Narrative:

I was on an instrument flight plan from charleston, sc, in a mooney 201 (M20J), under control of dab, on the leg from omn to mlb, when rapidly building cumulo nimbus clouds made it clear that deviation was required. I received permission to deviate to the ssw. Shortly thereafter, dab directed me to fly V-3 airway 'when able' and handed me off to orlando. I reported in at 6000 ft and also reported I was deviating with permission, for clouds. Orlando directed me to fly to V-3 when able I was unable to find a pathway between the twring clouds. The controller said he needed me to take up a heading to the airway, and, although I explained that I was deviating to avoid the buildups, he said I was flying IFR and he needed me to take up a heading to the airway. I told him I would do my best and changed course about 20 degrees left, flying into the clouds. The ride was so rough I was forced to deviate from the heading to return to calmer air. I advised the controller I had deviated because of the turbulence. Perhaps because I was on the eastern edge of orlando's class B airspace, he said that under IFR I could not continue to deviate wihtout first asking for permission and that he needed me on the airway because there were jets that needed to descend to my altitude. I replied that I was trying to return to the airway, but was unable to at 6000 ft and asked for higher. The controller reminded me I was flying IFR and then cleared me to 8000 ft. I climbed, turning into the clouds towards the airway. At 8000 ft, I was able to fly to the airway 400-500 ft below the cloud tops. I reported to the controller there was so much turbulence that I could hold my altitude only wihtout about +500 ft due to rather violent up and downdrafts. This wild ride had lasted about 6 mins. When I reached the airway level at 8000 ft, I told the controller the ride had been very rough in hopes he would not send other light planes through those clouds, but allow a deviation of only a few mi off the airway for safety. The controller seemed to think flying on an IFR flight plan means the airplane automatically can withstand whatever turbulence the WX produces. This idea is erroneous, and unsafe. Equally inappropriately, the controller 'needed' me to put myself in known danger because he had jets that needed to descend. He also said I should have asked his permission before responding to dangerous conditions. I was taught that, to survive a difficult situation, a pilot should aviate, navigation, and then communicate, in that order of priority. Controllers should defer to the judgement pilot of the smaller aircraft concerning the capability of her aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20J PLT ENCOUNTERS CUMULUS BUILDUPS AND IS FORCED TO DEVIATE TO AVOID THE TURB WHILE ON AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN INST FLT PLAN FROM CHARLESTON, SC, IN A MOONEY 201 (M20J), UNDER CTL OF DAB, ON THE LEG FROM OMN TO MLB, WHEN RAPIDLY BUILDING CUMULO NIMBUS CLOUDS MADE IT CLR THAT DEV WAS REQUIRED. I RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DEVIATE TO THE SSW. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DAB DIRECTED ME TO FLY V-3 AIRWAY 'WHEN ABLE' AND HANDED ME OFF TO ORLANDO. I RPTED IN AT 6000 FT AND ALSO RPTED I WAS DEVIATING WITH PERMISSION, FOR CLOUDS. ORLANDO DIRECTED ME TO FLY TO V-3 WHEN ABLE I WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PATHWAY BTWN THE TWRING CLOUDS. THE CTLR SAID HE NEEDED ME TO TAKE UP A HEADING TO THE AIRWAY, AND, ALTHOUGH I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS DEVIATING TO AVOID THE BUILDUPS, HE SAID I WAS FLYING IFR AND HE NEEDED ME TO TAKE UP A HEADING TO THE AIRWAY. I TOLD HIM I WOULD DO MY BEST AND CHANGED COURSE ABOUT 20 DEGS L, FLYING INTO THE CLOUDS. THE RIDE WAS SO ROUGH I WAS FORCED TO DEVIATE FROM THE HEADING TO RETURN TO CALMER AIR. I ADVISED THE CTLR I HAD DEVIATED BECAUSE OF THE TURB. PERHAPS BECAUSE I WAS ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF ORLANDO'S CLASS B AIRSPACE, HE SAID THAT UNDER IFR I COULD NOT CONTINUE TO DEVIATE WIHTOUT FIRST ASKING FOR PERMISSION AND THAT HE NEEDED ME ON THE AIRWAY BECAUSE THERE WERE JETS THAT NEEDED TO DSND TO MY ALT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS TRYING TO RETURN TO THE AIRWAY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO AT 6000 FT AND ASKED FOR HIGHER. THE CTLR REMINDED ME I WAS FLYING IFR AND THEN CLRED ME TO 8000 FT. I CLBED, TURNING INTO THE CLOUDS TOWARDS THE AIRWAY. AT 8000 FT, I WAS ABLE TO FLY TO THE AIRWAY 400-500 FT BELOW THE CLOUD TOPS. I RPTED TO THE CTLR THERE WAS SO MUCH TURB THAT I COULD HOLD MY ALT ONLY WIHTOUT ABOUT +500 FT DUE TO RATHER VIOLENT UP AND DOWNDRAFTS. THIS WILD RIDE HAD LASTED ABOUT 6 MINS. WHEN I REACHED THE AIRWAY LEVEL AT 8000 FT, I TOLD THE CTLR THE RIDE HAD BEEN VERY ROUGH IN HOPES HE WOULD NOT SEND OTHER LIGHT PLANES THROUGH THOSE CLOUDS, BUT ALLOW A DEV OF ONLY A FEW MI OFF THE AIRWAY FOR SAFETY. THE CTLR SEEMED TO THINK FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN MEANS THE AIRPLANE AUTOMATICALLY CAN WITHSTAND WHATEVER TURB THE WX PRODUCES. THIS IDEA IS ERRONEOUS, AND UNSAFE. EQUALLY INAPPROPRIATELY, THE CTLR 'NEEDED' ME TO PUT MYSELF IN KNOWN DANGER BECAUSE HE HAD JETS THAT NEEDED TO DSND. HE ALSO SAID I SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIS PERMISSION BEFORE RESPONDING TO DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. I WAS TAUGHT THAT, TO SURVIVE A DIFFICULT SIT, A PLT SHOULD AVIATE, NAV, AND THEN COMMUNICATE, IN THAT ORDER OF PRIORITY. CTLRS SHOULD DEFER TO THE JUDGEMENT PLT OF THE SMALLER ACFT CONCERNING THE CAPABILITY OF HER ACFT.

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.