Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 32; Flight Crew Total 451; Flight Crew Type 441
Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Human Factors; Weather
I was flying to EDE in a C172.  I stopped along the way to pick up two friends.  One is a private pilot with 150 hours experience.  The other is not a pilot.  We then flew to 47N for fuel and from there to OXB for fuel.  We were on Flight Following for the entire flight.  I had alerted my passengers that there was a large storm system passing through the Norfolk area and that we might have to stay the night at OXB.  When we got to OXB; the system was still southwest of EDE and there appeared to be a possibility that we could get in before it.  However; I warned my passengers that we'd have 40 MPH headwinds and that the flight might well be bumpy. My pilot passenger asked how I would handle the weather.  I pulled out my iPad and showed him our route.  I had identified a whole series of alternate airports:  MFV; ORF; CPK; ONX; ECG.  I told him that we could proceed but that we would constantly [monitor] the weather as we saw it; as ATC described it; and as it was displayed on our iPads using the Stratus 2 WiFi connection displaying ADS-B weather.  If we didn't like what we saw at any point; we could either turn around and fly to an alternate behind us or simply land at one as we got to it.  Both passengers thought this was sensible. We proceeded from OXB to the vicinity of the SWL VOR and then to MFV and toward ORF.  To my surprise; the ride was smooth and; while we had 40 MPH headwinds; there was very little turbulence.  There was light rain past MFV. Ceilings were about 3;000 feet.  We were flying at 1;000 feet AGL and visibility appeared to be better than 8 miles.  South of MFV; Norfolk Approach alerted us of a small area of intense turbulence.  I asked if they could vector us around it and they replied that they could.  We accepted a vector to the southeast and then; about eight minutes later; were told that we could resume on course.  At that time; ATC told us that it looked like the worst we would see would be light rain and light winds all the way to EDE.  Passing between ORF and Naval Air Station NTU; the rain intensified a bit and the ride got a bit bumpier. Visibility was still at least 8 miles; if not more.  Listening to Norfolk Approach; I heard them telling flights that the storm was to the west and that flights were landing without problem.  This reflected what I was seeing out the window and what the ADS-B display was showing. However; the area near EDE showed red on the ADS-B display and the storm appeared to be moving northeast. I elected to divert south toward ONX instead of flying directly to EDE so we could either land at ONX or have a chance to possibly circle in behind the storm after it has passed to the northeast of EDE.  At ONX; there was a direct crosswind of 22 knots.  There was no rain; visibility was good and ceilings were 3;000 feet.  We were continuing to fly at 1;000 feet MSL.  Since the conditions at ONX were reasonable; we decided to listen to the ATIS from Elizabeth City.  The ATIS reported about the same as we were seeing at ONX; leading us to believe that we could at least fly to ECG safely.  I elected to fly south around the ECG's Delta airspace and see if we could pickup the ASOS from Edenton.  As we got to the west of ECG's Delta airspace; the EDE ASOS came in loud and clear.  It reported 3;000 foot ceiling; winds 160@16G22 and good visibility -- almost exactly what we were seeing outside the plane.  The ADS-B weather display showed the storm now northeast of EDE.  I discussed the weather with my passengers.  The other pilot and I were aware that there is a lag in the ADS-B weather display but what we were seeing was consistent with what we had been seeing for the past hour -- a strong storm system moving northeast and slowly departing the EDE area.  Given the ASOS report from EDE; we felt that the storm left the area and we could continue on to EDE without incident.  From our position west of the ECG delta space; we were only about 15 NM from EDE. I turned directly towardEDE and proceeded on course.  About 10 NM from EDE; I clicked the mic to turn on the runway lights.  It was still light out but getting darker quickly.  I felt we would be able to make out the lights from our current position but we could not. About 8NM from EDE; I saw the lights on the horizon and pointed out the airport to the other pilot; who was sitting in the right seat.  The weather conditions were unchanged and the flight was quite smooth despite a very strong headwind (about 40 MPH).  About 6 NM from EDE; lightning flashed to the north and then almost immediately behind us and then in front of us.  I became fixated on the airport; knowing that we needed to be on the ground as soon as possible.  Since there was no turbulence; I was comfortably flying at maximum cruise speed. Suddenly; the plane was picked up and moved diagonally to right and then the right wing dropped very; very sharply.  I pulled the throttle back immediately to reduce speed below maneuvering speed and knew immediately that we were in a thunderstorm. My first thought was 'This is how it happens!  This is how pilots get trapped! This is how they die!'  I knew immediately; too; that all of my careful 'Plan B' options were now useless because the storm was behind us as well as ahead of us.  The other pilot yelled at me to 'Turn around!'  I yelled back that I couldn't because it was all around us.  I told him that we needed to be on the ground; I had a runway in sight; and I was going to land on that runway.  The next several minutes were terrifying.  My non-pilot passenger reported later that 'I thought that was going to be the end of me!'  We were in severe turbulence and the yoke was occasionally yanked from my hand.  We were never at a point where the flight controls became ineffective but the updrafts and downdrafts were severe.  My whole goal was to keep the plane upright and aim for the end of the runway as best I could.  A pilot friend on the ground was watching a small cell that had separated from the main storm system.  It had moved toward EDE and; in her words; 'Was blossoming right over the airport; first red and then white.'  As we got close to the runway; I turned to line up as best I could. A sudden intense downdraft sent us hurtling toward the ground.  My pilot passenger yelled 'Keep it high!' I replied 'I'm trying!' as I added full power to try to gain back a little altitude.Approaching the runway; I found myself unable to stop fixating on the centerline.  I kept thinking; 'I've got to land on the centerline'.  Part of my mind knew that was absurd but it was all happening so fast and the winds and turbulence were far in excess of anything I had ever encountered as a pilot.  I landed two feet off the line; with power at idle.  We didn't bounce but after a few seconds we were flying again.  The winds on the surface had increased to 53 MPH and they had simply picked us up and we were flying again.  I landed again. By this time; it was dark (and I was glad that I had done my 3 night takeoffs and landings the night before) and raining intensely.  My friend on the ground had turned on her flashers and pulled out onto the taxiways.  That was an amazingly welcome sight.  We followed her to a hangar that a friend had offered to put the plane in.  While taxiing; I tried hard to figure out where the winds were and was extremely concerned about flipping the plane but the winds were crazy.  Pulling up to the hangar; we both applied pressure on the brakes and I turned the controls in where I thought the winds were coming from.  I called her cell and asked her where the winds were coming from.  She is a 3;350-hour instrument rated pilot with 35 years of experience.  She yelled into the phone; over very loud winds 'Everywhere!'  The plane was in danger of flipping.  We were waiting for her friend to come and open the hangar; so I decided I needed to turn the plane.  I started the engine and turned 90 degrees; which seemed to reduce the rocking ofthe wings slightly. Her friend showed up and said that the winds were way too strong to open the hangar door.  She called me and said we had to tie the plane down and drove off to the ramp.  I followed her and pulled into a tiedown spot without ropes.  Telling my passengers to stay in the plane; I shut down; got my ropes from the baggage compartment and tied down the plane.  The weather appeared to be a monsoon; with extremely heavy winds and extremely heavy rain. The next morning; we all went back to the airport.  The plane was on its wheels.  All three of us pilots have experience in C172's so we all separately inspected the plane carefully.  We found no damage.  Within just a few miles; the winds had done great damage; including falling trees and ripping roofs off buildings. After we tied the plane down; we went to my friend's house.  We spent 2.5 hours analyzing the flight and the storm and my decision-making up to the very conclusion of the flight.  I was appalled by what seemed to be a terrible lapse in judgment and how I had put my friends in great jeopardy.  The next day; I called a flight instructor I know. I explained the entire situation; from beginning to end; as she listened carefully.  When I was finished; she said 'I have several things to say.  First; you didn't break any regulations.  Second; you didn't panic and you used your skill and your emergency maneuver training to land the plane.  You didn't bend the plane and you didn't hurt anyone.  Third; I would likely have made the same decisions in the same situation. Most experienced pilots would likely have proceeded in a similar manner.  Unfortunately; flying into a thunderstorm isn't as uncommon as you might think.'  We then talked about storms and ADS-B and interpreting it and how I was determined to significantly increase both the distance I keep from strong storm systems and also my knowledge of weather systems.  This is not an experience I ever wish to repeat and I am thankful to be alive.  When we were discussing the flight on that Friday night at my friend's house; I was shaking all over.  I hadn't panicked during the flight but the aftermath left me shaking. At one point; I said to my friends; 'I don't think I broke any regulations.  We didn't break any weather minimums; we had plenty of cloud clearance all along; we had ADS-B weather in the cockpit; I had a good plan with plenty of alternates available; we were on Flight Following and paying attention to the weather; we got the ASOS or ATIS from ONX and then ECG and then EDE itself and they all reported conditions that were reasonable for the continuation of our flight. This was a legal flight.  If I had arrived ten minutes earlier before that cell had blossomed into a full-blown thunderstorm; I would have landed at EDE with 16G22 right down the runway.'  We have discussed this over the intervening days and I have discussed it with other pilots; including my flight instructor.  The consensus that we all have is that the flight was legal and I didn't break any regulations.  However; we all feel that it highlights an issue with pilot understanding of how to interpret and use ADS-B weather.  I knew not to use it tactically but; having been watching it for the entire flight down from OXB; I thought we were using it strategically.  I was completely unaware that a cell can break off from a storm system and then move in a direction that is completely different than the track of the main storm system itself.  I'm filing this report in the hope this information can somehow be made available to other pilots. As I wrote above; I'm already working on increasing my own weather knowledge and will likely take a course or two in aviation weather.  I thank God for having done spin training and emergency maneuver training two summers ago.  I went for several weekends that summer and I think the training I received was probably fundamental in being able to keep the plane flying through the severe turbulence
C172 pilot reports a harrowing flight through a thunderstorm encountered in the last ten minutes flight; despite all efforts to avoid heavy weather using ADS-B; ASOS and ATIS. A successful landing in 50 knot winds ensues.