Narrative:

I had planned a flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2; then ZZZ2 to ZZZ3; then back into ZZZ1. There was a front coming (that had been in place for a while) that was forecast to develop rain showers throughout the area; with some occasional moderate turbulence. I had flown in it the night before with my instructor; IFR; for some additional training; so I was familiar with its characteristics. (Pretty much; it was as forecast; a few strong light bumps but nothing more.) the flight to ZZZ2 was uneventful. Upon landing; I received an additional WX briefing from an FSS specialist. Was told that conditions pretty much were unchanged. I left ZZZ2 with full tanks; for ZZZ3. The flight was uneventful until the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. I immediately told approach that I had encountered severe turbulence and requested a block altitude. I tried to comply but was unable to hold. I notified approach and began requesting fixes/vectors towards land; which they complied with. I declared an emergency. I was hit by more turbulence; and was given a vector to a small airport. The WX; worse than forecast; meant I could not see it. Due to rising terrain; I knew I needed to climb. (ATC had lost radar contact.) they cold not hear me; but I could hear them. I found a break in clouds where I could see the mountains; and started a slow; climbing turn. They asked me to squawk 7700. Radar contact was restored and they asked me to climb to 4000 ft. Fighting to maintain 4000 ft and the heading; I made it over to ZZZ4; where I encountered more low level turbulence. I was vectored to a visual for runway 30. I successfully landed; and was happy I lived to write this. The airport manager gave me a number to call approach. I explained to them what happened. They spoke with me -- we had a cordial conversation -- and they said airlines were rejecting takeoffs due to WX! I can believe this; as people above me en route (airliners trying to relay my broken communications to ATC) were refusing lower because of my problems. In terms of lessons learned; the route I was cleared to was more westerly. I should have rejected it. While I don't know if it would have changed the outcome (a pilot at the ZZZ4 airport told me that he had just landed and had the same experience -- unforecast severe low level turbulence); it would have got me 'over the ridge' faster. Second; airliners rejecting takeoffs due to WX need to be reported. I would have never departed had I known this. Third; speci observations need prompt reporting. My briefer never told me anything that would have suggested this WX; and had proper WX reporting been available for ZZZ5; this flight would have been scrubbed. Even ZZZ4 had 180 degree changes in wind direction. As far as I know; no speci was issued. Finally; I had been told light to moderate rain is no big deal. Never again. Anything more than light; I won't fly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after declaring an emergency and requesting vectors; ATC attempted to vector him to a small 2000 ft field which he could not locate visually both because of the turbulence and the cloud cover. The reporter's sole effort at that point was to keep the aircraft upright. He was solo at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST SEVERE TURB; DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED A FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2; THEN ZZZ2 TO ZZZ3; THEN BACK INTO ZZZ1. THERE WAS A FRONT COMING (THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR A WHILE) THAT WAS FORECAST TO DEVELOP RAIN SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE AREA; WITH SOME OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB. I HAD FLOWN IN IT THE NIGHT BEFORE WITH MY INSTRUCTOR; IFR; FOR SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING; SO I WAS FAMILIAR WITH ITS CHARACTERISTICS. (PRETTY MUCH; IT WAS AS FORECAST; A FEW STRONG LIGHT BUMPS BUT NOTHING MORE.) THE FLT TO ZZZ2 WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG; I RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL WX BRIEFING FROM AN FSS SPECIALIST. WAS TOLD THAT CONDITIONS PRETTY MUCH WERE UNCHANGED. I LEFT ZZZ2 WITH FULL TANKS; FOR ZZZ3. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD APCH THAT I HAD ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AND REQUESTED A BLOCK ALT. I TRIED TO COMPLY BUT WAS UNABLE TO HOLD. I NOTIFIED APCH AND BEGAN REQUESTING FIXES/VECTORS TOWARDS LAND; WHICH THEY COMPLIED WITH. I DECLARED AN EMER. I WAS HIT BY MORE TURB; AND WAS GIVEN A VECTOR TO A SMALL ARPT. THE WX; WORSE THAN FORECAST; MEANT I COULD NOT SEE IT. DUE TO RISING TERRAIN; I KNEW I NEEDED TO CLB. (ATC HAD LOST RADAR CONTACT.) THEY COLD NOT HEAR ME; BUT I COULD HEAR THEM. I FOUND A BREAK IN CLOUDS WHERE I COULD SEE THE MOUNTAINS; AND STARTED A SLOW; CLBING TURN. THEY ASKED ME TO SQUAWK 7700. RADAR CONTACT WAS RESTORED AND THEY ASKED ME TO CLB TO 4000 FT. FIGHTING TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT AND THE HDG; I MADE IT OVER TO ZZZ4; WHERE I ENCOUNTERED MORE LOW LEVEL TURB. I WAS VECTORED TO A VISUAL FOR RWY 30. I SUCCESSFULLY LANDED; AND WAS HAPPY I LIVED TO WRITE THIS. THE ARPT MGR GAVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL APCH. I EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SPOKE WITH ME -- WE HAD A CORDIAL CONVERSATION -- AND THEY SAID AIRLINES WERE REJECTING TKOFS DUE TO WX! I CAN BELIEVE THIS; AS PEOPLE ABOVE ME ENRTE (AIRLINERS TRYING TO RELAY MY BROKEN COMS TO ATC) WERE REFUSING LOWER BECAUSE OF MY PROBS. IN TERMS OF LESSONS LEARNED; THE RTE I WAS CLRED TO WAS MORE WESTERLY. I SHOULD HAVE REJECTED IT. WHILE I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME (A PLT AT THE ZZZ4 ARPT TOLD ME THAT HE HAD JUST LANDED AND HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE -- UNFORECAST SEVERE LOW LEVEL TURB); IT WOULD HAVE GOT ME 'OVER THE RIDGE' FASTER. SECOND; AIRLINERS REJECTING TKOFS DUE TO WX NEED TO BE RPTED. I WOULD HAVE NEVER DEPARTED HAD I KNOWN THIS. THIRD; SPECI OBSERVATIONS NEED PROMPT RPTING. MY BRIEFER NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE SUGGESTED THIS WX; AND HAD PROPER WX RPTING BEEN AVAILABLE FOR ZZZ5; THIS FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN SCRUBBED. EVEN ZZZ4 HAD 180 DEG CHANGES IN WIND DIRECTION. AS FAR AS I KNOW; NO SPECI WAS ISSUED. FINALLY; I HAD BEEN TOLD LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN IS NO BIG DEAL. NEVER AGAIN. ANYTHING MORE THAN LIGHT; I WON'T FLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER DECLARING AN EMER AND REQUESTING VECTORS; ATC ATTEMPTED TO VECTOR HIM TO A SMALL 2000 FT FIELD WHICH HE COULD NOT LOCATE VISUALLY BOTH BECAUSE OF THE TURB AND THE CLOUD COVER. THE RPTR'S SOLE EFFORT AT THAT POINT WAS TO KEEP THE ACFT UPRIGHT. HE WAS SOLO AT THE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.