AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2024 - 97

As one comes to expect during a
southern summer, a few afternoon
thunderstorms began to form along the
route from Cuba Farm Airport (LA33) in
Monroe, Louisiana, to Columbia (CAE). I
asked for deviations as necessary to dodge
small pop-up cells, and the 3.5-hour trip
wore on. I began studying the line of
thunderstorms forming north of my position,
moving ominously in a southeasterly
direction. I decided to ask Memphis
Center to alter my course farther southeast
to avoid the oncoming storms.
When I was passed on to Atlanta
Center, the controller asked for my destination.
I replied with the identifier.
" Why the southeasterly route? "
NEVER AGA IN /
Sucker hole
A 30-minute shortcut isn't worth your life
BY CHAP BREARD
NOTHING ABOUT THE morning gave me
pause. Little did I know I was about to
have a highly unnerving close call with
a " sucker hole. "
I had just purchased my 1985
Beechcraft Bonanza A36, N136AA. I'd
been a fan of the Bonanza ever since
I first began flying with my father in a
1971 A36, then later partnered with him
in a 1960 Debonair. I had finally decided
to upgrade to the six-seater so we could
load up the family and their luggage for
vacation. While N136AA was relatively
new to me, I had more than 500 hours
in a Bonanza and other retractable gear
airplanes, and what I thought was a considerable
amount of IMC experience.
We had chosen Columbia, South
Carolina, as the destination for the family
vacation this year. Seven days visiting
friends along with a quick beach trip was
much needed. I loaded up the luggage,
topped off the fuel tanks with 102 gallons,
did my preflight checks, and prepared for
takeoff. We got a later start than planned,
but even as the Louisiana sun warmed the
mid-morning summer air, the A36 lifted
off our grass strip without a hitch.
replied the Atlanta controller. " You've
got a hole 20 miles wide that gives you a
direct line to CAE. "
I studied my Nexrad display on my
Garmin 430 and decided he was correct.
It looked like the perfect opportunity for
us to cut through the storm and get on the
ground in time for dinner. I changed my
heading northeasterly using the heading
bug on the autopilot. All felt smooth for a
time, but as we crept closer to the hole, I
began to feel squeezed on all sides by the
ominous dark clouds.
Almost immediately, we experienced
turbulence that rocked me to my core. My
daughter's head hit the ceiling, sending
her earphones and iPad flying across the
cabin. My wife squeezed my thigh with
a death grip that I still feel a permanent
indentation from. The pee jar, thankfully
sealed tightly, flew up and landed
in my lap. Perspiration was building on
my forehead, and I knew we were in a
serious situation. The A36 had picked up
speed and I feared there were too many
forces on the wings. I reduced the power
to maneuvering speed and decided it
was necessary to slow down further. I
put the gear down, as well as 15 degrees
of flaps, as soon as I got in the white arc.
We were still getting beaten in every
direction, and I feared that the autopilot
was causing more problems, so I clicked
the disconnect.
AOPA PILOT / December 2024
97
JAMES CAREY
AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2024

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