Narrative:

I was returning from gjt to apa. A complex WX system was moving into colorado causing WX to develop over the front range. I requested and received the thompson STAR into apa. This is a route that runs along the colorado/wyoming border from grand junction and then southeast from rocky mountain national park to den. At thompson intersection, I requested to deviate east to den VOR due to developing level 3 and level 4 thunderstorms over the front range. About 5 mi west of den, den approach vectored me direct to apa. Flying southwest and approaching apa from the east, I was painting a level 4 thunderstorm about 25 mi southwest of apa. I was vectored by den approach to the west side of apa on a southwest heading to be positioned for an easterly turn back to the casse OM for the ILS runway 35R. I told den approach that I was painting a level 4 thunderstorm at 20 mi on my WX map, both in nexrad radar downlink and microwave modes. My bgf indicated intense lightning and I visual saw cloud-to-cloud and chain lightning. Den approach told me that I was required to maintain my heading because of traffic on and being vectored for the ILS. The WX was VMC under the 2000 ft AGL black cloud base. The conditions to the southwest were terrifying. I asked den approach for an easterly turn in order to prevent going into the storm. Den approach told me that I had to maintain my southwest heading another 3 mins for traffic. I told den approach, I was unable because of the intense approaching WX. Den approach told me they required another 1 min on my southwest heading. I turned up my microwave radar into the cell and painted 4 tornadoes. I could see the letter 'C' shaped objects with scalloped edges rotating. A final lightning bolt passed 5 mi across the bow of my king air in chain form. I encountered heavy rain and turbulence. I asked den approach for a turn east again due to the severe WX now 15 mi and less in front of the king air. I was told to maintain my heading another min. I passed in to another heavy rain shower. I then declared an emergency and informed den approach I was in a left turn toward the casse OM. Den approach responded by giving me a vector to 090 degrees and clearing me for the approach. They told me that they had their radar WX mode turned down and had not seen the storm. When they turned it up, they saw my problem. They immediately closed the arrival from the south to apa and the larks STAR. They apologized for not seeing the storm and placing me in the situation. I encountered severe turbulence and rain on the approach. I was on the outer edge of a microburst. At about 200 ft AGL at decision ht, the turbulence became moderate with a 15-30 KT windshear. I safely made a high power landing. I was asked by centennial tower to give a full report on tower frequency after landing at a taxi intersection. While giving the report, 4 tornadoes broke out south of apa. Centennial tower cleared me to taxi to my hangar immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE9T PLT WAS REQUIRED TO DECLARE AN EMER AFTER THE D01 APCH CTLR VECTORED HIM INTO A TSTM NOT DISPLAYED ON HIS RADAR SCOPE.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM GJT TO APA. A COMPLEX WX SYS WAS MOVING INTO COLORADO CAUSING WX TO DEVELOP OVER THE FRONT RANGE. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE THOMPSON STAR INTO APA. THIS IS A RTE THAT RUNS ALONG THE COLORADO/WYOMING BORDER FROM GRAND JUNCTION AND THEN SE FROM ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATL PARK TO DEN. AT THOMPSON INTXN, I REQUESTED TO DEVIATE E TO DEN VOR DUE TO DEVELOPING LEVEL 3 AND LEVEL 4 TSTMS OVER THE FRONT RANGE. ABOUT 5 MI W OF DEN, DEN APCH VECTORED ME DIRECT TO APA. FLYING SW AND APCHING APA FROM THE E, I WAS PAINTING A LEVEL 4 TSTM ABOUT 25 MI SW OF APA. I WAS VECTORED BY DEN APCH TO THE W SIDE OF APA ON A SW HDG TO BE POSITIONED FOR AN EASTERLY TURN BACK TO THE CASSE OM FOR THE ILS RWY 35R. I TOLD DEN APCH THAT I WAS PAINTING A LEVEL 4 TSTM AT 20 MI ON MY WX MAP, BOTH IN NEXRAD RADAR DOWNLINK AND MICROWAVE MODES. MY BGF INDICATED INTENSE LIGHTNING AND I VISUAL SAW CLOUD-TO-CLOUD AND CHAIN LIGHTNING. DEN APCH TOLD ME THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN MY HDG BECAUSE OF TFC ON AND BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS. THE WX WAS VMC UNDER THE 2000 FT AGL BLACK CLOUD BASE. THE CONDITIONS TO THE SW WERE TERRIFYING. I ASKED DEN APCH FOR AN EASTERLY TURN IN ORDER TO PREVENT GOING INTO THE STORM. DEN APCH TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO MAINTAIN MY SW HDG ANOTHER 3 MINS FOR TFC. I TOLD DEN APCH, I WAS UNABLE BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE APCHING WX. DEN APCH TOLD ME THEY REQUIRED ANOTHER 1 MIN ON MY SW HDG. I TURNED UP MY MICROWAVE RADAR INTO THE CELL AND PAINTED 4 TORNADOES. I COULD SEE THE LETTER 'C' SHAPED OBJECTS WITH SCALLOPED EDGES ROTATING. A FINAL LIGHTNING BOLT PASSED 5 MI ACROSS THE BOW OF MY KING AIR IN CHAIN FORM. I ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN AND TURB. I ASKED DEN APCH FOR A TURN E AGAIN DUE TO THE SEVERE WX NOW 15 MI AND LESS IN FRONT OF THE KING AIR. I WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN MY HDG ANOTHER MIN. I PASSED IN TO ANOTHER HVY RAIN SHOWER. I THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND INFORMED DEN APCH I WAS IN A L TURN TOWARD THE CASSE OM. DEN APCH RESPONDED BY GIVING ME A VECTOR TO 090 DEGS AND CLRING ME FOR THE APCH. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD THEIR RADAR WX MODE TURNED DOWN AND HAD NOT SEEN THE STORM. WHEN THEY TURNED IT UP, THEY SAW MY PROB. THEY IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE ARR FROM THE S TO APA AND THE LARKS STAR. THEY APOLOGIZED FOR NOT SEEING THE STORM AND PLACING ME IN THE SIT. I ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND RAIN ON THE APCH. I WAS ON THE OUTER EDGE OF A MICROBURST. AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL AT DECISION HT, THE TURB BECAME MODERATE WITH A 15-30 KT WINDSHEAR. I SAFELY MADE A HIGH PWR LNDG. I WAS ASKED BY CENTENNIAL TWR TO GIVE A FULL RPT ON TWR FREQ AFTER LNDG AT A TAXI INTXN. WHILE GIVING THE RPT, 4 TORNADOES BROKE OUT S OF APA. CENTENNIAL TWR CLRED ME TO TAXI TO MY HANGAR IMMEDIATELY.

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.