Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 67; Flight Crew Total 739; Flight Crew Type 200
Troubleshooting; Situational Awareness; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Aircraft; Weather
Pilot was flying ZZZ-VOR-ZZZ1 on an IFR flight plan.  Pilot was flying with Sentry and XM radar weather. In communication with ZZZ Center; pilot was communicating heavy rain storm cells and asking for vectors to avoid the same. ZZZ Center authorized pilot to change course based on visual avoidance of clouds and based on XM weather. On heading of 269 south of VOR pilot was transiting through a line of light precipitation. Based on ATC guidance or XM weather no 'red' cells were observed on the radar. Pilot encountered significant hail and rain at that altitude and was having difficult holding altitude and advised ZZZ Center altitude errors and asked for a block hold. Upon trying to climb/vector to avoid thunderstorms pilot encountered a severe microburst that changed the heading of the plane from 269 to 090 in less than 15 seconds and pilot immediately reported the deviation and asked center for urgent assistance. Center authorized block altitude of 5;000-10;000 ft. and vectored the pilot back east away from the thunderstorms. Pilot flew back towards ZZZ and the transitioned north based on vectors from ZZZ. Pilot experienced loss in altitude and heading upon transitioning through the outer edge of the heavy precipitation cell.Pilot was concerned that XM radar data was outdated (>10 mins old) and was constantly inquiring about vectors from ATC. Sentry data was sporadic and difficult to load. Lack of quality data resulted in flight into significant thunderstorms resulting in change of heading and altitude. Pilot was flying on auto pilot and removed the autopilot hold after the direction change. Auto pilot worked fine for the duration of the flight.
PA-28 pilot reported loss of control after the aircraft entered a microburst.