Narrative:

In jan, 1990, a WX system was covering north texas with thunderstorms, heavy rain, high winds, low ceilings, and restr visibility. Air carrier X was dispatched to austin from dfw via acton, V-17, austin. After a lengthy ground delay, I was issued a center WX reroute via radar vectors abilene, J-17, J-86, austin. After takeoff in heavy rain I was vectored to a point that was approximately southwest of carswell AFB. At this point I was in VMC conditions. Surrounded by thunderstorms, except for one direction, on a heading of 210, there was a VFR corridor about 30 degree wide. I was issued instructions to fly heading 270, receiving abi direct. I refused as that heading was direct into a line of thunderstorms. I was next told to make a right 180 degree which was back into the storms we had just come through. I complied but informed regional departure control that I would have to turn back right within 4-5 mi. I was then instructed to make a right 360 degree turn and asked what heading I could fly to which I replied 210 degree, it's clear out that way. Negative came the reply, that is an arrival route. Again I was instructed to fly heading 270 degree. I refused. I was then asked to state my intentions. My reply was destination austin. Eventually they acquiesced and I was allowed to pick my own way through the line to the west. My return from austin on air carrier Y about 2 hours later was little different. A line of high thunderstorms ran from acton to the ene. I was given clearance to deviate west and north to avoid the WX. Arriving at a point about 10 NM northwest of acton, I was assigned a heading of 080 degree. I replied that I could fly 050 degree but 080 would take me into the storm system. 050 degree was approved, but then repeated attempts were made to coerce me to fly heading 080 degree to rejoin the acton 040 degree radial. My requests to stay north of that track were refused because approach control said that I would be in the departure corridor. Next, I was punished by a directive to head 310 degree for bridgeport to hold, state your intentions. Less than 2 mins later, the dfw airport was closed because of those same storms I had just refused to turn into. Dfw regional approach/departure control is the worst ATC facility in north america. There is seemingly no understanding of the relationship of airplanes and WX. There is no flexibility in their system of route arrival and departure procedures. They have 100% authority and 0% responsibility or understanding of what is going on. If this nonsense continues, they are going to wreck more airplanes. It is an agency that is completely out of control, and it doesn't end here. This is just one salient example of their gross incompetence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X FLT CREW FAILED TO COMPLY WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: IN JAN, 1990, A WX SYSTEM WAS COVERING NORTH TEXAS WITH TSTMS, HEAVY RAIN, HIGH WINDS, LOW CEILINGS, AND RESTR VISIBILITY. ACR X WAS DISPATCHED TO AUSTIN FROM DFW VIA ACTON, V-17, AUSTIN. AFTER A LENGTHY GND DELAY, I WAS ISSUED A CENTER WX REROUTE VIA RADAR VECTORS ABILENE, J-17, J-86, AUSTIN. AFTER TKOF IN HEAVY RAIN I WAS VECTORED TO A POINT THAT WAS APPROX SW OF CARSWELL AFB. AT THIS POINT I WAS IN VMC CONDITIONS. SURROUNDED BY TSTMS, EXCEPT FOR ONE DIRECTION, ON A HDG OF 210, THERE WAS A VFR CORRIDOR ABOUT 30 DEG WIDE. I WAS ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY HDG 270, RECEIVING ABI DIRECT. I REFUSED AS THAT HDG WAS DIRECT INTO A LINE OF TSTMS. I WAS NEXT TOLD TO MAKE A RIGHT 180 DEG WHICH WAS BACK INTO THE STORMS WE HAD JUST COME THROUGH. I COMPLIED BUT INFORMED REGIONAL DEP CTL THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TURN BACK RIGHT WITHIN 4-5 MI. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A RIGHT 360 DEG TURN AND ASKED WHAT HDG I COULD FLY TO WHICH I REPLIED 210 DEG, IT'S CLEAR OUT THAT WAY. NEGATIVE CAME THE REPLY, THAT IS AN ARR ROUTE. AGAIN I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY HDG 270 DEG. I REFUSED. I WAS THEN ASKED TO STATE MY INTENTIONS. MY REPLY WAS DEST AUSTIN. EVENTUALLY THEY ACQUIESCED AND I WAS ALLOWED TO PICK MY OWN WAY THROUGH THE LINE TO THE WEST. MY RETURN FROM AUSTIN ON ACR Y ABOUT 2 HRS LATER WAS LITTLE DIFFERENT. A LINE OF HIGH TSTMS RAN FROM ACTON TO THE ENE. I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO DEVIATE W AND N TO AVOID THE WX. ARRIVING AT A POINT ABOUT 10 NM NW OF ACTON, I WAS ASSIGNED A HDG OF 080 DEG. I REPLIED THAT I COULD FLY 050 DEG BUT 080 WOULD TAKE ME INTO THE STORM SYSTEM. 050 DEG WAS APPROVED, BUT THEN REPEATED ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO COERCE ME TO FLY HDG 080 DEG TO REJOIN THE ACTON 040 DEG RADIAL. MY REQUESTS TO STAY N OF THAT TRACK WERE REFUSED BECAUSE APCH CTL SAID THAT I WOULD BE IN THE DEP CORRIDOR. NEXT, I WAS PUNISHED BY A DIRECTIVE TO HEAD 310 DEG FOR BRIDGEPORT TO HOLD, STATE YOUR INTENTIONS. LESS THAN 2 MINS LATER, THE DFW ARPT WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF THOSE SAME STORMS I HAD JUST REFUSED TO TURN INTO. DFW REGIONAL APCH/DEP CTL IS THE WORST ATC FAC IN NORTH AMERICA. THERE IS SEEMINGLY NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF AIRPLANES AND WX. THERE IS NO FLEXIBILITY IN THEIR SYSTEM OF ROUTE ARR AND DEP PROCS. THEY HAVE 100% AUTHORITY AND 0% RESPONSIBILITY OR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS GOING ON. IF THIS NONSENSE CONTINUES, THEY ARE GOING TO WRECK MORE AIRPLANES. IT IS AN AGENCY THAT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL, AND IT DOESN'T END HERE. THIS IS JUST ONE SALIENT EXAMPLE OF THEIR GROSS INCOMPETENCE.

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