Narrative:

On the rome arrival into atl we were told by the controller to cross dalas at 14000 ft. There were several isolated thunderstorms along the arrival. There was 1 isolated cell on the arrival approximately 5 NM east of dalas. Captain contacted approach and said we needed to deviate south of course to a heading of 155. Approach control said turn to heading 145 (the 145 heading would have directed us into the isolated cell). As we approached the isolated cell the captain said we needed to come further right to a heading of 170. Approach controller said, 'I am not authorizing that turn'. At that time, I turned the aircraft to a 170 heading, at the captain's request, for approximately 2 mins to avoid the isolated cell and then turned back to a 145 degree heading. As I turned back to 145 degree heading, the captain tried to contact approach control and tell them we could accept a turn back to the north. After 3 attempts to call, approach control said to turn to 130 degree heading. Rest of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG APCHING ATL NEEDED TO DEVIATE COURSE TO AVOID SMALL CELL. APCH CTLR UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE. FLC AVOIDED THE CELL THEN RETURNED TO COURSE AND HDG.

Narrative: ON THE ROME ARR INTO ATL WE WERE TOLD BY THE CTLR TO CROSS DALAS AT 14000 FT. THERE WERE SEVERAL ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG THE ARR. THERE WAS 1 ISOLATED CELL ON THE ARR APPROX 5 NM E OF DALAS. CAPT CONTACTED APCH AND SAID WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE S OF COURSE TO A HDG OF 155. APCH CTL SAID TURN TO HDG 145 (THE 145 HDG WOULD HAVE DIRECTED US INTO THE ISOLATED CELL). AS WE APCHED THE ISOLATED CELL THE CAPT SAID WE NEEDED TO COME FURTHER R TO A HDG OF 170. APCH CTLR SAID, 'I AM NOT AUTHORIZING THAT TURN'. AT THAT TIME, I TURNED THE ACFT TO A 170 HDG, AT THE CAPT'S REQUEST, FOR APPROX 2 MINS TO AVOID THE ISOLATED CELL AND THEN TURNED BACK TO A 145 DEG HDG. AS I TURNED BACK TO 145 DEG HDG, THE CAPT TRIED TO CONTACT APCH CTL AND TELL THEM WE COULD ACCEPT A TURN BACK TO THE N. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS TO CALL, APCH CTL SAID TO TURN TO 130 DEG HDG. REST 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.