Post-Turbulence Mx Inspection?

J

JC150

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
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Display name:
JC150
Aircraft: PA28R
Time of Day: 12:30pm

There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, not a single bump on my 5 hour flight, no airmets/sigmets, no forecasted turbulence. It was just a beautiful day for flying.

Descending out of 9,000ft I decided it wouldn't be a big deal to increase my speed to 160-165 knots (Vno is 150 and Vne is 190).

Passing through 4,000 feet, the yoke gets thrown out of my hands (not an exaggeration), my arms suddenly feel really heavy and unable to pull the yoke back, and then I noticed everything in the plane was floating. Everything that wasn't tied came down at once and I noticed some old screws and bolts behind the panel had fallen on the carpet by my feet.

It was all done in 5-10 seconds, and I quickly scanned my PFD and saw the winds calculated by the ADC changed 180 degrees and then back the other way 180 degrees, and I noticed I was more than 500 feet lower than I was when I checked the PFD about 10-15 seconds earlier.

I immediately leveled the aircraft, brought the power to idle, and went to Va as fast as I could and advised ATC that I experienced what I believed to be Severe Clear Air Turbulence. Shortly afterwards a CRJ-200 also reported severe about 50 miles away. Afterwards, I noticed that I had just crossed over a lake and wondered if this was some kind of shear or thermal turbulence.

Am I just paranoid about the possibility of structural damage? I'm going to have my mechanic check the wing spars. What else should he check? I know there can be damage when encountering turbulence above Vno, but am I just overreacting in this? Has anyone had a similar experience and found damage?

This has certainly been a learning experience for me and I'm interested in learning what you all have to say about it. Thanks
 
Nothing wrong with an inspection, but turbulence always feels much worse than it really is on the airframe.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. If stuff was floating you weren't putting any load on the wings- 0G. If everything was pinned to the ceiling or the floor, I'd worry.
 
If you can read the airspeed indicator and control the aircraft at all you are not in severe turbulence. You should be fine.
 
It's a simple inspection, look at the top of the fuselage above the pilot seat, if you see an imprint of a head with a headset on it, you were in severe turbulence and need a further inspection! :D
 
EdFred said:
I wouldn't worry about it. If stuff was floating you weren't putting any load on the wings- 0G. If everything was pinned to the ceiling or the floor, I'd worry.
Click to expand...

Before that, he reports being unable to control the yoke because he was so heavy. Depending on his fitness level that could be 4Gs or more...
 
172andyou said:
Before that, he reports being unable to control the yoke because he was so heavy. Depending on his fitness level that could be 4Gs or more...
Click to expand...

Hard to have positive G's and have stuff floating at the same time.
 
I couldn't figure out if it was a positive or negative load based on heavy arms and items floating...

I'd be concerned if the aircraft was old.
 
Go for it and have a quick looksie by your AP if it makes you feel better. Some planes require a check after severe too.
 
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