Narrative:

We took off on runway 36 at dca, flying the noise abatement departure up the potomac river. We leveled at 5000 ft and began to watch a thunderstorm cell on our radar. It ranged from about 11 to 2 O'clock and was about 15 mi ahead. Dulles departure told us to turn right to 360 degrees, which looked as though it would 'nick' the right edge of the storm, so I told them the turn looked bad. Only a 20-30 degree turn to the left would have kept us in the clear, and I was about to mention that to ATC when the controller said to turn right again, and the first officer was simultaneously saying 'yes it will work if we do it immediately.' so he started to turn and I replied to ATC that we were turning. As we completed the turn, we could see it was a mistake, as the storm was building rapidly to the right. We told ATC we would need more deviation to the right and he began to get very nervous, said we couldn't go too much further to the right. He had taken us into a blind alley. We managed to pick a route that was only light turbulence, but I was very upset at both myself and the controller afterwards -- myself because I didn't follow my instincts initially and refuse the vector in favor of an obviously better deviation to the left, and the controller for putting us in the corner that he did. I was also upset for allowing myself to be 'led' by the copilot. I am going to say something that's 'politically incorrect' here: cockpit resource management can go too far! When the chips are down and time is short, I'm going to trust my instincts that come from 25 yrs of airline flying and not let myself be 'led' by a green controller and a copilot with a third of my experience. Cockpit resource management is fine if you have the luxury of time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG ALLOWED TRACON DEP CTLR TO PUT THE ACFT INTO THE EDGE OF HVY WX.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 36 AT DCA, FLYING THE NOISE ABATEMENT DEP UP THE POTOMAC RIVER. WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT AND BEGAN TO WATCH A TSTM CELL ON OUR RADAR. IT RANGED FROM ABOUT 11 TO 2 O'CLOCK AND WAS ABOUT 15 MI AHEAD. DULLES DEP TOLD US TO TURN R TO 360 DEGS, WHICH LOOKED AS THOUGH IT WOULD 'NICK' THE R EDGE OF THE STORM, SO I TOLD THEM THE TURN LOOKED BAD. ONLY A 20-30 DEG TURN TO THE L WOULD HAVE KEPT US IN THE CLR, AND I WAS ABOUT TO MENTION THAT TO ATC WHEN THE CTLR SAID TO TURN R AGAIN, AND THE FO WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY SAYING 'YES IT WILL WORK IF WE DO IT IMMEDIATELY.' SO HE STARTED TO TURN AND I REPLIED TO ATC THAT WE WERE TURNING. AS WE COMPLETED THE TURN, WE COULD SEE IT WAS A MISTAKE, AS THE STORM WAS BUILDING RAPIDLY TO THE R. WE TOLD ATC WE WOULD NEED MORE DEV TO THE R AND HE BEGAN TO GET VERY NERVOUS, SAID WE COULDN'T GO TOO MUCH FURTHER TO THE R. HE HAD TAKEN US INTO A BLIND ALLEY. WE MANAGED TO PICK A RTE THAT WAS ONLY LIGHT TURB, BUT I WAS VERY UPSET AT BOTH MYSELF AND THE CTLR AFTERWARDS -- MYSELF BECAUSE I DIDN'T FOLLOW MY INSTINCTS INITIALLY AND REFUSE THE VECTOR IN FAVOR OF AN OBVIOUSLY BETTER DEV TO THE L, AND THE CTLR FOR PUTTING US IN THE CORNER THAT HE DID. I WAS ALSO UPSET FOR ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE 'LED' BY THE COPLT. I AM GOING TO SAY SOMETHING THAT'S 'POLITICALLY INCORRECT' HERE: COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT CAN GO TOO FAR! WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN AND TIME IS SHORT, I'M GOING TO TRUST MY INSTINCTS THAT COME FROM 25 YRS OF AIRLINE FLYING AND NOT LET MYSELF BE 'LED' BY A GREEN CTLR AND A COPLT WITH A THIRD OF MY EXPERIENCE. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT IS FINE IF YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME.

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.