Narrative:

Clearance: buchanan 7, pitts transition, manteca as filed. Situation: a runway 19R departure from concord to the concord VOR was made followed by a right turn to intercept the pitts transition (V108). The WX was broken and layered with clouds obscuring our forward visibility. During the turn eastbound, our radar showed a red mass 3-6 mi ahead, and estimated to be 3-5 mi wide. The WX was approximately pitts intersection. This WX was imbedded in the clouds and of undetermined vertical development. A thunderstorm with a top of 350 was reported in the sacramento area. Observations on the ground indicated shower activity was moving northeast. Initial departure contact was made with travis approach followed by stockton approach at approximately pitts. The first officer was talking on the radio. A deviation to the right of course was requested. Travis told us to 'stand by.' a second urgent request for the WX deviation was made. 'Stand by' was the reply. The first officer said we need and would deviation. Travis handed us off to stockton approach. Of course, stockton took issue with this without any help in WX avoidance. An emergency was not declared. I do not believe we had more than 1 DOT deviation of the concord 071 degree radial, and that was caused by the turn to manteca. The first officer reported we were deviating when we were proceeding direct manteca. The cause of the problem appears to be travis approach's priorities. Both travis and stockton failed to pay attention to the most pressing needs a WX cell presented me. The ATC handoff had a higher priority than safety. A deviation or another alternative was not offered. As we didn't experience turbulence beyond light chop, I have wondered if we overreacted to what we had seen on the radar. A controller needs to help solve problems in a way that doesn't endanger any aircraft. Give us options. The airspace needs to be designed such that the controller has options to help the pilot cope with WX problems. If I had thought more quickly, I could have suggested options, but I doubt they would have been considered. Pilot training in handling the circumstances I have tried to describe could be an answer. Arrogance has no place in the cockpit or at an ATC facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT REQUESTS WX AVOIDANCE DEV FROM TRACON.

Narrative: CLRNC: BUCHANAN 7, PITTS TRANSITION, MANTECA AS FILED. SIT: A RWY 19R DEP FROM CONCORD TO THE CONCORD VOR WAS MADE FOLLOWED BY A R TURN TO INTERCEPT THE PITTS TRANSITION (V108). THE WX WAS BROKEN AND LAYERED WITH CLOUDS OBSCURING OUR FORWARD VISIBILITY. DURING THE TURN EBOUND, OUR RADAR SHOWED A RED MASS 3-6 MI AHEAD, AND ESTIMATED TO BE 3-5 MI WIDE. THE WX WAS APPROX PITTS INTXN. THIS WX WAS IMBEDDED IN THE CLOUDS AND OF UNDETERMINED VERT DEVELOPMENT. A TSTM WITH A TOP OF 350 WAS RPTED IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA. OBSERVATIONS ON THE GND INDICATED SHOWER ACTIVITY WAS MOVING NE. INITIAL DEP CONTACT WAS MADE WITH TRAVIS APCH FOLLOWED BY STOCKTON APCH AT APPROX PITTS. THE FO WAS TALKING ON THE RADIO. A DEV TO THE R OF COURSE WAS REQUESTED. TRAVIS TOLD US TO 'STAND BY.' A SECOND URGENT REQUEST FOR THE WX DEV WAS MADE. 'STAND BY' WAS THE REPLY. THE FO SAID WE NEED AND WOULD DEV. TRAVIS HANDED US OFF TO STOCKTON APCH. OF COURSE, STOCKTON TOOK ISSUE WITH THIS WITHOUT ANY HELP IN WX AVOIDANCE. AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED. I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAD MORE THAN 1 DOT DEV OF THE CONCORD 071 DEG RADIAL, AND THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE TURN TO MANTECA. THE FO RPTED WE WERE DEVIATING WHEN WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT MANTECA. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB APPEARS TO BE TRAVIS APCH'S PRIORITIES. BOTH TRAVIS AND STOCKTON FAILED TO PAY ATTN TO THE MOST PRESSING NEEDS A WX CELL PRESENTED ME. THE ATC HDOF HAD A HIGHER PRIORITY THAN SAFETY. A DEV OR ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE WAS NOT OFFERED. AS WE DIDN'T EXPERIENCE TURB BEYOND LIGHT CHOP, I HAVE WONDERED IF WE OVERREACTED TO WHAT WE HAD SEEN ON THE RADAR. A CTLR NEEDS TO HELP SOLVE PROBS IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T ENDANGER ANY ACFT. GIVE US OPTIONS. THE AIRSPACE NEEDS TO BE DESIGNED SUCH THAT THE CTLR HAS OPTIONS TO HELP THE PLT COPE WITH WX PROBS. IF I HAD THOUGHT MORE QUICKLY, I COULD HAVE SUGGESTED OPTIONS, BUT I DOUBT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED. PLT TRAINING IN HANDLING THE CIRCUMSTANCES I HAVE TRIED TO DESCRIBE COULD BE AN ANSWER. ARROGANCE HAS NO PLACE IN THE COCKPIT OR AT AN ATC FACILITY.

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.