Deviating area of heavy thunderstorms small aircraft aircraft entered MOA.

Attributes
ACN	87806
Time
Date	198805
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bhm
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 8100
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl tracon : bhm
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	87806
Person 2
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Uneventful IFR flight from stl to muscle shoals then very rapidly deteriorating WX conditions with severe conditions suddenly surrounding the entire area. The controller attempted to provide guidance. The first gave permission to deviate as necessary. I tried to avoid the worst of the thunderstorms but soon encountered severe turbulence, heavy rain and hail. I attempted to fly out of these dangerous conditions which made control of the aircraft difficult. I had told the controller I was turning and leaving my assigned altitude. I anticipated 100' but instead I had to climb to near 9000'. I had been told to turn off my encoder. It worked perfectly everywhere but in this area. It reported altitude accurately before and after this episode. In getting out of the turbulent possible wind shear, I encountered rapid altitude changes but I also inadvertently entered a military zone. The controller became excited/angry and ordered me to make an immediate turn to 090 degree in order to evacuate the area. I encountered more hail, rain and a thunderstorm again but finally proceeded on course to montgomery. I submitted PIREPS and warned several other aircraft to avoid the area I had just vacated. I checked the aircraft carefully at montgomery. The only damage was to the finish (pits and paint loss). The controller at birmingham filed an incident report. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: requested to file a report with FSDO in bhm. Advised by local FSDO office stl to report only to ASRS. Apparently penetrated the columbus one MOA when altitude deviation was made. Highest altitude 8100 and lowest 7500. Bhm approach controller requested he deactivate his transponder mode C because it was in error. Other pilots have reported to him bhm has requested they turn off mode C because of error in altitude. Equipment was reported operating ok by all other controllers and it was checked at his home base and nothing was found wrong. During the flight had been deviating WX VFR and was having no problems until the controller put him on a radar vector and turned him into the WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEVIATING AREA OF HEAVY TSTMS SMA ACFT ENTERED MOA.

Narrative: UNEVENTFUL IFR FLT FROM STL TO MUSCLE SHOALS THEN VERY RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS WITH SEVERE CONDITIONS SUDDENLY SURROUNDING THE ENTIRE AREA. THE CTLR ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE. THE FIRST GAVE PERMISSION TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY. I TRIED TO AVOID THE WORST OF THE TSTMS BUT SOON ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB, HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL. I ATTEMPTED TO FLY OUT OF THESE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WHICH MADE CONTROL OF THE ACFT DIFFICULT. I HAD TOLD THE CTLR I WAS TURNING AND LEAVING MY ASSIGNED ALT. I ANTICIPATED 100' BUT INSTEAD I HAD TO CLIMB TO NEAR 9000'. I HAD BEEN TOLD TO TURN OFF MY ENCODER. IT WORKED PERFECTLY EVERYWHERE BUT IN THIS AREA. IT REPORTED ALT ACCURATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THIS EPISODE. IN GETTING OUT OF THE TURBULENT POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR, I ENCOUNTERED RAPID ALT CHANGES BUT I ALSO INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A MIL ZONE. THE CTLR BECAME EXCITED/ANGRY AND ORDERED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 090 DEG IN ORDER TO EVACUATE THE AREA. I ENCOUNTERED MORE HAIL, RAIN AND A TSTM AGAIN BUT FINALLY PROCEEDED ON COURSE TO MONTGOMERY. I SUBMITTED PIREPS AND WARNED SEVERAL OTHER ACFT TO AVOID THE AREA I HAD JUST VACATED. I CHECKED THE ACFT CAREFULLY AT MONTGOMERY. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE FINISH (PITS AND PAINT LOSS). THE CTLR AT BIRMINGHAM FILED AN INCIDENT REPORT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REQUESTED TO FILE A REPORT WITH FSDO IN BHM. ADVISED BY LOCAL FSDO OFFICE STL TO REPORT ONLY TO ASRS. APPARENTLY PENETRATED THE COLUMBUS ONE MOA WHEN ALT DEVIATION WAS MADE. HIGHEST ALT 8100 AND LOWEST 7500. BHM APCH CTLR REQUESTED HE DEACTIVATE HIS XPONDER MODE C BECAUSE IT WAS IN ERROR. OTHER PLTS HAVE REPORTED TO HIM BHM HAS REQUESTED THEY TURN OFF MODE C BECAUSE OF ERROR IN ALT. EQUIPMENT WAS REPORTED OPERATING OK BY ALL OTHER CTLRS AND IT WAS CHECKED AT HIS HOME BASE AND NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG. DURING THE FLT HAD BEEN DEVIATING WX VFR AND WAS HAVING NO PROBLEMS UNTIL THE CTLR PUT HIM ON A RADAR VECTOR AND TURNED HIM INTO THE WX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.