Narrative:

This was primarily a WX related incident: 1) I checked WX in the morning; assuming a timeframe departure. (The flight was an offer to fly my wife rather than have her drive from roanoke to birmingham; al; on a 2-DAY business trip -- combining business with pleasure). After setting up the avionics -- hooke intersection in one GPS; hickory (our first waypoint) in the panel GPS; and the navigation to the 153 degree radial of odr VOR; I did the run-up -- everything was a go. Then when asking tower for takeoff clearance; tower informed us (wife had headsets on) of WX a few mi off the end of the runway that led to including the storm scope in the scan -- more than I should have. We were cleared for takeoff. No problem until we received another call from the roanoke tower in order to advise us that momentarily we would be entering the WX reported to us on the ground. That call caused me to fixate on the storm scope. I saw nothing; but during that time of fix in my focus on the scope; I must have turned causing me disorientation. At that moment; departure inquired if I was on the hooke 1 departure. I checked the GPS and saw I was heading to the hooke intersection but my VOR needle was not centered on the 153 degree radial. I started a sharp turn to the right to get re-established on the 153 degree radial. The departure inquiry about my being on the hooke 1 departure combined with the WX comments made me question my position visibility-a-visibility the ridges. As I gained altitude; the winds must have picked up and shifted as we entered the WX that we did not see on the storm scope. Increased winds plus moderate turbulence while in a greater than standard bank made for a very uncomfortable ride (clearly attested to and loudly articulated by my spouse who voiced a very strong desire to land immediately -- of course I could not abide until I had the plane at a safe altitude and stabilized. Little did I know that was going to be much more difficult than anticipated. To ensure we were clear of the ridges; I chose to climb while continuing my turn -- gaining a safe altitude. I did this without communicating the intent to the tower. I had not heard the tower clear another aircraft for departure. I should not have turned at all since I was probably still within the roa airport airspace. If another aircraft had been cleared for takeoff and off the ground; this turn would have caused a very unsafe situation. We were handed off to roa departure and cleared direct hickory. We (my wife) had other ideas. Once I reached a very safe 8000 ft; we requested landing where they were getting in. Departure advised planes were getting into roa and passed along the WX; which didn't sound bad with 2800 ft ceilings and 9 mi; except for those ridges and much heavier winds. During my briefing; I noted winds aloft for the trip were from the southwest between 48-58 KTS. I don't recall the winds at 36 KTS and 9 mi at roa as being as strong during the briefing. Roa gave us vectors and cleared to lower altitudes for an lda 6 approach. Now the real fun began! The navigation radios were set for 111.1 (localizer) and 114.9 (ord -- for missed at 127 degrees and one GPS to monat intersection -- for missed). We were at 5000 ft and holding. Winds pushed and rocked us. We lost 400 ft in an instant; but stabilized altitude at 4600 ft and were told it was ok to stay there. I thought; from the FSS reported winds; that we would have a strong headwind. I dropped the gear in preparation for landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 PLT DEPARTS IFR AND ENCOUNTERS SIGNIFICANT WX AND TURB AND ELECTS TO AVOID THE WX BUT DOES NOT INFORM ATC OF HIS INTENTIONS OF TURNING AND CLBING.

Narrative: THIS WAS PRIMARILY A WX RELATED INCIDENT: 1) I CHKED WX IN THE MORNING; ASSUMING A TIMEFRAME DEP. (THE FLT WAS AN OFFER TO FLY MY WIFE RATHER THAN HAVE HER DRIVE FROM ROANOKE TO BIRMINGHAM; AL; ON A 2-DAY BUSINESS TRIP -- COMBINING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE). AFTER SETTING UP THE AVIONICS -- HOOKE INTXN IN ONE GPS; HICKORY (OUR FIRST WAYPOINT) IN THE PANEL GPS; AND THE NAV TO THE 153 DEG RADIAL OF ODR VOR; I DID THE RUN-UP -- EVERYTHING WAS A GO. THEN WHEN ASKING TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC; TWR INFORMED US (WIFE HAD HEADSETS ON) OF WX A FEW MI OFF THE END OF THE RWY THAT LED TO INCLUDING THE STORM SCOPE IN THE SCAN -- MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. NO PROB UNTIL WE RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL FROM THE ROANOKE TWR IN ORDER TO ADVISE US THAT MOMENTARILY WE WOULD BE ENTERING THE WX RPTED TO US ON THE GND. THAT CALL CAUSED ME TO FIXATE ON THE STORM SCOPE. I SAW NOTHING; BUT DURING THAT TIME OF FIX IN MY FOCUS ON THE SCOPE; I MUST HAVE TURNED CAUSING ME DISORIENTATION. AT THAT MOMENT; DEP INQUIRED IF I WAS ON THE HOOKE 1 DEP. I CHKED THE GPS AND SAW I WAS HEADING TO THE HOOKE INTXN BUT MY VOR NEEDLE WAS NOT CTRED ON THE 153 DEG RADIAL. I STARTED A SHARP TURN TO THE R TO GET RE-ESTABLISHED ON THE 153 DEG RADIAL. THE DEP INQUIRY ABOUT MY BEING ON THE HOOKE 1 DEP COMBINED WITH THE WX COMMENTS MADE ME QUESTION MY POS VIS-A-VIS THE RIDGES. AS I GAINED ALT; THE WINDS MUST HAVE PICKED UP AND SHIFTED AS WE ENTERED THE WX THAT WE DID NOT SEE ON THE STORM SCOPE. INCREASED WINDS PLUS MODERATE TURB WHILE IN A GREATER THAN STANDARD BANK MADE FOR A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE (CLRLY ATTESTED TO AND LOUDLY ARTICULATED BY MY SPOUSE WHO VOICED A VERY STRONG DESIRE TO LAND IMMEDIATELY -- OF COURSE I COULD NOT ABIDE UNTIL I HAD THE PLANE AT A SAFE ALT AND STABILIZED. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT WAS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN ANTICIPATED. TO ENSURE WE WERE CLR OF THE RIDGES; I CHOSE TO CLB WHILE CONTINUING MY TURN -- GAINING A SAFE ALT. I DID THIS WITHOUT COMMUNICATING THE INTENT TO THE TWR. I HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR CLR ANOTHER ACFT FOR DEP. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TURNED AT ALL SINCE I WAS PROBABLY STILL WITHIN THE ROA ARPT AIRSPACE. IF ANOTHER ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF AND OFF THE GND; THIS TURN WOULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ROA DEP AND CLRED DIRECT HICKORY. WE (MY WIFE) HAD OTHER IDEAS. ONCE I REACHED A VERY SAFE 8000 FT; WE REQUESTED LNDG WHERE THEY WERE GETTING IN. DEP ADVISED PLANES WERE GETTING INTO ROA AND PASSED ALONG THE WX; WHICH DIDN'T SOUND BAD WITH 2800 FT CEILINGS AND 9 MI; EXCEPT FOR THOSE RIDGES AND MUCH HEAVIER WINDS. DURING MY BRIEFING; I NOTED WINDS ALOFT FOR THE TRIP WERE FROM THE SW BTWN 48-58 KTS. I DON'T RECALL THE WINDS AT 36 KTS AND 9 MI AT ROA AS BEING AS STRONG DURING THE BRIEFING. ROA GAVE US VECTORS AND CLRED TO LOWER ALTS FOR AN LDA 6 APCH. NOW THE REAL FUN BEGAN! THE NAV RADIOS WERE SET FOR 111.1 (LOC) AND 114.9 (ORD -- FOR MISSED AT 127 DEGS AND ONE GPS TO MONAT INTXN -- FOR MISSED). WE WERE AT 5000 FT AND HOLDING. WINDS PUSHED AND ROCKED US. WE LOST 400 FT IN AN INSTANT; BUT STABILIZED ALT AT 4600 FT AND WERE TOLD IT WAS OK TO STAY THERE. I THOUGHT; FROM THE FSS RPTED WINDS; THAT WE WOULD HAVE A STRONG HEADWIND. I DROPPED THE GEAR IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.