Narrative:

While proceeding on a direct leg between charleston and norfolk, we asked for a deviation to the east to avoid several thunderstorms just inland of the coast. We were told that from our present position, we could only hold our heading for about 80 mi, then we would have to proceed direct norfolk. I informed the controller that that would not be possible, as there was a line of storms between us and norfolk. The tops were about our cruising altitude of FL370. We asked to proceed as requested and same as what was given. 20 mi from the cell in front, we were told to take up a heading of 340 degrees. Again we stated that was no good and it would put us in heavy WX. The controller then stated that other people had gone to the east of dixon and then north. All I can say is when we were there, there was no way we could. Then we were told that if we wanted to continue the way we needed we would have to declare an emergency as the warning areas were hot. After a few xmissions expressing our desire not to, I was told again to either declare an emergency, or go the way the controller wanted, which was into a thunderstorm!! At this time we made out a valley between 2 cells and elected to try to slip between the cells rather than declare an emergency. We asked for a turn to 030 degrees and descent to FL240. This was given to us, but was told that we would have to turn further north. We were still being vectored into the storms. We stated this to the center. While this was going on, we entered the area of the storms. We immediately got several bolts of lightning off the nose, and moderate icing and p-static so bad that we lost communications with center. From time to time we thought we may have heard center call us. This went on for about 10 mins when we did hear an airliner relay to us. We went to ZDC frequency and broke out at the same time between layers. The controller said that we had gone into the warning area while we had lost contact with center. I asked why we had to experience what had just happened to us when, had we been able to go 2 mi into the area, we would have been in the clear. The controller said that they did not have contact with the military and thus we could not use the area!! I feel this caused us to be put in a very dangerous situation. I was forced to fly in WX that I easily could have avoided if only center had a phone to the military. The warning areas did not have any WX. When severe WX is along the coast, better coordination must be had between the center and military. To have to declare an emergency in this case would have abused the system. An emergency must only be used when there really is one. The controller was not interested in the fact that he was willing to put us into a solid line of thunderstorms. Both my passenger and crew were subjected to a risk that could and should have been avoided. Never in 25 yrs of flying has anyone tried to make me declare an emergency in order to stay out of an emergency...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR MLG FLT CREW UNABLE TO TAKE VECTORS FROM ARTCC RADAR CTLR DUE WX.

Narrative: WHILE PROCEEDING ON A DIRECT LEG BTWN CHARLESTON AND NORFOLK, WE ASKED FOR A DEVIATION TO THE E TO AVOID SEVERAL TSTMS JUST INLAND OF THE COAST. WE WERE TOLD THAT FROM OUR PRESENT POS, WE COULD ONLY HOLD OUR HDG FOR ABOUT 80 MI, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO PROCEED DIRECT NORFOLK. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, AS THERE WAS A LINE OF STORMS BTWN US AND NORFOLK. THE TOPS WERE ABOUT OUR CRUISING ALT OF FL370. WE ASKED TO PROCEED AS REQUESTED AND SAME AS WHAT WAS GIVEN. 20 MI FROM THE CELL IN FRONT, WE WERE TOLD TO TAKE UP A HDG OF 340 DEGS. AGAIN WE STATED THAT WAS NO GOOD AND IT WOULD PUT US IN HEAVY WX. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD GONE TO THE E OF DIXON AND THEN N. ALL I CAN SAY IS WHEN WE WERE THERE, THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD. THEN WE WERE TOLD THAT IF WE WANTED TO CONTINUE THE WAY WE NEEDED WE WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER AS THE WARNING AREAS WERE HOT. AFTER A FEW XMISSIONS EXPRESSING OUR DESIRE NOT TO, I WAS TOLD AGAIN TO EITHER DECLARE AN EMER, OR GO THE WAY THE CTLR WANTED, WHICH WAS INTO A TSTM!! AT THIS TIME WE MADE OUT A VALLEY BTWN 2 CELLS AND ELECTED TO TRY TO SLIP BTWN THE CELLS RATHER THAN DECLARE AN EMER. WE ASKED FOR A TURN TO 030 DEGS AND DSNT TO FL240. THIS WAS GIVEN TO US, BUT WAS TOLD THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TURN FURTHER N. WE WERE STILL BEING VECTORED INTO THE STORMS. WE STATED THIS TO THE CENTER. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, WE ENTERED THE AREA OF THE STORMS. WE IMMEDIATELY GOT SEVERAL BOLTS OF LIGHTNING OFF THE NOSE, AND MODERATE ICING AND P-STATIC SO BAD THAT WE LOST COMS WITH CENTER. FROM TIME TO TIME WE THOUGHT WE MAY HAVE HEARD CENTER CALL US. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINS WHEN WE DID HEAR AN AIRLINER RELAY TO US. WE WENT TO ZDC FREQ AND BROKE OUT AT THE SAME TIME BTWN LAYERS. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD GONE INTO THE WARNING AREA WHILE WE HAD LOST CONTACT WITH CENTER. I ASKED WHY WE HAD TO EXPERIENCE WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED TO US WHEN, HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO GO 2 MI INTO THE AREA, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CLR. THE CTLR SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH THE MIL AND THUS WE COULD NOT USE THE AREA!! I FEEL THIS CAUSED US TO BE PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS FORCED TO FLY IN WX THAT I EASILY COULD HAVE AVOIDED IF ONLY CENTER HAD A PHONE TO THE MIL. THE WARNING AREAS DID NOT HAVE ANY WX. WHEN SEVERE WX IS ALONG THE COAST, BETTER COORD MUST BE HAD BTWN THE CENTER AND MIL. TO HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER IN THIS CASE WOULD HAVE ABUSED THE SYS. AN EMER MUST ONLY BE USED WHEN THERE REALLY IS ONE. THE CTLR WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT HE WAS WILLING TO PUT US INTO A SOLID LINE OF TSTMS. BOTH MY PAX AND CREW WERE SUBJECTED TO A RISK THAT COULD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. NEVER IN 25 YRS OF FLYING HAS ANYONE TRIED TO MAKE ME DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO STAY OUT OF AN EMER...

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.