Narrative:

Second attempt to make it into den. After diverting to abq, waiting for improvement in dia conditions (ie, reduction of wind velocity and end of diversions and holding). Reports of, and actual encounters with, moderate chop, occasional moderate turbulence. During our divert leg, as with our return attempt, despite our effort to avoid another hold by delaying in abq, issued holding instructions at larks as published and cleared descent to FL200. Prior to descent, had fairly smooth ride for previous 25-30 mins. Had flight attendants seated along with passenger during descent in anticipation of chop due to existing reports. Mostly smooth in descent, just occasional light chop from entering cloud layer approximately FL230, 290 KIAS. First officer flying aircraft on autoplt. Just prior to entering a hold at larks (approximately 3 NM southwest) very abruptly encountered severe turbulence. Immediately slowed further, reported the turbulence and requested report of and change to a different altitude. Controller seemed confused, asking 'where are you?' we replied and repeated our request. Controller asked, 'what's your altitude?' once again we replied and more urgently repeated our requests. Controller replied that it was reported 'smooth FL190.' we requested immediate descent and clearance issued, however, turbulence only seemed to get worse. At our time on onset, as aircraft entered hold and began first turn, bank angle exceeded 45 degrees. First officer disengaged autoplt and autothrottles and hand flew. Advised controller 'still in severe turbulence FL190,' requested information on traffic and rides above and below our position. Controller replied once again, 'smooth report at FL190 and maintain FL190.' informed controller for second time of condition at FL190 and requested altitude change and/or vectors out of hold. Controller replied for a third time, 'reported smooth by a king air (?) at FL190, unable vectors and maintain FL190.' at this point tensions were getting high and I forcefully replied, 'sir, we are at FL190 in severe turbulence, request vectors away from hold.' there was no reply for several seconds. It was at about this time we encountered severe wave activity and altitude increased 1000 ft (to FL200) in approximately 5 seconds. We reported 'severe wave activity unable to hold altitude, exiting hold to south, request vectors.' after several more seconds, controller issued heading to southeast and climb to higher altitude. Ride began to smooth out as we headed away from larks and climbed. Total time of encounter estimated 3-4 mins. Controller now issued instructions to turn back to mnw, vectors to powdr intersection and hold for powdr arrival. We asked for any reports over powdr. Controller replied no recent report available and restated his instructions. Advised that we would prefer not to turn back to the northwest nor hold anywhere over the front range and suggested delaying vectors to southeast. Controller advised 'unable' and reissued instructions to powdr. At this point, fatigued, frustrated, and a bit shook up, we declined the clearance and advised that we would continue sbound, away from area, until clearance could be issued. After several more mins, controller issued new clearance to quail and the quail arrival into den. We executed approach and landing without incident. I would like to state that the controller appeared to be totally out of the loop, confused and was either unable to, or unwilling to assist us in any way. We were seconds from declaring an emergency. Fortunately, no passenger or crew members were injured. Upon arrival at dia, a 'severe turbulence encounter' entry was made in the maintenance manual log and airplane was grounded for appropriate inspections.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB IN 2 SEPARATE HOLDING PATTERNS OVER THE FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. CREW EXPERIENCED GREAT DIFFICULTY CONVINCING ARTCC OF THE FLT CONDITIONS AND GETTING A CLRNC INTO BETTER FLT CONDITIONS. ACFT GNDED ON ARR FOR INSPECTION.

Narrative: SECOND ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT INTO DEN. AFTER DIVERTING TO ABQ, WAITING FOR IMPROVEMENT IN DIA CONDITIONS (IE, REDUCTION OF WIND VELOCITY AND END OF DIVERSIONS AND HOLDING). RPTS OF, AND ACTUAL ENCOUNTERS WITH, MODERATE CHOP, OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB. DURING OUR DIVERT LEG, AS WITH OUR RETURN ATTEMPT, DESPITE OUR EFFORT TO AVOID ANOTHER HOLD BY DELAYING IN ABQ, ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AT LARKS AS PUBLISHED AND CLRED DSCNT TO FL200. PRIOR TO DSCNT, HAD FAIRLY SMOOTH RIDE FOR PREVIOUS 25-30 MINS. HAD FLT ATTENDANTS SEATED ALONG WITH PAX DURING DSCNT IN ANTICIPATION OF CHOP DUE TO EXISTING RPTS. MOSTLY SMOOTH IN DSCNT, JUST OCCASIONAL LIGHT CHOP FROM ENTERING CLOUD LAYER APPROX FL230, 290 KIAS. FO FLYING ACFT ON AUTOPLT. JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING A HOLD AT LARKS (APPROX 3 NM SW) VERY ABRUPTLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. IMMEDIATELY SLOWED FURTHER, RPTED THE TURB AND REQUESTED RPT OF AND CHANGE TO A DIFFERENT ALT. CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED, ASKING 'WHERE ARE YOU?' WE REPLIED AND REPEATED OUR REQUEST. CTLR ASKED, 'WHAT'S YOUR ALT?' ONCE AGAIN WE REPLIED AND MORE URGENTLY REPEATED OUR REQUESTS. CTLR REPLIED THAT IT WAS RPTED 'SMOOTH FL190.' WE REQUESTED IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND CLRNC ISSUED, HOWEVER, TURB ONLY SEEMED TO GET WORSE. AT OUR TIME ON ONSET, AS ACFT ENTERED HOLD AND BEGAN FIRST TURN, BANK ANGLE EXCEEDED 45 DEGS. FO DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES AND HAND FLEW. ADVISED CTLR 'STILL IN SEVERE TURB FL190,' REQUESTED INFO ON TFC AND RIDES ABOVE AND BELOW OUR POS. CTLR REPLIED ONCE AGAIN, 'SMOOTH RPT AT FL190 AND MAINTAIN FL190.' INFORMED CTLR FOR SECOND TIME OF CONDITION AT FL190 AND REQUESTED ALT CHANGE AND/OR VECTORS OUT OF HOLD. CTLR REPLIED FOR A THIRD TIME, 'RPTED SMOOTH BY A KING AIR (?) AT FL190, UNABLE VECTORS AND MAINTAIN FL190.' AT THIS POINT TENSIONS WERE GETTING HIGH AND I FORCEFULLY REPLIED, 'SIR, WE ARE AT FL190 IN SEVERE TURB, REQUEST VECTORS AWAY FROM HOLD.' THERE WAS NO REPLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. IT WAS AT ABOUT THIS TIME WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE WAVE ACTIVITY AND ALT INCREASED 1000 FT (TO FL200) IN APPROX 5 SECONDS. WE RPTED 'SEVERE WAVE ACTIVITY UNABLE TO HOLD ALT, EXITING HOLD TO S, REQUEST VECTORS.' AFTER SEVERAL MORE SECONDS, CTLR ISSUED HDG TO SE AND CLB TO HIGHER ALT. RIDE BEGAN TO SMOOTH OUT AS WE HEADED AWAY FROM LARKS AND CLBED. TOTAL TIME OF ENCOUNTER ESTIMATED 3-4 MINS. CTLR NOW ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN BACK TO MNW, VECTORS TO POWDR INTXN AND HOLD FOR POWDR ARR. WE ASKED FOR ANY RPTS OVER POWDR. CTLR REPLIED NO RECENT RPT AVAILABLE AND RESTATED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. ADVISED THAT WE WOULD PREFER NOT TO TURN BACK TO THE NW NOR HOLD ANYWHERE OVER THE FRONT RANGE AND SUGGESTED DELAYING VECTORS TO SE. CTLR ADVISED 'UNABLE' AND REISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO POWDR. AT THIS POINT, FATIGUED, FRUSTRATED, AND A BIT SHOOK UP, WE DECLINED THE CLRNC AND ADVISED THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE SBOUND, AWAY FROM AREA, UNTIL CLRNC COULD BE ISSUED. AFTER SEVERAL MORE MINS, CTLR ISSUED NEW CLRNC TO QUAIL AND THE QUAIL ARR INTO DEN. WE EXECUTED APCH AND LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT THE CTLR APPEARED TO BE TOTALLY OUT OF THE LOOP, CONFUSED AND WAS EITHER UNABLE TO, OR UNWILLING TO ASSIST US IN ANY WAY. WE WERE SECONDS FROM DECLARING AN EMER. FORTUNATELY, NO PAX OR CREW MEMBERS WERE INJURED. UPON ARR AT DIA, A 'SEVERE TURB ENCOUNTER' ENTRY WAS MADE IN THE MAINT MANUAL LOG AND AIRPLANE WAS GNDED FOR APPROPRIATE INSPECTIONS.

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.