M20 pilot reported encountering hail and significant updrafts and downdrafts after center advised of...

Attributes
ACN	1462683
Time
Date	201706
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZME.ARTCC
State Reference	TN
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	M-20 B/C Ranger
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Rotorcraft
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30 Flight Crew Total 1750 Flight Crew Type 950
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control

Narrative:

Was in cruise configuration with afternoon convective activity beginning. Had been in and out of a few clouds. Center advised of light to moderate rain ahead on my route of flight as I was penetrating clouds between two moderate rain signatures on the nexrad. The nexrad on my garmin 510 showed the light to moderate rain as green and yellow signatures confirming the information given by center. The image at the time of penetration was 3-4 minutes old. After penetration; we experienced convective activity and extreme lift making it impossible to hold altitude. Suddenly we had over 3;000 FPM registering on the vsi and hail hitting the windshield. I immediately did a 180 degree turn to the right and experienced a downdraft at 1200 fpm. I notified center of the experience; conditions; the inability to hold altitude and evasive action taken. Center inquired if there was any noticeable structural damage and I replied none. Center then vectored us to the south of the convective activity with no further encounters during the remainder of the flight leg. When I viewed flightaware to see what activity we flew through it showed green and yellow signatures. The following week when returning home; flightaware showed a different picture with red; white and lightning signatures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20 pilot reported encountering hail and significant updrafts and downdrafts after Center advised of light to moderate rain as he was penetrating the clouds and had to reverse course to escape. His NEXRAD images of the rain signatures matched what Center had advised of.

Narrative: Was in cruise configuration with afternoon convective activity beginning. Had been in and out of a few clouds. Center advised of light to moderate rain ahead on my route of flight as I was penetrating clouds between two moderate rain signatures on the NEXRAD. The NEXRAD on my Garmin 510 showed the light to moderate rain as green and yellow signatures confirming the information given by Center. The image at the time of penetration was 3-4 minutes old. After penetration; we experienced convective activity and extreme lift making it impossible to hold altitude. Suddenly we had over 3;000 FPM registering on the VSI and hail hitting the windshield. I immediately did a 180 degree turn to the right and experienced a downdraft at 1200 fpm. I notified Center of the experience; conditions; the inability to hold altitude and evasive action taken. Center inquired if there was any noticeable structural damage and I replied none. Center then vectored us to the south of the convective activity with no further encounters during the remainder of the flight leg. When I viewed Flightaware to see what activity we flew through it showed green and yellow signatures. The following week when returning home; Flightaware showed a different picture with red; white and lightning signatures.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

M20 pilot reported encountering hail and significant updrafts and downdrafts after center advised of light to moderate rain as he was penetrating the clouds and had to reverse course to escape. His nexrad images of the rain signatures matched what center had advised of.