Pilot of a beech F33 bonanza made a 180 degree turn to exit adverse en route WX during an IFR flight resulting in diverting to land in VFR conditions. The aircraft was damaged when the engine cowling was loosened exposing some insulation tape in the slipstream.

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Attributes
ACN	382042
Time
Date	199709
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lhy airport : avp
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : avp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 350 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	382042
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Entered rain and experienced severe turbulence, rain and light hail. Unable to hold heading or altitude. Notified ATC and performed a 180 degree turn. Shortly after, entered VFR conditions and so did not declare an emergency. Decided to proceed to avp to investigate fabric stuck to cowling. Considered a possible WX balloon strike. On examination at avp found that the turbulence had sprung the cowling partially open and some chafe tape had come loose.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH F33 BONANZA MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO EXIT ADVERSE ENRTE WX DURING AN IFR FLT RESULTING IN DIVERTING TO LAND IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE ENG COWLING WAS LOOSENED EXPOSING SOME INSULATION TAPE IN THE SLIPSTREAM.

Narrative: ENTERED RAIN AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB, RAIN AND LIGHT HAIL. UNABLE TO HOLD HDG OR ALT. NOTIFIED ATC AND PERFORMED A 180 DEG TURN. SHORTLY AFTER, ENTERED VFR CONDITIONS AND SO DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. DECIDED TO PROCEED TO AVP TO INVESTIGATE FABRIC STUCK TO COWLING. CONSIDERED A POSSIBLE WX BALLOON STRIKE. ON EXAMINATION AT AVP FOUND THAT THE TURB HAD SPRUNG THE COWLING PARTIALLY OPEN AND SOME CHAFE TAPE HAD COME LOOSE.

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.