PA28 ENCOUNTERS WX; REQUESTED LOWER ALT; AND EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER TIMELINESS OF ATC RESPONSE.

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ON V222; IN THE VICINITY OF ASHEVILLE NC; BTWN BARRETS MOUNTAIN AND FOOTHILLS; ACFT X WAS LEVEL AT 11000 AND BEGAN EXPERIENCING MODERATE DOWNDRAFTS. PLT ASKED ATL CENTER FOR 10000. CENTER ADVISED THEY HAVE REQUEST; MAINTAIN 11000. APPROX 2 MINS LATER; THE ACFT BEGAN BUFFETING AT THE PITCH AND AIRSPEED REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN 11000. ACFT WAS AT 10700; AND ADVISED CENTER CTLR 'BEGINNING DSCNT TO 10000' CTLR SAID XMISSION WAS UNREADABLE. AT THIS POINT MODERATE RAIN BEGAN AND PLT WAS EXPERIENCING UP AND DOWNDRAFTS WITH VSI READINGS EXCEEDING 1500 FPM. REATTEMPTED XMISSION WITH CENTER: PLT: 'ACFT X IS BEGINNING DSCNT TO 10000.' CENTER CTLR: 'NEGATIVE ACFT X YOUR ASSIGNED ALT IS 11000; MAINTAIN 11000.' PLT: 'NO SIR; ACFT X UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 11000; DSNDING TO 10000.' CTLR THEN STATED 'ACFT X MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000. YOU ARE OVER ASHEVILLE'S AIRSPACE.' AT THIS POINT HEAVY RAIN BEGAN AND THE STALL WARNING WAS SOUNDING AT THE PITCH ALT REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT. PLT: 'I'M UNABLE AND AM DSNDING' CTLR: 'ACFT X WHAT IS YOUR EMER?' PLT: ACFT X IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CTL OF ACFT AT 11000 DUE TO VERTICAL UP AND DOWNDRAFTS.' CTLR: 'TRY TO STAY AT 11000' A FEW MOMENTS LATER CENTER CTLR ADVISED TO CONTACT ASHEVILLE APCH (AGAIN). PLT DEVIATED SIGNIFICANTLY E OF ASSIGNED HEADING ATTEMPTING TO AVOID DARKEST PART OF CUMOLO-NIMBUS THE PLT CONTACTED ASHEVILLE APCH AND REQUESTED 10000 WHICH WAS GRANTED IMMEDIATELY. PLT BROKE OUT OF DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ASHEVILLE ADVISED RESUMED DIRECT ODF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLT RESUME DIRECT ODF. PLT ASKED SUBSEQUENT ATL CENTER CTLR IF HE COULD TELL ME THE CTLR THAT HANDLED ACFT X BEFORE THE LAST HANDOFF TO ASHEVILLE. HE ADVISED THAT HE HAD NO IDEA; BUT THE SECTOR WAS PROBABLY 'XXXXX.' THE PLT BELIEVES THIS CTLR WAS NOT SENSITIVE TO THE DEVELOPING EMER; AND HIS INSISTENCE ON THE ACFT MAINTAINING 11000 WAS MAKING THE PLT PUT THE ACFT IN A DANGEROUS PITCH/CTL SIT. SOMETHING LIKE 'SIR; DO YOUR BEST; I'M COORDINATING THE DSCNT WITH ASHEVILLE RIGHT NOW;' WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL. AS IT WAS; THE PLT DID NOT KNOW WHY THE CTLR WAS INSISTING HE MAINTAIN 11000; SO HE CONTINUED TO STRETCH THE LIMITS OF THE ACFT TO MAINTAIN 11000; FOR FEAR THAT THERE WAS XING TFC OR SOME OTHER HAZARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DID NOT USE THE TERM 'EMERGENCY' DURING ANY OF THE RADIO CALLS USED IN THE INCIDENT. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HE WOULD DECLARE AN EMER UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE FUTURE. THE RPTR ALSO ALLEGED THAT HE CALLED THE CENTER AFTER LNDG AND REVIEWED THE INCIDENT WITH A SUPVR. THE SUPVR INDICATED THAT EVEN IF AN EMER HAD BEEN DECLARED; COORDINATION FOR USE OF UNDERLYING AIRSPACE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE A DSCNT WAS ISSUED. THE RPTR EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH THE CTLRS ATTITUDE DURING THE INCIDENT EVENTS AND EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A RELUCTANCE BY THE CENTER CTLR TO COORDINATE WITH AVL APCH FOR LOWER ALT.