Narrative:

We departed ord runway 22L and turned to assigned heading 140 degrees. After changing to departure frequency we were given a heading of 110 degrees and clearance to 13000' MSL. At approximately 7000' we requested a turn to 130 degrees because of a cell which was on radar. The cell was showing on radar from center of scope to cover the left half of the scope on the 10 mi range. It was 6-8 mi wide, and 80% red. The departure controller denied our request for a heading change to 130 degrees. In the next transmission she said our track looked like 130 degrees. We replied we were steady on assigned heading 110 degrees. She then said, 'in that case, turn left 090 degrees.' we said 'unable due to WX.' she asked if were refusing to take the vector and did we intend to cancel IFR, that there was traffic at 1 O'clock at 11000' descending. We asked to level at 9000'. She replied unable. The traffic was descending to 8000'. At that time we were at 9000' and the radar showed we had passed the cell so we turned to the requested heading of 090 degrees and continued climbing to 13000'. While all this was transpiring the following additional comments were made: captain: 'I never heard a controller turn aircraft into a thunderstorm.' controller: 'you won't hear anything in a couple mins when you meet the other aircraft.' captain: 'you ought to coordinate with the WX man and the other controller when there are cells in this area.' controller: 'I don't tell you how to fly your aircraft. Don't tell me how to do my job.' there was no controller concerns for our dilemma about the cell we thought was too intense to fly into. In fact, her instructions following our request for a right turn away from the cell was for a left turn into it. There was not controller coordination with the sector for the descending inbound traffic which was the reason for the turn. We were denied a right turn or a level off due to traffic. We couldn't turn left due to WX. We certainly had a problem and the controller's suggestion to cancel IFR was not only unworkable, but ridiculous. Supplemental information from acn 154357: we were told that if we did not like what was happening we could phone the controling agency at the termination of our flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP ACR REFUSES TURN BECAUSE OF WX. DISPUTE OCCURS BETWEEN FLT CREW AND DEP CTLR.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ORD RWY 22L AND TURNED TO ASSIGNED HDG 140 DEGS. AFTER CHANGING TO DEP FREQ WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 110 DEGS AND CLRNC TO 13000' MSL. AT APPROX 7000' WE REQUESTED A TURN TO 130 DEGS BECAUSE OF A CELL WHICH WAS ON RADAR. THE CELL WAS SHOWING ON RADAR FROM CENTER OF SCOPE TO COVER THE LEFT HALF OF THE SCOPE ON THE 10 MI RANGE. IT WAS 6-8 MI WIDE, AND 80% RED. THE DEP CTLR DENIED OUR REQUEST FOR A HDG CHANGE TO 130 DEGS. IN THE NEXT XMISSION SHE SAID OUR TRACK LOOKED LIKE 130 DEGS. WE REPLIED WE WERE STEADY ON ASSIGNED HDG 110 DEGS. SHE THEN SAID, 'IN THAT CASE, TURN LEFT 090 DEGS.' WE SAID 'UNABLE DUE TO WX.' SHE ASKED IF WERE REFUSING TO TAKE THE VECTOR AND DID WE INTEND TO CANCEL IFR, THAT THERE WAS TFC AT 1 O'CLOCK AT 11000' DSNDING. WE ASKED TO LEVEL AT 9000'. SHE REPLIED UNABLE. THE TFC WAS DSNDING TO 8000'. AT THAT TIME WE WERE AT 9000' AND THE RADAR SHOWED WE HAD PASSED THE CELL SO WE TURNED TO THE REQUESTED HDG OF 090 DEGS AND CONTINUED CLBING TO 13000'. WHILE ALL THIS WAS TRANSPIRING THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL COMMENTS WERE MADE: CAPT: 'I NEVER HEARD A CTLR TURN ACFT INTO A TSTM.' CTLR: 'YOU WON'T HEAR ANYTHING IN A COUPLE MINS WHEN YOU MEET THE OTHER ACFT.' CAPT: 'YOU OUGHT TO COORDINATE WITH THE WX MAN AND THE OTHER CTLR WHEN THERE ARE CELLS IN THIS AREA.' CTLR: 'I DON'T TELL YOU HOW TO FLY YOUR ACFT. DON'T TELL ME HOW TO DO MY JOB.' THERE WAS NO CTLR CONCERNS FOR OUR DILEMMA ABOUT THE CELL WE THOUGHT WAS TOO INTENSE TO FLY INTO. IN FACT, HER INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING OUR REQUEST FOR A RIGHT TURN AWAY FROM THE CELL WAS FOR A LEFT TURN INTO IT. THERE WAS NOT CTLR COORD WITH THE SECTOR FOR THE DSNDING INBND TFC WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR THE TURN. WE WERE DENIED A RIGHT TURN OR A LEVEL OFF DUE TO TFC. WE COULDN'T TURN LEFT DUE TO WX. WE CERTAINLY HAD A PROB AND THE CTLR'S SUGGESTION TO CANCEL IFR WAS NOT ONLY UNWORKABLE, BUT RIDICULOUS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 154357: WE WERE TOLD THAT IF WE DID NOT LIKE WHAT WAS HAPPENING WE COULD PHONE THE CTLING AGENCY AT THE TERMINATION OF OUR FLT.

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.