Narrative:

I was on a x-country flight from ma, to a private airport 27 NM north of knoxville, tn, a 700 NM trip. The first leg was uneventful from psf to mrb (VFR conditions). Upon leaving mrb, I was in and out of IMC. I called flight watch and there was no convective activity at that time. About 20 NM from my destination, I entered undefined clouds. Although they were dark, I didn't want to believe they were convective only 20 NM from my destination. It became obvious as I penetrated further that I was entering an embedded thunderstorm as evident by lightning all around me and rain. I immediately made a 180 degree turn and headed back out the way I came in. While making my turn, I noticed my rate of climb pegged at down 2000'/min and also in a steep right bank. In other words, a spin. I got my wits about me and made a recovery, but not before losing about 900'. At about the same time I broke out into VFR condition. At this point I called indy center, who had me at that time and told them I had made a 180 degree turn and lost altitude and was climbing and needed deviation around the storm. The controller was very understanding and about that time xferred me to atlanta center. As I was tracking around the storm, I inadvertently was reducing my altitude to stay in VFR conditions and not blunder back into the storm. Atlanta center brought this to my attention and I cancelled my IFR clearance to stay VFR, since the MEA was 5000'. I had no trouble finding the airport and landed. The last couple of days I have been trying to analyze what happened and what I should have done. I think it was a classic case of destination-itis. How could there be a thunderstorm 20 NM from my destination after flying all day with none. I should have called flight watch and asked for deviation WX in my route of flight. I should have asked the controller for deviation around the storm before I got into it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT BLUNDERS INTO THUNDERSTORM AND LOSES CTL OF THE ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A X-COUNTRY FLT FROM MA, TO A PVT ARPT 27 NM N OF KNOXVILLE, TN, A 700 NM TRIP. THE FIRST LEG WAS UNEVENTFUL FROM PSF TO MRB (VFR CONDITIONS). UPON LEAVING MRB, I WAS IN AND OUT OF IMC. I CALLED FLT WATCH AND THERE WAS NO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY AT THAT TIME. ABOUT 20 NM FROM MY DEST, I ENTERED UNDEFINED CLOUDS. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE DARK, I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THEY WERE CONVECTIVE ONLY 20 NM FROM MY DEST. IT BECAME OBVIOUS AS I PENETRATED FURTHER THAT I WAS ENTERING AN EMBEDDED TSTM AS EVIDENT BY LIGHTNING ALL AROUND ME AND RAIN. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND HEADED BACK OUT THE WAY I CAME IN. WHILE MAKING MY TURN, I NOTICED MY RATE OF CLB PEGGED AT DOWN 2000'/MIN AND ALSO IN A STEEP R BANK. IN OTHER WORDS, A SPIN. I GOT MY WITS ABOUT ME AND MADE A RECOVERY, BUT NOT BEFORE LOSING ABOUT 900'. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I BROKE OUT INTO VFR CONDITION. AT THIS POINT I CALLED INDY CTR, WHO HAD ME AT THAT TIME AND TOLD THEM I HAD MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND LOST ALT AND WAS CLBING AND NEEDED DEV AROUND THE STORM. THE CTLR WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING AND ABOUT THAT TIME XFERRED ME TO ATLANTA CTR. AS I WAS TRACKING AROUND THE STORM, I INADVERTENTLY WAS REDUCING MY ALT TO STAY IN VFR CONDITIONS AND NOT BLUNDER BACK INTO THE STORM. ATLANTA CTR BROUGHT THIS TO MY ATTN AND I CANCELLED MY IFR CLRNC TO STAY VFR, SINCE THE MEA WAS 5000'. I HAD NO TROUBLE FINDING THE ARPT AND LANDED. THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ANALYZE WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE. I THINK IT WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF DEST-ITIS. HOW COULD THERE BE A TSTM 20 NM FROM MY DEST AFTER FLYING ALL DAY WITH NONE. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED FLT WATCH AND ASKED FOR DEV WX IN MY RTE OF FLT. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR FOR DEV AROUND THE STORM BEFORE I GOT INTO IT.

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.