A safety pilot and another pilot, practicing instrument flight, of a piper cherokee PA28, became disoriented and landed at the wrong airport after hitting their heads on the roof of the cabin as a result of severe windshear turbulence.

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Attributes
ACN	455921
Time
Date	199911
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 9b4.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	455921
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We encountered severe turbulence due to low level windshear. Pilot and myself hit our heads on ceiling of aircraft. Radio communication became disengaged. Communication between pilot and copilot non existent except with hand signals. We thought the airport ahead of us was fitchburg and began our descent. When we crossed threshold we realized the runway had a very faded 'X.' due to the pilot's bang on head, we landed to assess his injuries (not life threatening, but we checked for bleeding -- headset caught his head). We realized we weren't at fitchburg and there was no one around -- completely void of humans -- so we took off again and had to travel about 5 NM further to the northwest to land at fit. No injuries to plane, slight one to pilot and copilot -- both bumped heads on interior roof of plane. Our decision was prompted by lack of communication and possible injury. Both were resolved. Pilot should have gotten to an altitude which turbulence wasn't as severe and we could have made better judgement calls and eliminated 1 of the 2 problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SAFETY PLT AND ANOTHER PLT, PRACTICING INST FLT, OF A PIPER CHEROKEE PA28, BECAME DISORIENTED AND LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AFTER HITTING THEIR HEADS ON THE ROOF OF THE CABIN AS A RESULT OF SEVERE WINDSHEAR TURB.

Narrative: WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB DUE TO LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR. PLT AND MYSELF HIT OUR HEADS ON CEILING OF ACFT. RADIO COM BECAME DISENGAGED. COM BTWN PLT AND COPLT NON EXISTENT EXCEPT WITH HAND SIGNALS. WE THOUGHT THE ARPT AHEAD OF US WAS FITCHBURG AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT. WHEN WE CROSSED THRESHOLD WE REALIZED THE RWY HAD A VERY FADED 'X.' DUE TO THE PLT'S BANG ON HEAD, WE LANDED TO ASSESS HIS INJURIES (NOT LIFE THREATENING, BUT WE CHKED FOR BLEEDING -- HEADSET CAUGHT HIS HEAD). WE REALIZED WE WEREN'T AT FITCHBURG AND THERE WAS NO ONE AROUND -- COMPLETELY VOID OF HUMANS -- SO WE TOOK OFF AGAIN AND HAD TO TRAVEL ABOUT 5 NM FURTHER TO THE NW TO LAND AT FIT. NO INJURIES TO PLANE, SLIGHT ONE TO PLT AND COPLT -- BOTH BUMPED HEADS ON INTERIOR ROOF OF PLANE. OUR DECISION WAS PROMPTED BY LACK OF COM AND POSSIBLE INJURY. BOTH WERE RESOLVED. PLT SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO AN ALT WHICH TURB WASN'T AS SEVERE AND WE COULD HAVE MADE BETTER JUDGEMENT CALLS AND ELIMINATED 1 OF THE 2 PROBS.

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.