What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft departed fll at 17:27 and was vectored west with step ascent to FL270. Once at FL270 the pilot requested a direct route to crg. The controller refused his request and told him to divert west of orl. At 10 NM from orl the pilot observed an opening between a large cell and smaller cumulonimbus build (cb). He thought the flight path between the cells would be consistent with the instructions from ATC. He elected to fly through the gap and as he approached the edge of the cell the aircraft encountered a severe down draft and the pilot felt he was in a downward spiral at a near vertical descent. He regained control of the aircraft and notified ATC that he was climbing through FL187. He noticed the aircraft had sustained structural damage and elected to land at bqk.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FLL AT 17:27 AND WAS VECTORED WEST WITH STEP ASCENT TO FL270. ONCE AT FL270 THE PILOT REQUESTED A DIRECT ROUTE TO CRG. THE CONTROLLER REFUSED HIS REQUEST AND TOLD HIM TO DIVERT WEST OF ORL. AT 10 NM FROM ORL THE PILOT OBSERVED AN OPENING BETWEEN A LARGE CELL AND SMALLER CUMULONIMBUS BUILD (CB). HE THOUGHT THE FLIGHT PATH BETWEEN THE CELLS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC. HE ELECTED TO FLY THROUGH THE GAP AND AS HE APPROACHED THE EDGE OF THE CELL THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWN DRAFT AND THE PILOT FELT HE WAS IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL AT A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT. HE REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTIFIED ATC THAT HE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH FL187. HE NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND ELECTED TO LAND AT BQK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.