Narrative:

After switching from ZBW to ZNY, the first ZNY controller we spoke with rerted us as follows because of WX: radar vectors cyn, V1 to intercept V-268 balance. We were in the clear at the time, and it appeared that our filed routing would keep us in the clear and behind most of the frontal activity. It also appeared that the rerte would take us through the frontal activity showing clearly on our radar. Accordingly, the captain (I was first officer and flying) questioned ZNY about the rerte and pointed out that our filed routing would keep us in the clear. The only precipitation we were showing at that time on our radar was a scattered area about 150 mi from our position, northeast of our destination, bwi. After a courteous and relaxed discussion, ZNY approved our request to stay on our original route. As we approached mxe, descending to FL190, the area of precipitation we had seen earlier appeared to be growing and was located just to the north of V378 south of mxe. At this time we were switched to another ZNY controller. The captain requested permission to stay on our present heading of 235 degrees after passing mxe, the airway radial was 245 degrees. We were now in clouds, and in and out of precipitation. The controller's response to the captain's request was unreadable, presumably because of precipitation static. The captain told him again of our deviation, 10 degrees left, and said his last transmission had been unreadable. Presumably on a backup transmitter, the controller ordered us to make an immediate right turn to 320 degrees. This heading, 75 degrees to the right of our filed airway routing and 85 degrees from our present heading, would have taken us directly into a red area shown on our WX radar. The captain declined the heading. The controller told us to squawk emergency, 7700, on our transponder. Simultaneously we were able to start turning back toward the airway. The captain advised him of this, and he told us to return to a normal squawk and turn to 270 degrees when able. We were able at this time to fly 270 degrees without going through any hazardous looking WX as shown on our radar. The captain questioned the controller about his instructions to squawk emergency and turn into a thunderstorm. The controller answered that a previous controller had told us that no southerly deviations would be allowed. This was incorrect -- no such instruction had been given. The controller said it was a handoff problem with ZDC. There was no mention of any traffic conflict. We never did talk with ZDC, but were handed off directly to bwi approach control, which promptly cleared us direct to balance. Our IRS navigation indicated that when the conflict between our operational requirements and ZNY's needs began, we were 3.3 NM south of our filed route, with only a 10 degree left deviation which we needed to maintain for perhaps 1 or 2 mins. Also, by going south of the WX, we were making the smallest course deviation around it. The crux of the problem was the ZNY controller's understanding that we had been told 'no south deviations,' when in fact we hadn't been told this. Contributing was the rigidity of a system which produced what appeared in our cockpit to be a virtual panic reaction -- instructions to turn into a thunderstorm and squawk emergency -- not because of any conflict with other aircraft, but because of our approaching a point, in the controller's words, 'within 2.5 mi' of ZDC airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED HDG DUE TO WX.

Narrative: AFTER SWITCHING FROM ZBW TO ZNY, THE FIRST ZNY CTLR WE SPOKE WITH RERTED US AS FOLLOWS BECAUSE OF WX: RADAR VECTORS CYN, V1 TO INTERCEPT V-268 BAL. WE WERE IN THE CLR AT THE TIME, AND IT APPEARED THAT OUR FILED ROUTING WOULD KEEP US IN THE CLR AND BEHIND MOST OF THE FRONTAL ACTIVITY. IT ALSO APPEARED THAT THE RERTE WOULD TAKE US THROUGH THE FRONTAL ACTIVITY SHOWING CLRLY ON OUR RADAR. ACCORDINGLY, THE CAPT (I WAS FO AND FLYING) QUESTIONED ZNY ABOUT THE RERTE AND POINTED OUT THAT OUR FILED ROUTING WOULD KEEP US IN THE CLR. THE ONLY PRECIPITATION WE WERE SHOWING AT THAT TIME ON OUR RADAR WAS A SCATTERED AREA ABOUT 150 MI FROM OUR POS, NE OF OUR DEST, BWI. AFTER A COURTEOUS AND RELAXED DISCUSSION, ZNY APPROVED OUR REQUEST TO STAY ON OUR ORIGINAL RTE. AS WE APCHED MXE, DSNDING TO FL190, THE AREA OF PRECIPITATION WE HAD SEEN EARLIER APPEARED TO BE GROWING AND WAS LOCATED JUST TO THE N OF V378 S OF MXE. AT THIS TIME WE WERE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER ZNY CTLR. THE CAPT REQUESTED PERMISSION TO STAY ON OUR PRESENT HDG OF 235 DEGS AFTER PASSING MXE, THE AIRWAY RADIAL WAS 245 DEGS. WE WERE NOW IN CLOUDS, AND IN AND OUT OF PRECIPITATION. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE TO THE CAPT'S REQUEST WAS UNREADABLE, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF PRECIPITATION STATIC. THE CAPT TOLD HIM AGAIN OF OUR DEV, 10 DEGS L, AND SAID HIS LAST XMISSION HAD BEEN UNREADABLE. PRESUMABLY ON A BACKUP XMITTER, THE CTLR ORDERED US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 320 DEGS. THIS HDG, 75 DEGS TO THE R OF OUR FILED AIRWAY ROUTING AND 85 DEGS FROM OUR PRESENT HDG, WOULD HAVE TAKEN US DIRECTLY INTO A RED AREA SHOWN ON OUR WX RADAR. THE CAPT DECLINED THE HDG. THE CTLR TOLD US TO SQUAWK EMER, 7700, ON OUR XPONDER. SIMULTANEOUSLY WE WERE ABLE TO START TURNING BACK TOWARD THE AIRWAY. THE CAPT ADVISED HIM OF THIS, AND HE TOLD US TO RETURN TO A NORMAL SQUAWK AND TURN TO 270 DEGS WHEN ABLE. WE WERE ABLE AT THIS TIME TO FLY 270 DEGS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ANY HAZARDOUS LOOKING WX AS SHOWN ON OUR RADAR. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO SQUAWK EMER AND TURN INTO A TSTM. THE CTLR ANSWERED THAT A PREVIOUS CTLR HAD TOLD US THAT NO SOUTHERLY DEVS WOULD BE ALLOWED. THIS WAS INCORRECT -- NO SUCH INSTRUCTION HAD BEEN GIVEN. THE CTLR SAID IT WAS A HDOF PROB WITH ZDC. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY TFC CONFLICT. WE NEVER DID TALK WITH ZDC, BUT WERE HANDED OFF DIRECTLY TO BWI APCH CTL, WHICH PROMPTLY CLRED US DIRECT TO BAL. OUR IRS NAV INDICATED THAT WHEN THE CONFLICT BTWN OUR OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ZNY'S NEEDS BEGAN, WE WERE 3.3 NM S OF OUR FILED RTE, WITH ONLY A 10 DEG L DEV WHICH WE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN FOR PERHAPS 1 OR 2 MINS. ALSO, BY GOING S OF THE WX, WE WERE MAKING THE SMALLEST COURSE DEV AROUND IT. THE CRUX OF THE PROB WAS THE ZNY CTLR'S UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD 'NO S DEVS,' WHEN IN FACT WE HADN'T BEEN TOLD THIS. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE RIGIDITY OF A SYS WHICH PRODUCED WHAT APPEARED IN OUR COCKPIT TO BE A VIRTUAL PANIC REACTION -- INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN INTO A TSTM AND SQUAWK EMER -- NOT BECAUSE OF ANY CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR APCHING A POINT, IN THE CTLR'S WORDS, 'WITHIN 2.5 MI' OF ZDC AIRSPACE.

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.