Citation V/Ultra/Encore (C560)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 250; Flight Crew Total 38000; Flight Crew Type 1800
Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Weather
Signed on with ZZZ Approach and they cleared me to descend to 8000 ft. and asked to turn to 170 heading. Shortly after I turned I realized they had vectored me right into a cell and we were simultaneously leveling at 8;000 ft. I was on the autopilot and the turbulence was severe enough that it disengaged and we caught a huge downdraft. The airplane was still trimmed nose down in a descent when the autopilot turned off. The aircraft descended several hundred feet below the assigned 8;000 ft. MSL and lost 50 kts. in airspeed in a matter of a few seconds. So as not to impose heavy load factors on the aircraft and passengers I recovered slowly and climbed back to the assigned 8;000 ft.
C560 Pilot reported being vectored by ATC directly into a cloud cell and lost several hundred feet of altitude and 50 knots of airspeed resulting in a subsequent slow climb back to assigned altitude.