Narrative:

There were lines of thunderstorms in the atl area with warnings, etc. On our taxi out air carrier X saw a line running roughly east/west just south of the airport, less than 20 NM. We had no interest in its eastern edge as departures were westerly and our destination was south of atl. We could see a definite end to the WX 50 NM southwest of atl and had discussed that plan to avoid the line, which looked solid on the aircraft radar with large red echoes and visually we saw cloud to ground lightening. Takeoff clearance was received with a 250 degree heading at the MM. After the turn and switch to departure control, X asked for 10 degrees left to avoid an isolated cell, and later 10 degrees more left. The response to that request was to come all the way around to 160 degrees. Since the line had looked solid prior to takeoff we rejected the turn. Departure said that he had 6 aircraft going through a hole with no problems. We turned, and on roll out I could not see any way through the line free of 'red' contour. We asked to turn back west and were told 'no.' we protested and were told the hole was 10 NM wide. We were told to turn further left to 130 degrees which also looked bad on our scope and again requested a turn west, which was declined. I then took the microphone and asked if I would have to declare an emergency to get the turn west. A different voice cleared us to turn to 270 degrees. Our flight remained clear of clouds, turbulence, and went 50 NM southwest of atl as we had initially planned. Later ZTL asked if our emergency was over. I told them that we had not declared an emergency, but had asked if that would be required to get a vector clear of WX. It was not intended as a threat, but a query as to what was needed to get our turn. Lastly, a 10 mi hold may look large on a ground based slope, but that puts the aircraft within 5 NM of severe WX. The dynamics of thunderstorms do not allow us that option.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X REFUSED CLRNC FOR WX AVOIDANCE.

Narrative: THERE WERE LINES OF TSTMS IN THE ATL AREA WITH WARNINGS, ETC. ON OUR TAXI OUT ACR X SAW A LINE RUNNING ROUGHLY E/W JUST S OF THE ARPT, LESS THAN 20 NM. WE HAD NO INTEREST IN ITS EASTERN EDGE AS DEPS WERE WESTERLY AND OUR DEST WAS S OF ATL. WE COULD SEE A DEFINITE END TO THE WX 50 NM SW OF ATL AND HAD DISCUSSED THAT PLAN TO AVOID THE LINE, WHICH LOOKED SOLID ON THE ACFT RADAR WITH LARGE RED ECHOES AND VISUALLY WE SAW CLOUD TO GND LIGHTENING. TKOF CLRNC WAS RECEIVED WITH A 250 DEG HDG AT THE MM. AFTER THE TURN AND SWITCH TO DEP CTL, X ASKED FOR 10 DEGS L TO AVOID AN ISOLATED CELL, AND LATER 10 DEGS MORE L. THE RESPONSE TO THAT REQUEST WAS TO COME ALL THE WAY AROUND TO 160 DEGS. SINCE THE LINE HAD LOOKED SOLID PRIOR TO TKOF WE REJECTED THE TURN. DEP SAID THAT HE HAD 6 ACFT GOING THROUGH A HOLE WITH NO PROBS. WE TURNED, AND ON ROLL OUT I COULD NOT SEE ANY WAY THROUGH THE LINE FREE OF 'RED' CONTOUR. WE ASKED TO TURN BACK W AND WERE TOLD 'NO.' WE PROTESTED AND WERE TOLD THE HOLE WAS 10 NM WIDE. WE WERE TOLD TO TURN FURTHER L TO 130 DEGS WHICH ALSO LOOKED BAD ON OUR SCOPE AND AGAIN REQUESTED A TURN W, WHICH WAS DECLINED. I THEN TOOK THE MIKE AND ASKED IF I WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER TO GET THE TURN W. A DIFFERENT VOICE CLRED US TO TURN TO 270 DEGS. OUR FLT REMAINED CLR OF CLOUDS, TURB, AND WENT 50 NM SW OF ATL AS WE HAD INITIALLY PLANNED. LATER ZTL ASKED IF OUR EMER WAS OVER. I TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER, BUT HAD ASKED IF THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GET A VECTOR CLR OF WX. IT WAS NOT INTENDED AS A THREAT, BUT A QUERY AS TO WHAT WAS NEEDED TO GET OUR TURN. LASTLY, A 10 MI HOLD MAY LOOK LARGE ON A GND BASED SLOPE, BUT THAT PUTS THE ACFT WITHIN 5 NM OF SEVERE WX. THE DYNAMICS OF TSTMS DO NOT ALLOW US THAT OPTION.

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.