Narrative:

Greensboro departure cleared us to climb to 10000 ft, then gave us a heading pointing us at a level 3 cell as shown on our radar. We could see the cell visually. Its top was at least 25000 ft. Approximately 50 NM southeast of the cell, I called gso departure to inform them we'd need a turn toward the right. They did not respond -- apparently busy. At 30 NM from the cell, I called again and said we'd need a higher altitude and a heading change for WX ahead. They responded by sending us over to ZDC and telling us 'unable.' tried to contact ZDC on the frequency gso approach gave us and found out it was the wrong sector. After about 30 seconds he came back with the right frequency. Now we were 10 NM from the level 3 cell at 10000 ft MSL. (We should have slowed down by this point but that hadn't occurred to us as we kept thinking we'd make contact with a controller and we'd get a turn.) contacted ZDC by saying 'ZDC, this is air carrier X at 10000 ft and we need a right turn immediately for WX ahead.' no response. The captain and I are getting pretty upset by this time and we agree that we are absolutely not flying into this level 3 cell WX. One last time I tried by saying 'this is air carrier X at 10000 ft and we are now turning right to 360 degrees.' no response, although I can hear the guy talking to other aircraft. I knew there was no problem with our radios because we had been transmitting and receiving ok up to this point. We turned to our self-chosen WX avoidance heading. A few moments later the controller called us and cleared us higher. I told him our heading was for WX avoidance and that we'd need a new heading soon for more cells ahead. But he was obviously overloaded. The same scenario repeated itself and we ended up taking a new heading. This guy was so overloaded he didn't seem to notice. We should have declared an emergency before we turned -- that would've gotten his attention in both incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X EMER WX AVOIDANCE NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: GREENSBORO DEP CLRED US TO CLB TO 10000 FT, THEN GAVE US A HDG POINTING US AT A LEVEL 3 CELL AS SHOWN ON OUR RADAR. WE COULD SEE THE CELL VISUALLY. ITS TOP WAS AT LEAST 25000 FT. APPROX 50 NM SE OF THE CELL, I CALLED GSO DEP TO INFORM THEM WE'D NEED A TURN TOWARD THE R. THEY DID NOT RESPOND -- APPARENTLY BUSY. AT 30 NM FROM THE CELL, I CALLED AGAIN AND SAID WE'D NEED A HIGHER ALT AND A HDG CHANGE FOR WX AHEAD. THEY RESPONDED BY SENDING US OVER TO ZDC AND TELLING US 'UNABLE.' TRIED TO CONTACT ZDC ON THE FREQ GSO APCH GAVE US AND FOUND OUT IT WAS THE WRONG SECTOR. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS HE CAME BACK WITH THE RIGHT FREQ. NOW WE WERE 10 NM FROM THE LEVEL 3 CELL AT 10000 FT MSL. (WE SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN BY THIS POINT BUT THAT HADN'T OCCURRED TO US AS WE KEPT THINKING WE'D MAKE CONTACT WITH A CTLR AND WE'D GET A TURN.) CONTACTED ZDC BY SAYING 'ZDC, THIS IS ACR X AT 10000 FT AND WE NEED A R TURN IMMEDIATELY FOR WX AHEAD.' NO RESPONSE. THE CAPT AND I ARE GETTING PRETTY UPSET BY THIS TIME AND WE AGREE THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT FLYING INTO THIS LEVEL 3 CELL WX. ONE LAST TIME I TRIED BY SAYING 'THIS IS ACR X AT 10000 FT AND WE ARE NOW TURNING R TO 360 DEGS.' NO RESPONSE, ALTHOUGH I CAN HEAR THE GUY TALKING TO OTHER ACFT. I KNEW THERE WAS NO PROB WITH OUR RADIOS BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN XMITTING AND RECEIVING OK UP TO THIS POINT. WE TURNED TO OUR SELF-CHOSEN WX AVOIDANCE HDG. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE CTLR CALLED US AND CLRED US HIGHER. I TOLD HIM OUR HDG WAS FOR WX AVOIDANCE AND THAT WE'D NEED A NEW HDG SOON FOR MORE CELLS AHEAD. BUT HE WAS OBVIOUSLY OVERLOADED. THE SAME SCENARIO REPEATED ITSELF AND WE ENDED UP TAKING A NEW HDG. THIS GUY WAS SO OVERLOADED HE DIDN'T SEEM TO NOTICE. WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER BEFORE WE TURNED -- THAT WOULD'VE GOTTEN HIS ATTN IN BOTH INCIDENTS.

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.