Let there be no doubt: Thunderstorms inspire fear in all pilots, high time or neophyte. And for good reason. Thunderstorms have huge amounts of destructive power and, according to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, caused 25 percent of all fatal weather-related accidents in 2004. It's a thunderstorm's turbulence that causes most of the trouble—although convective storms also can contain deadly icing conditions, hail, and lightning. This turbulence can set off a monumental roller-coaster ride, causing dangerous swings in airspeed and/or radical upsets as the airplane rolls, pitches, and yaws out of control. Pilot disorientation usually follows, incorrect control inputs follow that, and ultimately the airplane can experience structural failure. How many times have thunderstorm accident reports mentioned witnesses saying words to the effect that airplane "parts fell out of the bottom of the clouds"? Quite a few.
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