Narrative:

Flight departed 9L ord at 20XX with a clearance to maintain runway heading climb to 5000. Thunderstorms were in the area with a large thunderstorm just south of the airport. We were given a vector to 180 degree which had us approaching the thunderstorm area. We then were given a vector to 220 degree climb to 13,000'. We advised we could not accept 220 but were deviating to 240 and then had to steer 270 to avoid thunderstorm. We were then given vector to 220 climb to FL230. We advised controller we could not turn to 220 due to WX and had to steer 270 for 10 more miles. Controller then gave us vector to 180 degree which we told him we could not accept. He asked us if we were refusing his vector and we said yes. He then told us to turn right to 360 degree and descend to 7000' for 22L at O'hare. We told him we were going to kansas city. He said not on a 270 degree heading you're not and reissued 360 degree heading descend to 7000' for O'hare. We started turn to 360 degree and began transition from climb to level flight. We were given a frequency change and told to call approach control by phone when we landed. Next controller had us maintain 13,000' and reissued us a new clearance for kansas city. Upon landing at kansas city we called chicago departure control and talked to supervisor on duty. He said this situation sounded like a frustration call by controller, as traffic situation around O'hare had been hectic all day due to thunderstorms. He said we had caused this controller some problems by not accepting his vectors that other aircraft had flown. We told him that based on our aircraft position at time receiving the vectors we would have flown into thunderstorm area identified on our radar. Supervisor agreed that we 'called the shots' when it came to avoiding WX. I would handle this situation the same way by avoiding thunderstorm area if were to happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG AT 10,000' DEPARTING ORD AREA GIVEN HEADING TOWARD TSTM REFUSED HEADING.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED 9L ORD AT 20XX WITH A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG CLIMB TO 5000. TSTMS WERE IN THE AREA WITH A LARGE TSTM JUST S OF THE ARPT. WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO 180 DEG WHICH HAD US APCHING THE TSTM AREA. WE THEN WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO 220 DEG CLIMB TO 13,000'. WE ADVISED WE COULD NOT ACCEPT 220 BUT WERE DEVIATING TO 240 AND THEN HAD TO STEER 270 TO AVOID TSTM. WE WERE THEN GIVEN VECTOR TO 220 CLIMB TO FL230. WE ADVISED CTLR WE COULD NOT TURN TO 220 DUE TO WX AND HAD TO STEER 270 FOR 10 MORE MILES. CTLR THEN GAVE US VECTOR TO 180 DEG WHICH WE TOLD HIM WE COULD NOT ACCEPT. HE ASKED US IF WE WERE REFUSING HIS VECTOR AND WE SAID YES. HE THEN TOLD US TO TURN RIGHT TO 360 DEG AND DSND TO 7000' FOR 22L AT O'HARE. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE GOING TO KANSAS CITY. HE SAID NOT ON A 270 DEG HDG YOU'RE NOT AND REISSUED 360 DEG HDG DSND TO 7000' FOR O'HARE. WE STARTED TURN TO 360 DEG AND BEGAN TRANSITION FROM CLIMB TO LEVEL FLT. WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE AND TOLD TO CALL APCH CTL BY PHONE WHEN WE LANDED. NEXT CTLR HAD US MAINTAIN 13,000' AND REISSUED US A NEW CLRNC FOR KANSAS CITY. UPON LNDG AT KANSAS CITY WE CALLED CHICAGO DEP CTL AND TALKED TO SUPVR ON DUTY. HE SAID THIS SITUATION SOUNDED LIKE A FRUSTRATION CALL BY CTLR, AS TFC SITUATION AROUND O'HARE HAD BEEN HECTIC ALL DAY DUE TO TSTMS. HE SAID WE HAD CAUSED THIS CTLR SOME PROBLEMS BY NOT ACCEPTING HIS VECTORS THAT OTHER ACFT HAD FLOWN. WE TOLD HIM THAT BASED ON OUR ACFT POSITION AT TIME RECEIVING THE VECTORS WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN INTO TSTM AREA IDENTIFIED ON OUR RADAR. SUPVR AGREED THAT WE 'CALLED THE SHOTS' WHEN IT CAME TO AVOIDING WX. I WOULD HANDLE THIS SITUATION THE SAME WAY BY AVOIDING TSTM AREA IF WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.