A C172 PVT PLT LANDS HIS ACFT IN AN OPEN FIELD WHEN ENCOUNTERING HVY TSTM ACTIVITY 5 NM E OF EMI; MD.

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ON AUG/SAT/02; I FLEW MY C172 FROM W18 SUBURBAN ARPT; LAUREL; MD; TO ZERBIN ARPT (ZER); POTTSVILLE; PA. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. FOR MY RETURN FLT; I TOOK OFF AT XA00 AND PRIOR TO FLT; I CHKED WX AT FBO COMPUTER. THERE WERE FORECASTED POSSIBLE TSTMS AT THE AREA OF MY DEST (WASHINGTON -BALTIMORE). RETURN FLT UP TO BALTIMORE AREA WAS IN CLR VFR CONDITIONS. APPROX 5-10 MINS TO W18 IN FRONT OF MY FLT THERE WERE LINES OF SEVERE TSTMS WITH HVY RAIN; LIGHTNING; ETC. I DECIDED TO TURN N AND DIALED WESTMINSTER VOR (117.9) AND TOOK 120 DEG RADIAL TO VOR. IN 5 MI DISTANCE FROM WESTMINSTER ARPT; I WAS AGAIN SUDDENLY IN HVY RAIN; STRONG TURB AND WITH NO VISIBILITY OF DEST ARPT. I DECIDED FOR AN IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON OPEN FIELD UNDER ME. MY LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO DAMAGE TO ACFT AND TO ME. THERE WAS NO CROP ON CHOSEN FIELD. CONCLUSIONS: 1) NEVER FLY INTO UNKNOWN SEVERE WX CONDITIONS; ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF POSSIBLE TSTMS. 2) IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WX SIT; SAVE ACFT AND YOURSELF AND MAKE SAFETY LNDG ASAP. DO NOT LOOK FOR 'BETTER' CONDITIONS -- IT CAN BE TOO LATE.