Incident Overview
A pilot on a cross-country flight encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). During the flight, the airplane suddenly began descending at a rate of 2,000 feet per minute. The pilot reported that he had obtained a limited weather briefing from an automated weather answering service prior to the flight.
Pilot Actions
In response to the descent, the pilot pulled back on the yoke until the airplane stalled, then pushed forward to regain airspeed. He repeated this procedure three times while the airplane continued descending, in an attempt to fly out of the downdraft condition. During the fourth attempt, the airplane entered a spin. The pilot was able to regain control approximately 200 feet above ground level (AGL).
Outcome
Once the pilot could see the ground, he initiated a forced landing. During the landing roll in an open field, the airplane collided with rough terrain. The accident sequence involved a stall, spin, and subsequent forced landing after the pilot's repeated efforts to counteract a downdraft in IMC.