Narrative:

We were descending into dfw. There were twring cumulus and a line of thunderstorms. We were told to descend to FL240. Looking at the WX ahead we could see how we could navigation the WX but needed to delay the descent. We were heading in bpr VOR at the time. Center then gave us a 120 degree heading change paralleling the WX. That was ok. They said it was vectors for WX and spacing over bpr. We asked for the acton arrival and waiver denied! We were told we were going to have to go in on bpr. We understood that we were going south to descend and then have to go through the WX according to center. Rather than go to a worse position to cross the WX we asked to go northeast to pick our way around the WX, they approved. Not once did the controller make clear his intentions for us. Upon approaching the WX we made a 180 degree turn and passed behind the line of WX on center vectors then direct bpr. The controller was overloaded, not clear in his intentions and we made our decisions on what he was going to do (take us over bpr) and the WX. He was too busy to clearly state what he wanted us to do. The denial of the acton arrival led us to believe they were not going to let us go around the end of the WX. Busy center, WX, miscom are the factors involved here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC PLT REQUEST DENIED IN WX AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS AND ALLEGED COM PROBS WITH CTR CTLR. TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO DFW. THERE WERE TWRING CUMULUS AND A LINE OF TSTMS. WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO FL240. LOOKING AT THE WX AHEAD WE COULD SEE HOW WE COULD NAV THE WX BUT NEEDED TO DELAY THE DSCNT. WE WERE HDG IN BPR VOR AT THE TIME. CTR THEN GAVE US A 120 DEG HDG CHANGE PARALLELING THE WX. THAT WAS OK. THEY SAID IT WAS VECTORS FOR WX AND SPACING OVER BPR. WE ASKED FOR THE ACTON ARR AND WAIVER DENIED! WE WERE TOLD WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO GO IN ON BPR. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE GOING S TO DSND AND THEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WX ACCORDING TO CTR. RATHER THAN GO TO A WORSE POS TO CROSS THE WX WE ASKED TO GO NE TO PICK OUR WAY AROUND THE WX, THEY APPROVED. NOT ONCE DID THE CTLR MAKE CLR HIS INTENTIONS FOR US. UPON APCHING THE WX WE MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND PASSED BEHIND THE LINE OF WX ON CTR VECTORS THEN DIRECT BPR. THE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED, NOT CLR IN HIS INTENTIONS AND WE MADE OUR DECISIONS ON WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO (TAKE US OVER BPR) AND THE WX. HE WAS TOO BUSY TO CLRLY STATE WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO. THE DENIAL OF THE ACTON ARR LED US TO BELIEVE THEY WERE NOT GOING TO LET US GO AROUND THE END OF THE WX. BUSY CTR, WX, MISCOM ARE THE FACTORS INVOLVED HERE.

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.