Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation avoiding thunderstorm buildups in atl TCA...

Attributes
ACN	185585
Time
Date	199108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	185585
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8500
ASRS Report	185316
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During approach to atlanta with multiple severe thunderstorms close to the airport, TRACON vectored us to localizer and cleared us for approach. We could see on radar a level 3 thunderstorm directly on localizer path. We told approach that we would not go through that cell. They told us to turn to 180 degree heading. As soon as we got turned toward that assigned heading, we could see on radar that they were vectoring us into an even more severe thunderstorm only 5 mi away. I asked more than once for a turn to the west. The controller would not answer my calls. We deviated towards the west to about 215 degree to avoid the cell. The controller then gave a 270 degree heading to us. On the ground I was told to call TRACON. The supervisor told me my deviation brought us within 2 mi of an aircraft behind us. I told him it was unavoidable because his controller put us on a heading that could have damaged or possibly crashed our aircraft. In summary, I feel that TRACON should have held all aircraft until the WX moved away from the airport. They could have lost an aircraft on that approach in that WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HDG DEV AVOIDING TSTM BUILDUPS IN ATL TCA.

Narrative: DURING APCH TO ATLANTA WITH MULTIPLE SEVERE TSTMS CLOSE TO THE ARPT, TRACON VECTORED US TO LOC AND CLRED US FOR APCH. WE COULD SEE ON RADAR A LEVEL 3 TSTM DIRECTLY ON LOC PATH. WE TOLD APCH THAT WE WOULD NOT GO THROUGH THAT CELL. THEY TOLD US TO TURN TO 180 DEG HDG. AS SOON AS WE GOT TURNED TOWARD THAT ASSIGNED HDG, WE COULD SEE ON RADAR THAT THEY WERE VECTORING US INTO AN EVEN MORE SEVERE TSTM ONLY 5 MI AWAY. I ASKED MORE THAN ONCE FOR A TURN TO THE W. THE CTLR WOULD NOT ANSWER MY CALLS. WE DEVIATED TOWARDS THE W TO ABOUT 215 DEG TO AVOID THE CELL. THE CTLR THEN GAVE A 270 DEG HDG TO US. ON THE GND I WAS TOLD TO CALL TRACON. THE SUPVR TOLD ME MY DEV BROUGHT US WITHIN 2 MI OF AN ACFT BEHIND US. I TOLD HIM IT WAS UNAVOIDABLE BECAUSE HIS CTLR PUT US ON A HDG THAT COULD HAVE DAMAGED OR POSSIBLY CRASHED OUR ACFT. IN SUMMARY, I FEEL THAT TRACON SHOULD HAVE HELD ALL ACFT UNTIL THE WX MOVED AWAY FROM THE ARPT. THEY COULD HAVE LOST AN ACFT ON THAT APCH IN THAT WX.

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.