What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported that he had attempted to avoid oncoming weather by climbing to 16,500 feet using the autopilot vertical speed control. Pilot commented that he had used the autopilot to maintain 100 knots on the airspeed. During the aircraft climb pilot and passenger reported hearing a whirling sound, and observed the aircraft nose pitch up 20 degrees. Pilot commented that he had disengaged the autopilot and the aircraft abruptly pitched down. Pilot reported that the aircraft felt like it had stalled and was entering a spin. He did not recall instrument indications, stall warning, etc. Pilot commented that he pulled power back applied opposite rudder and pushed nose forward. Pilot and passenger did not recall witnessing the aircraft rotating about its axis. Pilot commented that he observed that he was about to enter the clouds placing the aircraft in IMC and opted to deploy the ballistic parachute. Aircraft and passengers landed safely in a grove of trees. Witnesses on the ground reported a severe thunderstorm with hail, heavy rain, zero visibility, and strong winds near the time the aircraft was witnessed under its parachute. The national weather service ahd issued a convective SIGMET 49W for a 30 NM wide line of severe thunderstorm, tops to 20,000 ft from 30 NM east north east of VOR pye, 20 NM east south east of VOR sac, and 30 NM north east of VOR mod. This warning was issued on 09/19/04 at 22:55Z. The aircraft entered into the airspace affected by this convective SIGMET at approximately the same time that it was issued. At 23:05 z ATC nor TRACON recorded the aircraft altitude at 16,300 ft. tracking showed an aircraft altitude loss of 1100 ft in 23 seconds then an altitude gain of 1300 ft in 19 seconds. According to the ATC tracking record the aircraft appears to have stalled at 23:05:47 z at an altitude of 16,700 ft just 10 minutes after entering the airspace affected by the convective SIGMET. The national weather service reported a level 5 thunderstorm within the vicinity of this aircraft at the same time that the aircraft loss of control.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD ATTEMPTED TO AVOID ONCOMING WEATHER BY CLIMBING TO 16,500 FEET USING THE AUTOPILOT VERTICAL SPEED CONTROL. PILOT COMMENTED THAT HE HAD USED THE AUTOPILOT TO MAINTAIN 100 KNOTS ON THE AIRSPEED. DURING THE AIRCRAFT CLIMB PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED HEARING A WHIRLING SOUND, AND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT NOSE PITCH UP 20 DEGREES. PILOT COMMENTED THAT HE HAD DISENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT AND THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FELT LIKE IT HAD STALLED AND WAS ENTERING A SPIN. HE DID NOT RECALL INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS, STALL WARNING, ETC. PILOT COMMENTED THAT HE PULLED POWER BACK APPLIED OPPOSITE RUDDER AND PUSHED NOSE FORWARD. PILOT AND PASSENGER DID NOT RECALL WITNESSING THE AIRCRAFT ROTATING ABOUT ITS AXIS. PILOT COMMENTED THAT HE OBSERVED THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE CLOUDS PLACING THE AIRCRAFT IN IMC AND OPTED TO DEPLOY THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE. AIRCRAFT AND PASSENGERS LANDED SAFELY IN A GROVE OF TREES. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH HAIL, HEAVY RAIN, ZERO VISIBILITY, AND STRONG WINDS NEAR THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITNESSED UNDER ITS PARACHUTE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AHD ISSUED A CONVECTIVE SIGMET 49W FOR A 30 NM WIDE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM, TOPS TO 20,000 FT FROM 30 NM EAST NORTH EAST OF VOR PYE, 20 NM EAST SOUTH EAST OF VOR SAC, AND 30 NM NORTH EAST OF VOR MOD. THIS WARNING WAS ISSUED ON 09/19/04 AT 22:55Z. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO THE AIRSPACE AFFECTED BY THIS CONVECTIVE SIGMET AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME THAT IT WAS ISSUED. AT 23:05 Z ATC NOR TRACON RECORDED THE AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE AT 16,300 FT. TRACKING SHOWED AN AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE LOSS OF 1100 FT IN 23 SECONDS THEN AN ALTITUDE GAIN OF 1300 FT IN 19 SECONDS. ACCORDING TO THE ATC TRACKING RECORD THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE STALLED AT 23:05:47 Z AT AN ALTITUDE OF 16,700 FT JUST 10 MINUTES AFTER ENTERING THE AIRSPACE AFFECTED BY THE CONVECTIVE SIGMET. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTED A LEVEL 5 THUNDERSTORM WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THIS AIRCRAFT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOSS OF CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.