Narrative:

Departed mcc (mcclellan; ca) at approximately XA00 on oct/fri/06 to fly to geu (glendale; az). Contacted flight watch in the vicinity of bishop (bih) to obtain WX updates along our intended route. WX was reported to be 7000 ft to 9000 ft with occasional light showers and visibility in the 6-10 mi range. Flight was without incident until approximately XC00. Approximately 10-15 mi northwest of bty the WX rapidly deteriorated to below minimums and at that point we were immediately in IMC conditions. Having descended to approximately 7500 ft; I started a procedural turn at that altitude and started climbing as the terrain behind me was higher than my then current altitude. At this point we had been handed off by ZOA to ZLA. As I gained altitude I could see the clouds were lighter above and continued until we broke out at approximately 12000 ft in a valley of towering cumulus around us with the lowest portion of the tops to the east. Restr area R4808N was directly ahead approximately 3-6 mi. ZLA would not clear us to the east into the restr area; therefore I was forced to turn back to the west where the tops were higher but it appeared that we would be able to slide over the tops. At approximately 17000 ft we encountered ultra-severe turbulence and the aircraft became uncontrollable with a minimum of two 360 degree spins descending to approximately 5000 ft and then ascending back to 10000 ft at which point we encountered an additional severe downdraft; breaking out at around 5000 ft. ATC controller asked what our intentions were and I responded that we would land at beatty and that I had the airport in sight. At this point the aircraft seemed to perform normally and the gear extension was uneventful. We spent 2 hours on the ground recovering and performing visual inspections of the airplane. At XE30 I contacted flight service to get a WX update from bty to geu. Having inspected the plane and confirmed satisfactory WX conditions we departed bty at approximately XF15. During the course of the above situation several times I requested information about where the tops were and what radar might be showing as the best direction to avoid WX problems. I had requested this information precedent to and during the difficulties and at no time was I given any assistance about what might be the best altitude or course. My requests were just not answered; other than to be told I could not go into the restr area. We heard other aircraft on the frequency requesting course changes to avoid the WX. Those aircraft were provided with course deviations sufficient to accommodate their needs. It wasn't until we were spinning out of control that ATC said 'what can I do to help?' it was obvious that we were on our own and it's only by the grace of god that I'm able to relate this experience. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was frustrated by the lack of help received from the center controller and the fact that he could not get clearance into the warning area; his aircraft apparently has significant structural damage from high G loads.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE V35 PLT ENCOUNTERS IMC CONDITIONS AND SEVERE TURB OVER BTY AND LANDS.

Narrative: DEPARTED MCC (MCCLELLAN; CA) AT APPROX XA00 ON OCT/FRI/06 TO FLY TO GEU (GLENDALE; AZ). CONTACTED FLT WATCH IN THE VICINITY OF BISHOP (BIH) TO OBTAIN WX UPDATES ALONG OUR INTENDED RTE. WX WAS RPTED TO BE 7000 FT TO 9000 FT WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT SHOWERS AND VISIBILITY IN THE 6-10 MI RANGE. FLT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL APPROX XC00. APPROX 10-15 MI NW OF BTY THE WX RAPIDLY DETERIORATED TO BELOW MINIMUMS AND AT THAT POINT WE WERE IMMEDIATELY IN IMC CONDITIONS. HAVING DSNDED TO APPROX 7500 FT; I STARTED A PROCEDURAL TURN AT THAT ALT AND STARTED CLBING AS THE TERRAIN BEHIND ME WAS HIGHER THAN MY THEN CURRENT ALT. AT THIS POINT WE HAD BEEN HANDED OFF BY ZOA TO ZLA. AS I GAINED ALT I COULD SEE THE CLOUDS WERE LIGHTER ABOVE AND CONTINUED UNTIL WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 12000 FT IN A VALLEY OF TOWERING CUMULUS AROUND US WITH THE LOWEST PORTION OF THE TOPS TO THE E. RESTR AREA R4808N WAS DIRECTLY AHEAD APPROX 3-6 MI. ZLA WOULD NOT CLR US TO THE E INTO THE RESTR AREA; THEREFORE I WAS FORCED TO TURN BACK TO THE W WHERE THE TOPS WERE HIGHER BUT IT APPEARED THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SLIDE OVER THE TOPS. AT APPROX 17000 FT WE ENCOUNTERED ULTRA-SEVERE TURB AND THE ACFT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE WITH A MINIMUM OF TWO 360 DEG SPINS DSNDING TO APPROX 5000 FT AND THEN ASCENDING BACK TO 10000 FT AT WHICH POINT WE ENCOUNTERED AN ADDITIONAL SEVERE DOWNDRAFT; BREAKING OUT AT AROUND 5000 FT. ATC CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE AND I RESPONDED THAT WE WOULD LAND AT BEATTY AND THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT SEEMED TO PERFORM NORMALLY AND THE GEAR EXTENSION WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE SPENT 2 HRS ON THE GND RECOVERING AND PERFORMING VISUAL INSPECTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE. AT XE30 I CONTACTED FLT SVC TO GET A WX UPDATE FROM BTY TO GEU. HAVING INSPECTED THE PLANE AND CONFIRMED SATISFACTORY WX CONDITIONS WE DEPARTED BTY AT APPROX XF15. DURING THE COURSE OF THE ABOVE SITUATION SEVERAL TIMES I REQUESTED INFO ABOUT WHERE THE TOPS WERE AND WHAT RADAR MIGHT BE SHOWING AS THE BEST DIRECTION TO AVOID WX PROBS. I HAD REQUESTED THIS INFO PRECEDENT TO AND DURING THE DIFFICULTIES AND AT NO TIME WAS I GIVEN ANY ASSISTANCE ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST ALT OR COURSE. MY REQUESTS WERE JUST NOT ANSWERED; OTHER THAN TO BE TOLD I COULD NOT GO INTO THE RESTR AREA. WE HEARD OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ REQUESTING COURSE CHANGES TO AVOID THE WX. THOSE ACFT WERE PROVIDED WITH COURSE DEVS SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR NEEDS. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE SPINNING OUT OF CTL THAT ATC SAID 'WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?' IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE WERE ON OUR OWN AND IT'S ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT I'M ABLE TO RELATE THIS EXPERIENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF HELP RECEIVED FROM THE CTR CTLR AND THE FACT THAT HE COULD NOT GET CLRNC INTO THE WARNING AREA; HIS ACFT APPARENTLY HAS SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FROM HIGH G LOADS.

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.