MIA05LA083

the instructional flight encountered turbulence while en route to the airport. According to the flight instructor/pilot the flight consisting of him and his student had progressed under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) until reaching the Palm Beach area, at which time an area of clouds were noted. He said that upon querying the Palm Beach Approach controller, with whom he was speaking, he was informed that Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) had been vectoring traffic through a "break" in the clouds. The instructor said that he received a radio communications handoff from Palm Beach Approach to Miami ARTCC, and on initial contact with Miami ARTCC, the Miami ARTCC controller provided a heading to steer, which he complied with. The controller did not provide weather intensity information. As the flight proceeded along the assigned heading, the pilot said he encountered rain, and turbulence, so he elected to make a 180-degree turn, and exit the precipitation. While performing the turn he said the airplane encountered a downdraft, with an immediate decrease of about 2,000 feet, followed by increased turbulence. In the course of the turbulence encounter he said that the airplane door hinge pins fractured, and the passenger side window detached from the airplane and impacted the right side horizontal stabilizer. The pilot said he declared an emergency, and subsequently landed at Palm Beach International Airport, Palm Beach, Florida, without further incident. At the time of the accident, the accident airplane was inside PBI's airspace but under control of Miami ARTCC. Miami ARTCC is equipped with digital weather display capability that is designated to show levels 2 through 6 on the VIP scale. FAA order 7110.65, "Air Traffic Control," paragraph 2-6-4, "Weather and Chaff Services," states that controllers shall issue the level of echo intensity when that information is available.

History of flight

On March 28, 2005, about 0936 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172S, N53589, registered to and operated by Dean and Blaylock Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, encountered severe turbulence while en route to Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, Sarasota, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed in the area at the time, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated flight instructor and student were not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from Tamiami Airport, Miami, Florida, the same day, about 0845.

The flight instructor stated that the flight had progressed under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) until reaching the Palm Beach area, at which time an area of clouds were noted. He said that upon querying the Palm Beach Approach controller, with whom he was speaking, he was informed that Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) had been vectoring traffic through a "break" in the clouds. The instructor said that he received a radio communications handoff from Palm Beach Approach to Miami ARTCC, and on initial contact with Miami ARTCC, the Miami ARTCC controller provided a heading to steer. As he proceeded along at the assigned heading, the pilot said he encountered rain, and turbulence, so he elected to make a 180-degree turn, and exit the precipitation. While performing the turn he said the airplane encountered a downdraft, with an immediate decrease of about 2,000 feet, followed by increased turbulence. In the course of the turbulence encounter he said that the airplane door hinge pins fractured, and the passenger side window detached from the airplane and impacted the right side horizontal stabilizer. The pilot said he declared an emergency, and subsequently landed at Palm Beach International Airport, Palm Beach, Florida, without further incident.

The student stated that he was the pilot flying, and they asked Palm Beach departure control about a hole to transit through the weather and were given vectors toward Sarasota (SRQ). He stated they were flying at 4,000 feet, in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions, and were observing building clouds in the distance. They were then passed to Miami Center, and a controller said they were working a hole, near Labelle, and the controller then cleared them toward SRQ, giving them vectors. Along the way they encountered IFR conditions, and asked for and received clearances to 6,000 feet and then to 8,000 feet respectively.

The student said that when they entered IFR conditions they encountered light to moderate rain, and then some light turbulence, and that upon their query, a controller with Miami ARTCC said they had 5 miles of rain, and then they should have passed through those conditions. The student said that the Miami ARTCC controller mentioned nothing about heavy rains or cells. After a few bumps, the student said the instructor took control and became the pilot flying, beginning a 180-degree left turn to exit the showers. At about 90 to 120 degrees of turn, at 30 degrees of bank, the student said they encountered stronger turbulence, updrafts, and downdrafts, and the airplane went into a 90 degree bank. He said the right door blew off the hinges, and back about 8 inches, and a window with its frame blew out. The student said they continued flying with the HSI tumbled, as the instructor finally regained control at 6,000 feet, at which time the HSI returned to showing normal wings level flight.

The student said the instructor declared an emergency, and they headed east, back to Palm Beach International Airport, (PBI), and out of the IFR weather. A few minutes later, he said they hit another cell and went through the same aerobatics, with the HSI indicating that they were upside down, except that positive G's were being felt. The student said the instructor reduced power, and the G's eventually subsided, at which time they were at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. The student said that after some additional jostling, they exited the clouds upright, at about 500 feet. As they headed toward PBI, the student stated that the instructor was having difficulty maintaining straight-and-level flight and asked him to look behind them at the tail. The student said that when he looked back, he saw the right horizontal stabilizer bent down 30 degrees. He said the instructor again declared an emergency, asked for the nearest airport, chose PBI, and asked for the fire trucks to be standing by. The flight landed otherwise uneventfully.

Information obtained from the FAA revealed that after departing Tamiami airport, Miami, Florida, the pilot first contacted PBI approach at 0859, reporting level at 5,000 feet on a heading of 010 degrees. At 0902, the PBI controller amended the aircraft's heading to 040, and the pilot acknowledged. At 0905, the PBI controller asked the pilot of N53589 if he was planning to continue to Vero Beach to do a practice approach and then continue to Sarasota. The pilot responded, "Negative - if we could get Sarasota direct and you could help us out with the weather, that would be greatly appreciated." The controller responded, "I don't see any way of getting to Sarasota without going through the weather." The pilot replied, "Uh, roger that just uh, on the cells." The controller stated, "We're not displaying any right now - it's outside our airspace," and then asked the pilot if he wanted to go direct Sarasota. The pilot replied, "Affirmative, if we can, and if we can get higher it would be greatly appreciated." The controller offered 4,000 or 6,000 feet. The pilot requested 6,000, and the controller instructed him to maintain 6,000. A few seconds later, the controller made three attempts to assign N53589 a left turn to heading 290 for radar vectors to Sarasota. The pilot responded after the third call, acknowledging the heading for vectors to Sarasota. Between 0908 and 0910, the PBI controller assigned N53589 a series of radar vectors for spacing, ending with the aircraft flying heading 270. At 0913, the pilot again requested higher altitude, and the controller assigned 8,000 feet.

At 0914, the Miami ARTCC (ZMA) sector 47 controller asked PBI to put a different aircraft, N659T, on a 300 degree heading toward a "hole" in the weather northwest of PBI, near Pahokee, FL. After assigning the heading, the PBI controller advised the pilot of N659T that there was a line of weather extending about 30 miles. At 0915, the PBI controller advised N53589 that, "apparently at your one o'clock and about 35 miles is a hole the center's working. We've got to keep you westbound for now, expect a turn that way shortly." The pilot acknowledged.

At 0919, there was additional coordination between ZMA sector 47 and the PBI controller referenced another aircraft that would be routed through, "the same hole that 59T and 589 are going to go out." At 0922, the PBI controller instructed N53589 to fly heading 290, and the pilot acknowledged. At 0925, the controller told N53589 to contact Miami Center on 132.45, and the pilot again acknowledged. N53589 contacted ZMA sector 47 at 0925, checking in at 8000 feet on heading 290. The ZMA controller acknowledged and issued the Fort Myers altimeter setting. At 0928, the controller transmitted, "November 53589 after deviations permitting proceed direct Sarasota and advise." The pilot acknowledged direct Sarasota and stated that he would advise on deviations. At 0934:12, the pilot asked, "Center 52859 uh how's the uh weather look in front of us?" The controller responded, "589 I'm showing a line of precipitation that extends five miles along your route of flight, then you should be clear until you get about 25 southeast of Sarasota." The controller did not provide any intensity information.

At 0937:23, the pilot transmitted, "Center I got an emergency." The controller was uncertain which aircraft was calling, an