Narrative:

Inbound to atl on maley 2 arrival, we began painting large thunderstorm cells on the arrival radial. We were headed southwest and the cells extended approximately 8-10 mi west of airway. We advised ZTL of our need to deviate west. The request was approved with instructions to 'stay as close to arrival as possible.' as the cell was passing off our left, we were on a heading of 260 degrees, center told us to turn left to a 180 degree heading. I told them we were unable due to cell but could turn to a 220 degree heading. Center said 'unable 220 degrees fly heading 190 degrees.' I repeated unable. At this time we passed under the cell's overhang and experienced moderate turbulence and hail. We remained on the 220 degree heading and center handed us off to approach. Atl approach told us to just proceed direct atl when able. As we did this we noted large cells approximately 15 mi east of atl that might affect our intended final approach for a west landing. At about 10 mi north of atl on a 180 degree heading, approach issued a left turn to 110 degrees. This heading would put us in the cells on final. The captain would not accept the turn. Subsequently, we were given numerous heading and altitude changes along with 3 different runway assignments. We made many xmissions to approach that went unanswered concerning our inability to fly assigned headings due to lightning, rainshafts and turbulence. Shortly after our landing, the airport changed confign to east lndgs to avoid WX on west lndgs. This was the first trip for the captain after completion of IOE. He did a good job of trying to comply with both ATC instructions and company operating procedures for WX avoidance. I feel ATC should have better WX depiction available to see intensity of storms. This might have changed airport confign sooner avoiding the problems we experienced. Of note is that the storms we avoided were reported on tv news to have spawned tornadoes and numerous house fires from the lightning strikes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC ENCOUNTERING WX ON ARR RTE IS UNABLE TO TURN AS VECTORED WITHOUT ENTERING TSTMS. EXPERIENCED TURB AND HAIL FROM OVERHANG. AFTER LNDG RWY CONFIGN CHANGED.

Narrative: INBOUND TO ATL ON MALEY 2 ARR, WE BEGAN PAINTING LARGE TSTM CELLS ON THE ARR RADIAL. WE WERE HEADED SW AND THE CELLS EXTENDED APPROX 8-10 MI W OF AIRWAY. WE ADVISED ZTL OF OUR NEED TO DEVIATE W. THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO 'STAY AS CLOSE TO ARR AS POSSIBLE.' AS THE CELL WAS PASSING OFF OUR L, WE WERE ON A HDG OF 260 DEGS, CTR TOLD US TO TURN L TO A 180 DEG HDG. I TOLD THEM WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO CELL BUT COULD TURN TO A 220 DEG HDG. CTR SAID 'UNABLE 220 DEGS FLY HDG 190 DEGS.' I REPEATED UNABLE. AT THIS TIME WE PASSED UNDER THE CELL'S OVERHANG AND EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB AND HAIL. WE REMAINED ON THE 220 DEG HDG AND CTR HANDED US OFF TO APCH. ATL APCH TOLD US TO JUST PROCEED DIRECT ATL WHEN ABLE. AS WE DID THIS WE NOTED LARGE CELLS APPROX 15 MI E OF ATL THAT MIGHT AFFECT OUR INTENDED FINAL APCH FOR A W LNDG. AT ABOUT 10 MI N OF ATL ON A 180 DEG HDG, APCH ISSUED A L TURN TO 110 DEGS. THIS HDG WOULD PUT US IN THE CELLS ON FINAL. THE CAPT WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE TURN. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WERE GIVEN NUMEROUS HDG AND ALT CHANGES ALONG WITH 3 DIFFERENT RWY ASSIGNMENTS. WE MADE MANY XMISSIONS TO APCH THAT WENT UNANSWERED CONCERNING OUR INABILITY TO FLY ASSIGNED HDGS DUE TO LIGHTNING, RAINSHAFTS AND TURB. SHORTLY AFTER OUR LNDG, THE ARPT CHANGED CONFIGN TO E LNDGS TO AVOID WX ON W LNDGS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIP FOR THE CAPT AFTER COMPLETION OF IOE. HE DID A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO COMPLY WITH BOTH ATC INSTRUCTIONS AND COMPANY OPERATING PROCS FOR WX AVOIDANCE. I FEEL ATC SHOULD HAVE BETTER WX DEPICTION AVAILABLE TO SEE INTENSITY OF STORMS. THIS MIGHT HAVE CHANGED ARPT CONFIGN SOONER AVOIDING THE PROBS WE EXPERIENCED. OF NOTE IS THAT THE STORMS WE AVOIDED WERE RPTED ON TV NEWS TO HAVE SPAWNED TORNADOES AND NUMEROUS HOUSE FIRES FROM THE LIGHTNING STRIKES.

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.