Cirrus Vision SJ50
Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 95; Flight Crew Total 5100; Flight Crew Type 70
Workload
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Weather
I reviewed the weather at approximately XA00 hours; including visibility; winds; and turbulence.  When I reviewed this weather; the winds forecast for the ZZZ airport was indicated to be 18-25 knots; and mild turbulence was indicated through both visual and graphical reviews using the ForeFlight products.  At 1 1/2 hours later; two passengers and I boarded our SF50 Vision Jet and rechecked the winds at the ZZZ airport.  The winds had held steady at the previous levels.  We decided that we continue with our planned trip; understanding that the winds were mainly straight down the direction of the runway.  We filed for an altitude en-route at 11;000 feet; believing that it would be high enough to prevent any issues that we've encountered on the numerous trips we've flown to ZZZ with respect to turbulence.  We've flown over 100 missions into the ZZZ area over the past six months.  The takeoff from ZZZ1 was routine and without incident.  We climbed up to 11;000 feet without incident and no issues with turbulence.  Our issues began when we transferred to the TRACON frequency. Twice during the turbulence; we attempted to review the weather using the GTC 2 system within the aircraft and were having a difficult time stabilizing our inputs with our fingers; even using the bezel to support our hands and use our thumbs to do so was challenging.  During one of the larger turbulent events; the autopilot disconnect was engaged by the second pilot in the right seat; which we were immediately able to re-engage as the buttons on the aircraft's autopilot is not electronic but tactile.  Once we had the autopilot back engaged; we referred back to the GTC 2 to re-engage the flight plan and selected the approach that was already listed on the display; which was the visual approach to Runway XXL; using the VOR as a descend and entrance point.  We had not noticed that the VNAV aspect of the approach had been selected when we re-engaged the auto-pilot; at which point we were now consistently in moderate to severe turbulence.  During this period; the TRACON controller called us and simply said 'Why are you descending.'   We told them about the visual approach being loaded in and began to describe what our corrective action would be -- however; in that split second; we hit the single most severe turbulence I've ever felt in an aircraft.  The turbulence threw the aircraft up; then aggressively left; which then dropped aggressively; throwing everybody to the header of the cabin.  My headset  (a Bose A20) was broken on the upper hinge; which struck the upper panel and broke loose my supplemental oxygen mask; breaking the clamp.   Objects in the cabin flew forward and up.  At this point; I immediately placed the aircraft in recovery mode; with full power; level wings and attempted to contact ATC to advise that I needed an emergency descent.  In VFR conditions; I noticed that I was over the mountain and switched to [next] frequency; and immediately advised the same and was given the approval to descend to 6;000 feet with a distinct heading.   I was then advised other aircraft were experiencing similar issues with turbulence and had gone missed into ZZZ. On the new heading and altitude; I began a full systems check of the aircraft; landing gear cycle; ailerons; flaps and review the fuel system.   I advised the TRACON controller that we were fine and that the oxygen masks had been deployed.   The controller provided be vectors; then cleared us for the VOR approach into ZZZ.  We flew the approach; we decided about three miles from the airport to abandon our approach and return to ZZZ1; in which we were given vectors and an approach back into the ZZZ1 airport without incident. Many things happened on this trip; almost in serial.  Without a doubt; the level of forecasted and reported turbulence was well above what we had seen using ForeFlight; or based on our prior experience.  When recovering from the several avionics disruptions (auto-pilot switch shut-offs; etc.); we had maintained a fairly vigilant response to restoring our programmed flight activity - until the turbulence began to get violent.   In a similar environment; I would ask for a 180-degree turn to remove myself and the aircraft from the events that led to deteriorating events with even lesser conditions.  Our corrective action after getting clearance for the emergency descent was sound; but it should have never been necessary if we had more carefully judged the degree of the turbulence; which had caused us not immediately to identify the VNAV programming into the GTC 2.  The three of us debriefed the flight in detail; including a review of the ForeFlight products to identify in greater clarity about Airmets (Tango) and how we could set up levels of automation that we could defer in order to maintain more positive control of the aircraft.   In reviewing our training materials; we reviewed the SF50 process on how to accept lower levels of automation during events that require higher pilot concentration and how this aids in the better situational awareness in events that we experienced on this date.
SF-50 Vision Jet Pilot reported experiencing extreme turbulence resulted in loss of aircraft control.