PA-46 Malibu Meridian
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 3433; Flight Crew Type 748
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Airspace Structure; Weather; Procedure; Company Policy
I was on an IFR flight to AVP. The weather was clear. At 4;000 feet; the winds were out of the west at approximately 50 knots and it was an extremely bumpy ride. I was being vectored by Approach for a Visual Approach. The controller had me descend to 4;000 feet and told me that he was going to sequence me in behind an RJ (Regional Jet) who was on a right down wind. I was on a left down wind. The RJ was slightly behind me. I assumed that the RJ would quickly overtake me and the delay would only be a minute or two. Meanwhile; I heard the controller advise another aircraft that a Cessna had reported severe turbulence at 4;000 feet in the same area I was being vectored towards; so my passenger and I both re-cinched our already tight seatbelts. The RJ did not over take me and the controller did not change the sequence. Making matters worse; the controller vectored the RJ on an exceptionally wide pattern and consequently extended my downwind approximately 10 miles north of the airport in order to place me behind the RJ. The turbulence report from the Cessna was correct. It was severe over the mountains in the vicinity of the Airport; which sits in a valley between two ridges. After I complained to ATC that I could have landed and been clear of the runway long before he turned the RJ back to the airport instead of suffering in turbulence; the controller finally turned me onto a base. At that time; the turbulence became so severe that my passenger and I both hit our heads on the ceiling; the autopilot disconnected; the airplane pitched down; and began a steep descending turn. I was able to recover control quickly; but not before the aircraft had lost 600 feet of altitude and turned 30-40 degrees off the assigned course.When I complained about being vectored into the reported severe turbulence; a heated exchange arose between ATC and me. A controller; who I surmise was a supervisor as he was not the same individual who was previously vectoring me; berated me for being off altitude and heading; implying that he intended to report a pilot deviation. I explained that the severe turbulence was the reason for the deviation and that I had recovered as quickly as I could having been knocked around; but the controller was not interested. I became very frustrated as the controller appeared more concerned with the deviation (even though there was no loss of separation with other traffic) than our safety or the reason for the deviation. As the situation was escalating on the radio; I thought it best to terminate the conversation and cancelled IFR. Upon acknowledging my cancellation; the controller made the snide and extraordinarily unprofessional remark that perhaps I should seek medical attention for hitting my head on the ceiling. In retrospect; I should have cancelled IFR much earlier when I was abeam the numbers and realized that I could land right away if I did so without being a factor for the RJ. I also realize that I should have rejected the vectors into the reported severe turbulence; however; I had no idea the vector would be as extended as it turned out to be. On the other hand; I am disappointed that the controllers in this case refused to understand or appreciate that their actions had actually put me and my passenger in significant danger. Granted I was angry about having been placed in a situation where my safety was at risk and probably too vocal on the air; but that is not an excuse for the controller; sitting in a comfortable chair in the radar room; to focus on having the last word in a radio exchange rather than focusing on keeping airplanes out of the known severe turbulence and getting them on the ground as quickly as possible. The lack of professionalism was striking; especially when compared to the exceptional job done by almost every controller; every day.
A PA-46 pilot reported that ATC vectored them into an area of known severe turbulence where they briefly lost control of their aircraft and hit their head on the ceiling.