Narrative:

We were in a canyon with white, billowing tops to our both sides ahead and 1 more behind. The climb rate of an 85 hp small aircraft is less than brisk with full tanks and 2 people at 7000 ft, and it was clear that we would not be able to stay clear before we were finally above the tops. The depression we were in would not allow shallow spiraling up nor would our shallow climb rate permit any gain with a tighter radius climbing turn, so I announced to my passenger that we would be momentarily entering the calm-appearing gray area (between the 2 white active cumulus tops) and would soon be out of the mess we had gotten into. Shortly after entering the misty gray area, a violent 90 degree left wing down occurred. Full counter-controled aileron finally 'unstuck' the condition, but the same condition occurred to the right. The gyroscope confirmed this condition and the nose was level. However, the left wing and nose were then pulled violently down (despite counter-control), stayed at this position then the tail came over the top and we tumbled. At this point, the altitude gyroscope ceased to function and remained jammed in an attitude which showed full nose down and left 60 degree bank. The brighter condition of the sky above was my only reference for 'this side up', so using that, the directional gyroscope reference and the turn and bank, it seemed to calm down. Another violent drop of the right wing, along with a rapid fluctuation of the sensitive altimeter, and a drop in visibility (less difference in brightness) was followed by a sequence which felt and sounded like 5 stalls. After the first 2, I reduced engine power to 1000 RPM then to 600. Then 3 spin entry (left wing drop) symptoms were felt. It seemed to be a correct guess, because no-aileron, rudder-only counter control followed by down-elevator and easing back to reduce wind noise worked. The sensitive altitude still showed radial deflection in both directions. The altitude shown by the standard altimeter was now 5500 ft. I eased on 2100 RPM to avoid possible turbulence-caused flooding and loss of power and, soon after, we entered a hole which, although tight, showed a clear view of a town below. I announced a tight spiraling descent to my passenger and began to lose altitude. The air conditions were now relatively smooth and I saw a landmark which indicated that I was near the edge (or in) the abe arsa radius although still above it (4800 ft versus 4400 ft). I continued to spiral down to land, soaked with sweat, at queen city airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ENCOUNTERED WX ENRTE ON VFR FLT. CLBED UNTIL COULD CLB NO MORE. ENTERED CLOUD AND LOST CTL IN TURB. RPTR ESTIMATE OF 5 SPIN RECOVERIES WITH UNCERTAIN VISIBILITY, BROKE CLR, RECOVERED CTL, LANDED ABE.

Narrative: WE WERE IN A CANYON WITH WHITE, BILLOWING TOPS TO OUR BOTH SIDES AHEAD AND 1 MORE BEHIND. THE CLB RATE OF AN 85 HP SMA IS LESS THAN BRISK WITH FULL TANKS AND 2 PEOPLE AT 7000 FT, AND IT WAS CLR THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STAY CLR BEFORE WE WERE FINALLY ABOVE THE TOPS. THE DEPRESSION WE WERE IN WOULD NOT ALLOW SHALLOW SPIRALING UP NOR WOULD OUR SHALLOW CLB RATE PERMIT ANY GAIN WITH A TIGHTER RADIUS CLBING TURN, SO I ANNOUNCED TO MY PAX THAT WE WOULD BE MOMENTARILY ENTERING THE CALM-APPEARING GRAY AREA (BTWN THE 2 WHITE ACTIVE CUMULUS TOPS) AND WOULD SOON BE OUT OF THE MESS WE HAD GOTTEN INTO. SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING THE MISTY GRAY AREA, A VIOLENT 90 DEG L WING DOWN OCCURRED. FULL COUNTER-CTLED AILERON FINALLY 'UNSTUCK' THE CONDITION, BUT THE SAME CONDITION OCCURRED TO THE R. THE GYROSCOPE CONFIRMED THIS CONDITION AND THE NOSE WAS LEVEL. HOWEVER, THE L WING AND NOSE WERE THEN PULLED VIOLENTLY DOWN (DESPITE COUNTER-CTL), STAYED AT THIS POS THEN THE TAIL CAME OVER THE TOP AND WE TUMBLED. AT THIS POINT, THE ALT GYROSCOPE CEASED TO FUNCTION AND REMAINED JAMMED IN AN ATTITUDE WHICH SHOWED FULL NOSE DOWN AND LEFT 60 DEG BANK. THE BRIGHTER CONDITION OF THE SKY ABOVE WAS MY ONLY REF FOR 'THIS SIDE UP', SO USING THAT, THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE REF AND THE TURN AND BANK, IT SEEMED TO CALM DOWN. ANOTHER VIOLENT DROP OF THE R WING, ALONG WITH A RAPID FLUCTUATION OF THE SENSITIVE ALTIMETER, AND A DROP IN VISIBILITY (LESS DIFFERENCE IN BRIGHTNESS) WAS FOLLOWED BY A SEQUENCE WHICH FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE 5 STALLS. AFTER THE FIRST 2, I REDUCED ENG PWR TO 1000 RPM THEN TO 600. THEN 3 SPIN ENTRY (LEFT WING DROP) SYMPTOMS WERE FELT. IT SEEMED TO BE A CORRECT GUESS, BECAUSE NO-AILERON, RUDDER-ONLY COUNTER CTL FOLLOWED BY DOWN-ELEVATOR AND EASING BACK TO REDUCE WIND NOISE WORKED. THE SENSITIVE ALT STILL SHOWED RADIAL DEFLECTION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THE ALT SHOWN BY THE STANDARD ALTIMETER WAS NOW 5500 FT. I EASED ON 2100 RPM TO AVOID POSSIBLE TURB-CAUSED FLOODING AND LOSS OF PWR AND, SOON AFTER, WE ENTERED A HOLE WHICH, ALTHOUGH TIGHT, SHOWED A CLR VIEW OF A TOWN BELOW. I ANNOUNCED A TIGHT SPIRALING DSCNT TO MY PAX AND BEGAN TO LOSE ALT. THE AIR CONDITIONS WERE NOW RELATIVELY SMOOTH AND I SAW A LANDMARK WHICH INDICATED THAT I WAS NEAR THE EDGE (OR IN) THE ABE ARSA RADIUS ALTHOUGH STILL ABOVE IT (4800 FT VERSUS 4400 FT). I CONTINUED TO SPIRAL DOWN TO LAND, SOAKED WITH SWEAT, AT QUEEN CITY ARPT.

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.