Narrative:

We had been advised of LLWAS and moderate turbulence on approach. We had all people seated and all flight attendants done and down for the duration of flight. Turbulence was moderate and moderate plus below FL190 as advertised. We could see some buildups and avoided them; deviating around them; coordinating with ATC as necessary. They were not helpful; but we did coordination a couple deviations. There was 1 area of very dark cloud ahead of us; worst (darkest and thickest) in one area -- dead ahead. We requested lower which should get us below; and also wanted to deviate right of course. Explained it was for WX. ATC gave us a new frequency. We checked in and explained we needed lower for WX and also needed to deviate right (wsw) of course for WX. They didn't answer. Then when prompted said there was traffic below us. We again said we needed lower (getting closer and closer). I turned airplane and told first officer to tell them we needed lower and to deviation now for WX; declare an emergency if needed. He again told them we need to get down for WX; and they again told us they had traffic and couldn't do it. I got on frequency and told them we needed down for WX and new heading now. They asked sarcastically if I was declaring an emergency. I said 'if I need it to get the descent.' they said (again sarcastically) that they would consider that a yes; and finally cleared us out of 12000 ft for 10000 ft. This allowed us to avoid the worst of it. They wasted a lot of critical time repeating that no one else was reporting anything; this was the first they had heard of it; etc. We were inside ramms; inside the front range. They turned us 180 degree heading. Several other airplanes had reported 'moderate plus' and 'moderate and a little more.' turbulence was pretty rough. It was impossible to hold altitude level; we were bounced up and down 300+ ft each way and airspeed gusts were +/- 20 KTS from target each way. There were steady bumps and a couple bounces which threw negative G's. We were vectored south a little; then turned east for right downwind. On downwind; first officer noticed that a new ATIS just came out reporting microbursts. We delayed landing until after microburst activity was over. We had time to call back and determined there were no injuries in back (but some people were sick). Approach asked us if we were still emergency aircraft and I explained no; everything was alright; we had only needed emergency status to get altitude to get out of WX. We were ok now. Nonetheless; they rolled trucks for us. We never asked for any. Recommendation: ATC could be a bit more user friendly when pilots ask to avoid WX -- we wouldn't be deviating unless we had a reason.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS MODERATE TURB AND CUMULO NIMBUS DURING DSCNT FOR LNDG. FLT CREW REQUESTS LOWER ALT AND A HDG CHANGE TO AVOID WX. ATC APCH CTLR DOES NOT RESPOND TO REQUEST. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN ADVISED OF LLWAS AND MODERATE TURB ON APCH. WE HAD ALL PEOPLE SEATED AND ALL FLT ATTENDANTS DONE AND DOWN FOR THE DURATION OF FLT. TURB WAS MODERATE AND MODERATE PLUS BELOW FL190 AS ADVERTISED. WE COULD SEE SOME BUILDUPS AND AVOIDED THEM; DEVIATING AROUND THEM; COORDINATING WITH ATC AS NECESSARY. THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL; BUT WE DID COORD A COUPLE DEVS. THERE WAS 1 AREA OF VERY DARK CLOUD AHEAD OF US; WORST (DARKEST AND THICKEST) IN ONE AREA -- DEAD AHEAD. WE REQUESTED LOWER WHICH SHOULD GET US BELOW; AND ALSO WANTED TO DEVIATE R OF COURSE. EXPLAINED IT WAS FOR WX. ATC GAVE US A NEW FREQ. WE CHKED IN AND EXPLAINED WE NEEDED LOWER FOR WX AND ALSO NEEDED TO DEVIATE R (WSW) OF COURSE FOR WX. THEY DIDN'T ANSWER. THEN WHEN PROMPTED SAID THERE WAS TFC BELOW US. WE AGAIN SAID WE NEEDED LOWER (GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER). I TURNED AIRPLANE AND TOLD FO TO TELL THEM WE NEEDED LOWER AND TO DEV NOW FOR WX; DECLARE AN EMER IF NEEDED. HE AGAIN TOLD THEM WE NEED TO GET DOWN FOR WX; AND THEY AGAIN TOLD US THEY HAD TFC AND COULDN'T DO IT. I GOT ON FREQ AND TOLD THEM WE NEEDED DOWN FOR WX AND NEW HDG NOW. THEY ASKED SARCASTICALLY IF I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. I SAID 'IF I NEED IT TO GET THE DSCNT.' THEY SAID (AGAIN SARCASTICALLY) THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER THAT A YES; AND FINALLY CLRED US OUT OF 12000 FT FOR 10000 FT. THIS ALLOWED US TO AVOID THE WORST OF IT. THEY WASTED A LOT OF CRITICAL TIME REPEATING THAT NO ONE ELSE WAS RPTING ANYTHING; THIS WAS THE FIRST THEY HAD HEARD OF IT; ETC. WE WERE INSIDE RAMMS; INSIDE THE FRONT RANGE. THEY TURNED US 180 DEG HDG. SEVERAL OTHER AIRPLANES HAD RPTED 'MODERATE PLUS' AND 'MODERATE AND A LITTLE MORE.' TURB WAS PRETTY ROUGH. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD ALT LEVEL; WE WERE BOUNCED UP AND DOWN 300+ FT EACH WAY AND AIRSPD GUSTS WERE +/- 20 KTS FROM TARGET EACH WAY. THERE WERE STEADY BUMPS AND A COUPLE BOUNCES WHICH THREW NEGATIVE G'S. WE WERE VECTORED S A LITTLE; THEN TURNED E FOR R DOWNWIND. ON DOWNWIND; FO NOTICED THAT A NEW ATIS JUST CAME OUT RPTING MICROBURSTS. WE DELAYED LNDG UNTIL AFTER MICROBURST ACTIVITY WAS OVER. WE HAD TIME TO CALL BACK AND DETERMINED THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN BACK (BUT SOME PEOPLE WERE SICK). APCH ASKED US IF WE WERE STILL EMER ACFT AND I EXPLAINED NO; EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT; WE HAD ONLY NEEDED EMER STATUS TO GET ALT TO GET OUT OF WX. WE WERE OK NOW. NONETHELESS; THEY ROLLED TRUCKS FOR US. WE NEVER ASKED FOR ANY. RECOMMENDATION: ATC COULD BE A BIT MORE USER FRIENDLY WHEN PLTS ASK TO AVOID WX -- WE WOULDN'T BE DEVIATING UNLESS WE HAD A REASON.

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.