Narrative:

Flight departed tpa-srq, 2600 ft altitude assigned, RVR to srq pretty poor WX, thunderstorms moving in off the gulf. I was given a 120 degree heading for WX, then 180 degrees for approximately 30 NM. During this time, srq WX turned VFR with thunderstorms moving to the northeast. Abeam srq at 20 NM plus 2600 ft MSL, I was now in the clear (below ceilings and out of rain) and could see about 7 mi west (toward srq). Since given the 180 degree vector the controller (tpa approach) had not said anything to me. I requested and was given a turn towards the airport (260 degrees). I was not told that a level 4 to 5 thunderstorm was between myself and airport. Upon penetration, turbulence was severe, updraft took me up to 3200 ft and then a shear took me down rapidly to 1500 ft MSL. I popped out the side of the storm, unable to tell approach about the excursion, because he was talking to other aircraft, and I was flying the airplane. Told tpa approach that I had srq in sight and was given the visual approach (about 12 NM from srq and I was still at 1500 ft MSL). I was never given to srq tower and at 5 NM out I asked tampa to switch and was given to srq tower. Upon changing frequencys, the tower was advising another aircraft of traffic inside 1 mi separation, same altitude and converging. As soon as the other aircraft acknowledged, I called tower and told him who I was. He had been trying to call me for the past 10 mi, tampa approach had never given him a handoff and had no idea I was IFR handling on a visual approach. I called the tower on the ground after landing, I had to circle to let the other aircraft (a C172) and apparently I was the second unannounced handoff the tpa controller had given srq tower that morning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ON AN IFR TERMINAL ENRTE FLT AT A LOW ALT WAS CAUGHT IN A SEVERE TSTM CAUSING HIM TO GAIN AND LOSE ALT FROM ASSIGNED. IN ADDITION, ATC HAD NOT HANDED HIM OFF TO THE DEST TWR CAUSING HIM TO INADVERTENTLY ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ATC ACCEPTANCE. FURTHERMORE, HE HAD A CONFLICT WITH A CESSNA 172 APCH AT THE SAME TIME AND WAS SENT AROUND TO AVOID THAT ACFT.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED TPA-SRQ, 2600 FT ALT ASSIGNED, RVR TO SRQ PRETTY POOR WX, TSTMS MOVING IN OFF THE GULF. I WAS GIVEN A 120 DEG HDG FOR WX, THEN 180 DEGS FOR APPROX 30 NM. DURING THIS TIME, SRQ WX TURNED VFR WITH TSTMS MOVING TO THE NE. ABEAM SRQ AT 20 NM PLUS 2600 FT MSL, I WAS NOW IN THE CLR (BELOW CEILINGS AND OUT OF RAIN) AND COULD SEE ABOUT 7 MI W (TOWARD SRQ). SINCE GIVEN THE 180 DEG VECTOR THE CTLR (TPA APCH) HAD NOT SAID ANYTHING TO ME. I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN A TURN TOWARDS THE ARPT (260 DEGS). I WAS NOT TOLD THAT A LEVEL 4 TO 5 TSTM WAS BTWN MYSELF AND ARPT. UPON PENETRATION, TURB WAS SEVERE, UPDRAFT TOOK ME UP TO 3200 FT AND THEN A SHEAR TOOK ME DOWN RAPIDLY TO 1500 FT MSL. I POPPED OUT THE SIDE OF THE STORM, UNABLE TO TELL APCH ABOUT THE EXCURSION, BECAUSE HE WAS TALKING TO OTHER ACFT, AND I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE. TOLD TPA APCH THAT I HAD SRQ IN SIGHT AND WAS GIVEN THE VISUAL APCH (ABOUT 12 NM FROM SRQ AND I WAS STILL AT 1500 FT MSL). I WAS NEVER GIVEN TO SRQ TWR AND AT 5 NM OUT I ASKED TAMPA TO SWITCH AND WAS GIVEN TO SRQ TWR. UPON CHANGING FREQS, THE TWR WAS ADVISING ANOTHER ACFT OF TFC INSIDE 1 MI SEPARATION, SAME ALT AND CONVERGING. AS SOON AS THE OTHER ACFT ACKNOWLEDGED, I CALLED TWR AND TOLD HIM WHO I WAS. HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO CALL ME FOR THE PAST 10 MI, TAMPA APCH HAD NEVER GIVEN HIM A HDOF AND HAD NO IDEA I WAS IFR HANDLING ON A VISUAL APCH. I CALLED THE TWR ON THE GND AFTER LNDG, I HAD TO CIRCLE TO LET THE OTHER ACFT (A C172) AND APPARENTLY I WAS THE SECOND UNANNOUNCED HDOF THE TPA CTLR HAD GIVEN SRQ TWR THAT MORNING.

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.