Flight Planning
The pilot-owner of an airplane obtained two weather briefings for a cross-country flight to his base airport. Both briefings indicated a line of thunderstorms in the destination area. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan but departed under VFR in VMC conditions.
En Route
After departure, the pilot proceeded directly to his destination at 8,500 feet using LORAN navigation. As visibility decreased during the flight, he climbed to 10,500 feet. While en route, the pilot obtained weather updates from Flight Watch and navigated around cloud buildups north and south of his course. He flew over an area with numerous airports.
Weather Encounter
Approximately 30 miles from his destination, the pilot observed dark clouds in all quadrants and attempted a 180-degree turn. The airplane entered a cloud buildup and encountered strong positive and negative load forces, along with heavy precipitation.
Landing
After exiting the clouds, the pilot elected to perform a precautionary, wheels-up landing.