Narrative:

SIGMET 2-34 151-55 31E and visual sightings indicated strong thunderstorms in area. When cleared into position we turned on the radar and the radar presentation indicated a line of very intense cells from a few mi southwest of runway 19L at iad stretching south and slightly west for an undetermined distance. We asked for and received a heading of 170 degrees after takeoff to avoid these build-ups. During our takeoff roll, I overheard tower advise the aircraft behind us that 'they' had shut off departures. We were handed off to departure. They asked if we could turn right and we said we were unable due to WX. We were passed over to approach control somewhere after reaching 14000. We were given a climb to (I think) 21000 and again asked to turn right to a heading of 220 degrees. We said unable due WX. Controller said to level at 19000 and either turn right to 220 degrees or declare a WX emergency. I told the first officer to say we could go to 195 degrees but no farther. He told us to level at 18000 and turn right immediately to 270 degrees or declare WX emergency. I thought I saw a small hole and started turn, but this disappeared into solid red area with very steep gradient. I leveled wings and told first officer to declare a WX emergency. First transmission was blocked but second transmission got through. About this time we received a TA. Traffic appeared on scope and an RA came up, but before I could respond we had a 'clear of traffic' on TCASII. Soon after we were told to switch frequencys. This was the rock and the hard place scenario. The time frame seemed very short -- 45 seconds to a min -- but may have been longer. I feel that, due to the segmented structure of control, we were given the impression we could avoid this very hazardous WX, and then told to fly through it. The controller, it appeared, was given a situation with very little maneuvering space and little time to deal with it. We were presented with 2 choices, both hazardous, and with even less time to decide. With fast moving hazardous WX and high traffic volume, keep the aircraft on the ground. Had I known ahead of time the restrictions that would be placed on us, I would, of course, have taken other actions. Supplemental information from acn 239214: we again repeated that we were declaring a WX emergency at which time the controller said maintain a heading of 195 degrees (which we were now on) and maintain FL180. We were then issued traffic at 11-12 O'clock descending out of FL190 for FL180 on 170 (I'm not quite sure of these altitudes). The controller continued to issue this traffic with a very alarmed and excited manner. We then picked up this traffic on TCASII with a TA followed by a climb command and then followed by clear of traffic. We were in IMC conditions but judging from the TCASII display, this traffic passed off to our left 2-3 mi at almost the same altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG ACR ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED TRACK AND DECLARED A WX EMER. POTENTIAL CONFLICT LTSS.

Narrative: SIGMET 2-34 151-55 31E AND VISUAL SIGHTINGS INDICATED STRONG TSTMS IN AREA. WHEN CLRED INTO POS WE TURNED ON THE RADAR AND THE RADAR PRESENTATION INDICATED A LINE OF VERY INTENSE CELLS FROM A FEW MI SW OF RWY 19L AT IAD STRETCHING S AND SLIGHTLY W FOR AN UNDETERMINED DISTANCE. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A HDG OF 170 DEGS AFTER TKOF TO AVOID THESE BUILD-UPS. DURING OUR TKOF ROLL, I OVERHEARD TWR ADVISE THE ACFT BEHIND US THAT 'THEY' HAD SHUT OFF DEPS. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP. THEY ASKED IF WE COULD TURN R AND WE SAID WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO WX. WE WERE PASSED OVER TO APCH CTL SOMEWHERE AFTER REACHING 14000. WE WERE GIVEN A CLB TO (I THINK) 21000 AND AGAIN ASKED TO TURN R TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS. WE SAID UNABLE DUE WX. CTLR SAID TO LEVEL AT 19000 AND EITHER TURN R TO 220 DEGS OR DECLARE A WX EMER. I TOLD THE FO TO SAY WE COULD GO TO 195 DEGS BUT NO FARTHER. HE TOLD US TO LEVEL AT 18000 AND TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO 270 DEGS OR DECLARE WX EMER. I THOUGHT I SAW A SMALL HOLE AND STARTED TURN, BUT THIS DISAPPEARED INTO SOLID RED AREA WITH VERY STEEP GRADIENT. I LEVELED WINGS AND TOLD FO TO DECLARE A WX EMER. FIRST XMISSION WAS BLOCKED BUT SECOND XMISSION GOT THROUGH. ABOUT THIS TIME WE RECEIVED A TA. TFC APPEARED ON SCOPE AND AN RA CAME UP, BUT BEFORE I COULD RESPOND WE HAD A 'CLR OF TFC' ON TCASII. SOON AFTER WE WERE TOLD TO SWITCH FREQS. THIS WAS THE ROCK AND THE HARD PLACE SCENARIO. THE TIME FRAME SEEMED VERY SHORT -- 45 SECONDS TO A MIN -- BUT MAY HAVE BEEN LONGER. I FEEL THAT, DUE TO THE SEGMENTED STRUCTURE OF CTL, WE WERE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION WE COULD AVOID THIS VERY HAZARDOUS WX, AND THEN TOLD TO FLY THROUGH IT. THE CTLR, IT APPEARED, WAS GIVEN A SIT WITH VERY LITTLE MANEUVERING SPACE AND LITTLE TIME TO DEAL WITH IT. WE WERE PRESENTED WITH 2 CHOICES, BOTH HAZARDOUS, AND WITH EVEN LESS TIME TO DECIDE. WITH FAST MOVING HAZARDOUS WX AND HIGH TFC VOLUME, KEEP THE ACFT ON THE GND. HAD I KNOWN AHEAD OF TIME THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD BE PLACED ON US, I WOULD, OF COURSE, HAVE TAKEN OTHER ACTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 239214: WE AGAIN REPEATED THAT WE WERE DECLARING A WX EMER AT WHICH TIME THE CTLR SAID MAINTAIN A HDG OF 195 DEGS (WHICH WE WERE NOW ON) AND MAINTAIN FL180. WE WERE THEN ISSUED TFC AT 11-12 O'CLOCK DSNDING OUT OF FL190 FOR FL180 ON 170 (I'M NOT QUITE SURE OF THESE ALTS). THE CTLR CONTINUED TO ISSUE THIS TFC WITH A VERY ALARMED AND EXCITED MANNER. WE THEN PICKED UP THIS TFC ON TCASII WITH A TA FOLLOWED BY A CLB COMMAND AND THEN FOLLOWED BY CLR OF TFC. WE WERE IN IMC CONDITIONS BUT JUDGING FROM THE TCASII DISPLAY, THIS TFC PASSED OFF TO OUR L 2-3 MI AT ALMOST THE SAME ALT.

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.