN AND UPON ENTERING CLOUDS ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND POSSIBLE WINDSHEAR. ACFT WAS FLIPPED INVERTED. I ROLLED THE ACFT BACK UPRIGHT AND REDUCED PWR TO IDLE. TURB WAS STILL SEVERE BUT I REGAINED CTL AT 10500 FT. PROCEEDED ON TO DEST. ADVISED CTR OF MY PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE WEATHER THAT PRODUCED THE SEVERE TURBULENCE DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE ACFT RADAR AND WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE. THE ACFT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT OF THE DIVE AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED WRINKLES IN THE WING SKIN CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE LOADS IN THE PULLOUT. THE REPORTER IS A VERY EXPERIENCED PILOT AND HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE LIKE THIS BEFORE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.