Narrative:

En route to htl my VFR flight had begun to deteriorate into marginal VFR. I began a climb to 7000 ft MSL and remained VFR. I contacted ZMP to file an IFR flight plan for the approach to htl. ZMP advised me that the VOR at htl was OTS so I filed my IFR plan with lansing FSS direct 7d2 (home base). En route I was passed to saginaw approach and continued without incident. Conditions at saginaw were VFR broken and scattered below my cruising altitude but I still had ground visibility. I was then passed over to flint approach and was instructed to descend from 7000 ft MSL to 5000 ft MSL on a heading of 150 degrees. Upon completion of these instructions, a large storm cell developed directly in front of my intended route. I contacted approach and requested an immediate deviation which went unanswered. I began encountering heavy rain and heavy turbulence. I had been rted directly into a level 3 thunderstorm and experienced a wind shear so violent that the stress imposed on my aircraft caused me to strike my head (with my seat belt fastened) on the inside the cabin and all of the aircraft content were scattered on the floor. I broke into VFR approximately 1 mi after this occurrence. I questioned the controller if he knew that he had rted me into an extremely dangerous cell and again there was no reply. My communication radios were in proper working order because other monitoring aircraft asked if I was alright. I assume that they had experienced the same conditions. As soon as I exited the flint arsa, I closed my IFR plan and proceeded VFR due to the lack of safety I experienced with flint approach. I believe I was knowingly directed into this life- threatening situation by the controller because he did not want to be inconvenienced by my requested deviation. This is not the first unsafe condition I have been directed into with flint approach but it was the worst willful noninterest in my safety I have ever experienced in my entire flying career of 13 yrs. These controllers should experience the occasional hazards that they subject pilots to in order to understand the importance of their jobs and if requested rerouting or deviations are an inconvenience they should seek a different profession where their lack of interest will not endanger people's lives. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has a storm scope in his aircraft and could see all kinds of electrical activity. When he requested deviation of lower, the response from ATC was 'negative.' so he flew in the extremes of the storm. Analyst advised of declaring emergency so he could act with safety. His response was that he did not want to have to write a book. Analyst then advised of hotline for future reference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA RTED INTO LEVEL 3 TSTM, AFTER REQUESTING LOWER OR DEV. FLEW INTO SEVERE TURB AND RAIN.

Narrative: ENRTE TO HTL MY VFR FLT HAD BEGUN TO DETERIORATE INTO MARGINAL VFR. I BEGAN A CLB TO 7000 FT MSL AND REMAINED VFR. I CONTACTED ZMP TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE APCH TO HTL. ZMP ADVISED ME THAT THE VOR AT HTL WAS OTS SO I FILED MY IFR PLAN WITH LANSING FSS DIRECT 7D2 (HOME BASE). ENRTE I WAS PASSED TO SAGINAW APCH AND CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONDITIONS AT SAGINAW WERE VFR BROKEN AND SCATTERED BELOW MY CRUISING ALT BUT I STILL HAD GND VISIBILITY. I WAS THEN PASSED OVER TO FLINT APCH AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO DSND FROM 7000 FT MSL TO 5000 FT MSL ON A HDG OF 150 DEGS. UPON COMPLETION OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS, A LARGE STORM CELL DEVELOPED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY INTENDED RTE. I CONTACTED APCH AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DEV WHICH WENT UNANSWERED. I BEGAN ENCOUNTERING HVY RAIN AND HVY TURB. I HAD BEEN RTED DIRECTLY INTO A LEVEL 3 TSTM AND EXPERIENCED A WIND SHEAR SO VIOLENT THAT THE STRESS IMPOSED ON MY ACFT CAUSED ME TO STRIKE MY HEAD (WITH MY SEAT BELT FASTENED) ON THE INSIDE THE CABIN AND ALL OF THE ACFT CONTENT WERE SCATTERED ON THE FLOOR. I BROKE INTO VFR APPROX 1 MI AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE. I QUESTIONED THE CTLR IF HE KNEW THAT HE HAD RTED ME INTO AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CELL AND AGAIN THERE WAS NO REPLY. MY COM RADIOS WERE IN PROPER WORKING ORDER BECAUSE OTHER MONITORING ACFT ASKED IF I WAS ALRIGHT. I ASSUME THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME CONDITIONS. AS SOON AS I EXITED THE FLINT ARSA, I CLOSED MY IFR PLAN AND PROCEEDED VFR DUE TO THE LACK OF SAFETY I EXPERIENCED WITH FLINT APCH. I BELIEVE I WAS KNOWINGLY DIRECTED INTO THIS LIFE- THREATENING SIT BY THE CTLR BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO BE INCONVENIENCED BY MY REQUESTED DEV. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST UNSAFE CONDITION I HAVE BEEN DIRECTED INTO WITH FLINT APCH BUT IT WAS THE WORST WILLFUL NONINTEREST IN MY SAFETY I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY ENTIRE FLYING CAREER OF 13 YRS. THESE CTLRS SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE OCCASIONAL HAZARDS THAT THEY SUBJECT PLTS TO IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR JOBS AND IF REQUESTED REROUTING OR DEVS ARE AN INCONVENIENCE THEY SHOULD SEEK A DIFFERENT PROFESSION WHERE THEIR LACK OF INTEREST WILL NOT ENDANGER PEOPLE'S LIVES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS A STORM SCOPE IN HIS ACFT AND COULD SEE ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY. WHEN HE REQUESTED DEV OF LOWER, THE RESPONSE FROM ATC WAS 'NEGATIVE.' SO HE FLEW IN THE EXTREMES OF THE STORM. ANALYST ADVISED OF DECLARING EMER SO HE COULD ACT WITH SAFETY. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE TO WRITE A BOOK. ANALYST THEN ADVISED OF HOTLINE FOR FUTURE REF.

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.