Narrative:

Air carrier X originated dfw in 1/90. I was the captain of the flight, which was late because of schedule slippage due to WX. Flight departed gate at dfw 46 mins late bound for iah. Departure delays were extensive because of widespread thunderstorm activity west and south of dfw. Our trip was filed and cleared via the regional departure, J-87 to the bilee intersection. We were advised that because of WX on our departure route, we would incur a further delay. We sat on the ground 2 hours and 10 mins. WX activity continued but flts were departing at a slow but steady pace. We were cleared into position on runway 36R at XXXX local time. We were cleared for takeoff and told to fly heading 345. Initial climbout was normal. At approximately 4000' MSL we were told by departure control to fly heading 220. We naturally had the radar on and were monitoring the WX. We continued climbing to our assigned altitude of 10,000' and anticipated a further turn toward the south. Still on the 220 heading we were told to contact ft worth center. We were painting extensive rainshower activity and a few stronger cells ahead and it was beginning to get choppy. The turbulence continued as we were cleared to 17,000 and told to intercept the millsap 079 degree radial inbound. This caused us some confusion as we had not filed nor had we been cleared this way. In addition, the 079 degree radial was going to take us into an area of cells that was unacceptable to me. The center controller seemed a bit agitated and it was obvious that he was quite busy with deviating aircraft and their routings. It seemed critical that the aircraft he was working stay very tight on the 079 millsap radial. He asked us if we could maintain that radial. We told him that we needed about 15 degree left to 250 to avoid WX. We also wondered where he was planning on sending us and said that our destination was houston. He started to become testy at this point and told us to make a 180. We proceeded to make a left turn to 085 degree. There was much confusion now between us and the controller. It was obvious that we were not communicating. As we had made our turn back toward dfw we could see that a southerly heading toward our originally filed course would avoid all the WX and get us where we wanted to go. Also the 085 heading was going to take us right back into some worsening WX that we had already been through. We advised the controller of this and he became very argumentative. In addition to not making his intentions known to us, he argued that since we had just come through that area why couldn't we go back through it again. I replied by stating that I could take 20 degree left or right but 085 wouldn't cut it. He had lost it by now and told us to consider ourselves an emergency and fly whatever heading we wanted. We said we did not need to declare an emergency but any heading toward the south would be great. At this point we had been cleared to climb to I believe 21,000'. We took a southerly deviation to avoid WX. During all this time it never appeared to us that we were ever in conflict with other aircraft. Nor was it ever made clear where we were headed. Finally we received a frequency change and it was like nothing ever happened. The new controller was very cooperative, cleared us to deviate south and very shortly cleared us direct to navisota. The remainder of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

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

Narrative: ACR X ORIGINATED DFW IN 1/90. I WAS THE CAPT OF THE FLT, WHICH WAS LATE BECAUSE OF SCHEDULE SLIPPAGE DUE TO WX. FLT DEPARTED GATE AT DFW 46 MINS LATE BOUND FOR IAH. DEP DELAYS WERE EXTENSIVE BECAUSE OF WIDESPREAD TSTM ACTIVITY W AND S OF DFW. OUR TRIP WAS FILED AND CLRED VIA THE REGIONAL DEP, J-87 TO THE BILEE INTXN. WE WERE ADVISED THAT BECAUSE OF WX ON OUR DEP ROUTE, WE WOULD INCUR A FURTHER DELAY. WE SAT ON THE GND 2 HRS AND 10 MINS. WX ACTIVITY CONTINUED BUT FLTS WERE DEPARTING AT A SLOW BUT STEADY PACE. WE WERE CLRED INTO POSITION ON RWY 36R AT XXXX LCL TIME. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND TOLD TO FLY HDG 345. INITIAL CLIMBOUT WAS NORMAL. AT APPROX 4000' MSL WE WERE TOLD BY DEP CTL TO FLY HDG 220. WE NATURALLY HAD THE RADAR ON AND WERE MONITORING THE WX. WE CONTINUED CLIMBING TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 10,000' AND ANTICIPATED A FURTHER TURN TOWARD THE S. STILL ON THE 220 HDG WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT FT WORTH CENTER. WE WERE PAINTING EXTENSIVE RAINSHOWER ACTIVITY AND A FEW STRONGER CELLS AHEAD AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO GET CHOPPY. THE TURBULENCE CONTINUED AS WE WERE CLRED TO 17,000 AND TOLD TO INTERCEPT THE MILLSAP 079 DEG RADIAL INBND. THIS CAUSED US SOME CONFUSION AS WE HAD NOT FILED NOR HAD WE BEEN CLRED THIS WAY. IN ADDITION, THE 079 DEG RADIAL WAS GOING TO TAKE US INTO AN AREA OF CELLS THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. THE CENTER CTLR SEEMED A BIT AGITATED AND IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS QUITE BUSY WITH DEVIATING ACFT AND THEIR ROUTINGS. IT SEEMED CRITICAL THAT THE ACFT HE WAS WORKING STAY VERY TIGHT ON THE 079 MILLSAP RADIAL. HE ASKED US IF WE COULD MAINTAIN THAT RADIAL. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE NEEDED ABOUT 15 DEG LEFT TO 250 TO AVOID WX. WE ALSO WONDERED WHERE HE WAS PLANNING ON SENDING US AND SAID THAT OUR DEST WAS HOUSTON. HE STARTED TO BECOME TESTY AT THIS POINT AND TOLD US TO MAKE A 180. WE PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN TO 085 DEG. THERE WAS MUCH CONFUSION NOW BETWEEN US AND THE CTLR. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE WERE NOT COMMUNICATING. AS WE HAD MADE OUR TURN BACK TOWARD DFW WE COULD SEE THAT A SOUTHERLY HDG TOWARD OUR ORIGINALLY FILED COURSE WOULD AVOID ALL THE WX AND GET US WHERE WE WANTED TO GO. ALSO THE 085 HDG WAS GOING TO TAKE US RIGHT BACK INTO SOME WORSENING WX THAT WE HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH. WE ADVISED THE CTLR OF THIS AND HE BECAME VERY ARGUMENTATIVE. IN ADDITION TO NOT MAKING HIS INTENTIONS KNOWN TO US, HE ARGUED THAT SINCE WE HAD JUST COME THROUGH THAT AREA WHY COULDN'T WE GO BACK THROUGH IT AGAIN. I REPLIED BY STATING THAT I COULD TAKE 20 DEG LEFT OR RIGHT BUT 085 WOULDN'T CUT IT. HE HAD LOST IT BY NOW AND TOLD US TO CONSIDER OURSELVES AN EMER AND FLY WHATEVER HDG WE WANTED. WE SAID WE DID NOT NEED TO DECLARE AN EMER BUT ANY HDG TOWARD THE S WOULD BE GREAT. AT THIS POINT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CLIMB TO I BELIEVE 21,000'. WE TOOK A SOUTHERLY DEVIATION TO AVOID WX. DURING ALL THIS TIME IT NEVER APPEARED TO US THAT WE WERE EVER IN CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT. NOR WAS IT EVER MADE CLEAR WHERE WE WERE HEADED. FINALLY WE RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE AND IT WAS LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. THE NEW CTLR WAS VERY COOPERATIVE, CLRED US TO DEVIATE S AND VERY SHORTLY CLRED US DIRECT TO NAVISOTA. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.