Narrative:

We departed runway 26R at atl at XA45 local. At takeoff, there were thunderstorms to the west, north, and east of the atl airport, and there were windshear alerts with periodic microburst warnings. During departure, we requested vectors to avoid build-ups, coming no closer than 5 NM. Departure control required us to level at 10000 ft MSL, and then switched us to ZTL who authority/authorized a climb to 12000 ft MSL, where we were in the tops of the WX, and still avoiding the larger build-ups. We were experiencing continuous light chop and heard other aircraft on frequency reporting light to moderate turbulence up to FL210. As a result of the turbulence, at 10000 ft we accelerated from 250 KIAS to 280 KIAS (flight manual published turbulence penetration airspeed) and maintained this speed during our immediate leveloff. We were not allowed to climb above 12000 ft due to jet traffic ahead of us at 14000 ft which was being displayed on TCASII. Although we were initially cleared direct gqo, ZTL provided numerous vectors from 330 degrees to 020 degrees because of traffic (we assumed the 14000 ft traffic ahead). In the vicinity of gqo we were given a change to a second ZTL frequency. Shortly after checking on, this controller asked us if we had advised the previous controller we were slowing down. He was told we had never slowed down, but rather had maintained a speed of 280 KIAS for turbulence. He did not request an airspeed change. A short time later we received a call from our flight control dispatcher asking what had happened, that he had received a complaint from ATC complaining we had backed up the whole system. Observations: 1) the WX in the area was unforecast and both departure control and center controllers appeared to be task saturated. 2) the first ZTL controller never questioned our airspeed and neither controller asked us to change airspds. 3) I believe ZTL may have idented the wrong aircraft. I fail to see how we could have backed the traffic up when we were in fact being held down and vectored for traffic ahead of us. Recommendations: if a controller has separation problems, he/she should communicate with affected aircraft in a timely manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 ACFT RECEIVING VECTORS AROUND WX WAS NOTIFIED BY COMPANY DISPATCH THAT ATC HAD COMPLAINED THAT THEIR SPD OF 280 KTS HAD BACKED UP TFC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED RWY 26R AT ATL AT XA45 LCL. AT TKOF, THERE WERE TSTMS TO THE W, N, AND E OF THE ATL ARPT, AND THERE WERE WINDSHEAR ALERTS WITH PERIODIC MICROBURST WARNINGS. DURING DEP, WE REQUESTED VECTORS TO AVOID BUILD-UPS, COMING NO CLOSER THAN 5 NM. DEP CTL REQUIRED US TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT MSL, AND THEN SWITCHED US TO ZTL WHO AUTH A CLB TO 12000 FT MSL, WHERE WE WERE IN THE TOPS OF THE WX, AND STILL AVOIDING THE LARGER BUILD-UPS. WE WERE EXPERIENCING CONTINUOUS LIGHT CHOP AND HEARD OTHER ACFT ON FREQ RPTING LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB UP TO FL210. AS A RESULT OF THE TURB, AT 10000 FT WE ACCELERATED FROM 250 KIAS TO 280 KIAS (FLT MANUAL PUBLISHED TURB PENETRATION AIRSPD) AND MAINTAINED THIS SPD DURING OUR IMMEDIATE LEVELOFF. WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO CLB ABOVE 12000 FT DUE TO JET TFC AHEAD OF US AT 14000 FT WHICH WAS BEING DISPLAYED ON TCASII. ALTHOUGH WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED DIRECT GQO, ZTL PROVIDED NUMEROUS VECTORS FROM 330 DEGS TO 020 DEGS BECAUSE OF TFC (WE ASSUMED THE 14000 FT TFC AHEAD). IN THE VICINITY OF GQO WE WERE GIVEN A CHANGE TO A SECOND ZTL FREQ. SHORTLY AFTER CHKING ON, THIS CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD ADVISED THE PREVIOUS CTLR WE WERE SLOWING DOWN. HE WAS TOLD WE HAD NEVER SLOWED DOWN, BUT RATHER HAD MAINTAINED A SPD OF 280 KIAS FOR TURB. HE DID NOT REQUEST AN AIRSPD CHANGE. A SHORT TIME LATER WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR FLT CTL DISPATCHER ASKING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM ATC COMPLAINING WE HAD BACKED UP THE WHOLE SYS. OBSERVATIONS: 1) THE WX IN THE AREA WAS UNFORECAST AND BOTH DEP CTL AND CTR CTLRS APPEARED TO BE TASK SATURATED. 2) THE FIRST ZTL CTLR NEVER QUESTIONED OUR AIRSPD AND NEITHER CTLR ASKED US TO CHANGE AIRSPDS. 3) I BELIEVE ZTL MAY HAVE IDENTED THE WRONG ACFT. I FAIL TO SEE HOW WE COULD HAVE BACKED THE TFC UP WHEN WE WERE IN FACT BEING HELD DOWN AND VECTORED FOR TFC AHEAD OF US. RECOMMENDATIONS: IF A CTLR HAS SEPARATION PROBS, HE/SHE SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH AFFECTED ACFT IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.