Aircraft uncontrollable in severe WX due to unforecast severe turbulence.

Attributes
ACN	82619
Time
Date	198802
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pie airport : bkv
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	82619
Person 2
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Before my departure I had received several WX briefings from orl FSS. The final one indicated VFR conditions, possibility of IFR condition, no flight precautions or convective activity en route. This was 10 mins before takeoff. I departed in VFR conditions from lee and picked up my IFR clearance from orl approach. About 30 mi out of lee I was switched to tpa approach and started entering IMC. Then tpa approach advised pie WX 300 overcast 1 1/2 mi fog and to expect the ILS 17L at pie. Then tpa approach advised now to expect the back course 35R and to turn right to a more westerly heading and to climb to 2600' from 2000'. I initiated the turn and the climb, but before I was able to complete the climb we entered an area of severe to extreme turbulence which resulted in a temporary loss of control. The airspeed, altitude and attitude fluctuated wildly (airspeed +/- 70 KTS and rate of climb +/- 2000 FPM). I immediately contacted tpa approach reporting that we were encountering severe turbulence and were unable to maintain any altitude and requesting an immediate vector toward an area of clear WX. The controller only responded with altitude alerts and instructed me to climb and maintain my assigned altitude. The radar, which before only indicated light precipitation was useless due to the extreme attitude changes. I was finally able to regain control at 500' MSL and the controller finally suggested an airport at our 12 O'clock and 3 mi, at which I made an emergency landing. I feel that the greatest factor in this case was that the controller unknowingly vectored me into an area of severe turbulence and I think this incident and many others could be avoided if ATC facs would have adequate WX detection and avoidance equipment such as doppler radar to supplement the WX information the pilot obtains before flight with in flight updates and assistance. Also, the route I was flying had no WX reporting facs en route. In such areas the FAA should place automated WX reporting facs and ATC should solicit PIREPS from pilots in adverse WX situations and disseminate them as soon as possible in the case of urgent PIREPS directly over ATC communication frequency just like sigmets.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT UNCONTROLLABLE IN SEVERE WX DUE TO UNFORECAST SEVERE TURBULENCE.

Narrative: BEFORE MY DEP I HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL WX BRIEFINGS FROM ORL FSS. THE FINAL ONE INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS, POSSIBILITY OF IFR CONDITION, NO FLT PRECAUTIONS OR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ENRTE. THIS WAS 10 MINS BEFORE TKOF. I DEPARTED IN VFR CONDITIONS FROM LEE AND PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC FROM ORL APCH. ABOUT 30 MI OUT OF LEE I WAS SWITCHED TO TPA APCH AND STARTED ENTERING IMC. THEN TPA APCH ADVISED PIE WX 300 OVCST 1 1/2 MI FOG AND TO EXPECT THE ILS 17L AT PIE. THEN TPA APCH ADVISED NOW TO EXPECT THE BC 35R AND TO TURN RIGHT TO A MORE WESTERLY HDG AND TO CLB TO 2600' FROM 2000'. I INITIATED THE TURN AND THE CLB, BUT BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE CLB WE ENTERED AN AREA OF SEVERE TO EXTREME TURB WHICH RESULTED IN A TEMPORARY LOSS OF CTL. THE AIRSPD, ALT AND ATTITUDE FLUCTUATED WILDLY (AIRSPD +/- 70 KTS AND RATE OF CLB +/- 2000 FPM). I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TPA APCH RPTING THAT WE WERE ENCOUNTERING SEVERE TURB AND WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ANY ALT AND REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TOWARD AN AREA OF CLR WX. THE CTLR ONLY RESPONDED WITH ALT ALERTS AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB AND MAINTAIN MY ASSIGNED ALT. THE RADAR, WHICH BEFORE ONLY INDICATED LIGHT PRECIPITATION WAS USELESS DUE TO THE EXTREME ATTITUDE CHANGES. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO REGAIN CTL AT 500' MSL AND THE CTLR FINALLY SUGGESTED AN ARPT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI, AT WHICH I MADE AN EMER LNDG. I FEEL THAT THE GREATEST FACTOR IN THIS CASE WAS THAT THE CTLR UNKNOWINGLY VECTORED ME INTO AN AREA OF SEVERE TURB AND I THINK THIS INCIDENT AND MANY OTHERS COULD BE AVOIDED IF ATC FACS WOULD HAVE ADEQUATE WX DETECTION AND AVOIDANCE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS DOPPLER RADAR TO SUPPLEMENT THE WX INFO THE PLT OBTAINS BEFORE FLT WITH IN FLT UPDATES AND ASSISTANCE. ALSO, THE ROUTE I WAS FLYING HAD NO WX RPTING FACS ENRTE. IN SUCH AREAS THE FAA SHOULD PLACE AUTOMATED WX RPTING FACS AND ATC SHOULD SOLICIT PIREPS FROM PLTS IN ADVERSE WX SITUATIONS AND DISSEMINATE THEM ASAP IN THE CASE OF URGENT PIREPS DIRECTLY OVER ATC COM FREQ JUST LIKE SIGMETS.

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