Narrative:

On V222, in the vicinity of asheville nc, between barrets mountain and foothills, aircraft X was level at 11000 and began experiencing moderate downdrafts. Pilot asked atl center for 10000. Center advised they have request, maintain 11000. Approximately 2 mins later, the aircraft began buffeting at the pitch and airspeed required to maintain 11000. Aircraft was at 10700, and advised center controller 'beginning descent to 10000' controller said transmission was unreadable. At this point moderate rain began and pilot was experiencing up and downdrafts with vsi readings exceeding 1500 FPM. Reattempted transmission with center: pilot: 'aircraft X is beginning descent to 10000.' center controller: 'negative aircraft X your assigned altitude is 11000, maintain 11000.' pilot: 'no sir, aircraft X unable to maintain 11000, descending to 10000.' controller then stated 'aircraft X maintain assigned altitude of 11000. You are over asheville's airspace.' at this point heavy rain began and the stall warning was sounding at the pitch altitude required to maintain level flight. Pilot: 'I'm unable and am descending' controller: 'aircraft X what is your emergency?' pilot: aircraft X is unable to maintain control of aircraft at 11000 due to vertical up and downdrafts.' controller: 'try to stay at 11000' a few moments later center controller advised to contact asheville approach (again). Pilot deviated significantly east of assigned heading attempting to avoid darkest part of cumolo-nimbus the pilot contacted asheville approach and requested 10000 which was granted immediately. Pilot broke out of developing thunderstorm shortly thereafter. Asheville advised resumed direct odf as soon as possible. Pilot resume direct odf. Pilot asked subsequent atl center controller if he could tell me the controller that handled aircraft X before the last handoff to asheville. He advised that he had no idea, but the sector was probably 'xxxxx.' the pilot believes this controller was not sensitive to the developing emergency, and his insistence on the aircraft maintaining 11000 was making the pilot put the aircraft in a dangerous pitch/control situation. Something like 'sir, do your best, I'm coordinating the descent with asheville right now,' would have been more helpful. As it was, the pilot did not know why the controller was insisting he maintain 11000, so he continued to stretch the limits of the aircraft to maintain 11000, for fear that there was crossing traffic or some other hazard. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he did not use the term 'emergency' during any of the radio calls used in the incident. The reporter indicated that he would declare an emergency under similar circumstances in the future. The reporter also alleged that he called the center after landing and reviewed the incident with a supervisor. The supervisor indicated that even if an emergency had been declared, coordination for use of underlying airspace would have to have been accomplished before a descent was issued. The reporter expressed concern with the controllers attitude during the incident events and expressed concern that there appeared to be a reluctance by the center controller to coordinate with avl approach for lower altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 ENCOUNTERS WX, REQUESTED LOWER ALT, AND EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER TIMELINESS OF ATC RESPONSE.

Narrative: ON V222, IN THE VICINITY OF ASHEVILLE NC, BTWN BARRETS MOUNTAIN AND FOOTHILLS, ACFT X WAS LEVEL AT 11000 AND BEGAN EXPERIENCING MODERATE DOWNDRAFTS. PLT ASKED ATL CENTER FOR 10000. CENTER ADVISED THEY HAVE REQUEST, MAINTAIN 11000. APPROX 2 MINS LATER, THE ACFT BEGAN BUFFETING AT THE PITCH AND AIRSPEED REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN 11000. ACFT WAS AT 10700, AND ADVISED CENTER CTLR 'BEGINNING DSCNT TO 10000' CTLR SAID XMISSION WAS UNREADABLE. AT THIS POINT MODERATE RAIN BEGAN AND PLT WAS EXPERIENCING UP AND DOWNDRAFTS WITH VSI READINGS EXCEEDING 1500 FPM. REATTEMPTED XMISSION WITH CENTER: PLT: 'ACFT X IS BEGINNING DSCNT TO 10000.' CENTER CTLR: 'NEGATIVE ACFT X YOUR ASSIGNED ALT IS 11000, MAINTAIN 11000.' PLT: 'NO SIR, ACFT X UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 11000, DSNDING TO 10000.' CTLR THEN STATED 'ACFT X MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000. YOU ARE OVER ASHEVILLE'S AIRSPACE.' AT THIS POINT HEAVY RAIN BEGAN AND THE STALL WARNING WAS SOUNDING AT THE PITCH ALT REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. PLT: 'I'M UNABLE AND AM DSNDING' CTLR: 'ACFT X WHAT IS YOUR EMER?' PLT: ACFT X IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CTL OF ACFT AT 11000 DUE TO VERTICAL UP AND DOWNDRAFTS.' CTLR: 'TRY TO STAY AT 11000' A FEW MOMENTS LATER CENTER CTLR ADVISED TO CONTACT ASHEVILLE APCH (AGAIN). PLT DEVIATED SIGNIFICANTLY E OF ASSIGNED HEADING ATTEMPTING TO AVOID DARKEST PART OF CUMOLO-NIMBUS THE PLT CONTACTED ASHEVILLE APCH AND REQUESTED 10000 WHICH WAS GRANTED IMMEDIATELY. PLT BROKE OUT OF DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ASHEVILLE ADVISED RESUMED DIRECT ODF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLT RESUME DIRECT ODF. PLT ASKED SUBSEQUENT ATL CENTER CTLR IF HE COULD TELL ME THE CTLR THAT HANDLED ACFT X BEFORE THE LAST HANDOFF TO ASHEVILLE. HE ADVISED THAT HE HAD NO IDEA, BUT THE SECTOR WAS PROBABLY 'XXXXX.' THE PLT BELIEVES THIS CTLR WAS NOT SENSITIVE TO THE DEVELOPING EMER, AND HIS INSISTENCE ON THE ACFT MAINTAINING 11000 WAS MAKING THE PLT PUT THE ACFT IN A DANGEROUS PITCH/CTL SIT. SOMETHING LIKE 'SIR, DO YOUR BEST, I'M COORDINATING THE DSCNT WITH ASHEVILLE RIGHT NOW,' WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL. AS IT WAS, THE PLT DID NOT KNOW WHY THE CTLR WAS INSISTING HE MAINTAIN 11000, SO HE CONTINUED TO STRETCH THE LIMITS OF THE ACFT TO MAINTAIN 11000, FOR FEAR THAT THERE WAS XING TFC OR SOME OTHER HAZARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT USE THE TERM 'EMERGENCY' DURING ANY OF THE RADIO CALLS USED IN THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HE WOULD DECLARE AN EMER UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE FUTURE. THE RPTR ALSO ALLEGED THAT HE CALLED THE CENTER AFTER LNDG AND REVIEWED THE INCIDENT WITH A SUPVR. THE SUPVR INDICATED THAT EVEN IF AN EMER HAD BEEN DECLARED, COORDINATION FOR USE OF UNDERLYING AIRSPACE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE A DSCNT WAS ISSUED. THE RPTR EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH THE CTLRS ATTITUDE DURING THE INCIDENT EVENTS AND EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A RELUCTANCE BY THE CENTER CTLR TO COORDINATE WITH AVL APCH FOR LOWER ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.