Narrative:

En route teb-syi, approaching syi from the east, bna 'taf' had called for possible thunderstorm. (Chance 30%, as I recall, which I interpretation as 'probably somewhere in the area, but probably scattered.') a cluster of thunderstorms had formed during our nearly 3 hours en route. It extended from syi, east and northeast, with another group oriented northwest-southeast in the bna area. As we deviated south of these cells, we could see that they appeared (on radar) to be overhead -- or at close range in all quadrants -- from syi, moving east, very slowly. Syi AWOS was inoperative, saying only that all parameters (sky condition, visibility, etc) were not available. When we (finally) got an answer from syi unicom, he said that a light wind favored the north runway and that it was not raining at syi. The cells ended, about 4 NM north and west of syi, and we were optimistic enough to hope that they had moved east of syi (in the last twilight, it looked like that might be the case, but they were still very close to syi). Approach gave us radar vectors to a point about 15 NM nnw of syi, and gave us clearance for a visual approach, which we backed up by intercepting and following the VOR DME final approach course and, once established inbound, the published stepdown altitudes. At about 6-7 NM (syi DME), it looked like we would be able to maintain ground contact and VFR visibility, while descending to a VFR pattern altitude (about 2300 ft MSL), and I canceled our IFR to give my full attention to the unicom (CTAF) frequency and monitor the pattern and run checklists. (My first officer was the PF.) almost immediately, at about 5 NM, I saw lightning and heavy rain ahead and ordered a 180 degree turn. I called approach back, was cleared to 6000 ft and briefly hit an updraft that caused me to ask for a block altitude. (We hit about 6700 ft, then descended as soon as possible and maintained 6000 ft -- no traffic conflict.) we diverted to fym, without further incident. Before departing fym, I called FSS, filed (IFR, fym direct abs, FL430), and got a WX briefing. Supposedly, radar showed cells north and northwest of fym. Once airborne, we found ourselves in a large 'horseshoe' with cells in all quadrants except, roughly, 090-180 degrees. We could've used the lear 60's legendary climb rate (6000 FPM or more at sea level, to over 1000 FPM at FL400, assuming 'isa' and a mid weight airplane) to get above these relatively low cells, but ATC couldn't/wouldn't make space for us among the (overhead) mem arrs. Departure/center also couldn't/wouldn't tell us where the 'break' (southeast of us) was. Finally, after begging for and finally receiving clearance for nearly 360 degrees worth of turns, we idented the clear way out of the 'horseshoe' with our own radar. I've read that the newer approach control and center radars have 'WX-Z' and 'WX-3' keys, to enable the controller to spot areas of moderate-to-heavy precipitation. Maybe those radars aren't installed at cha or mem -- I don't know. However, I fly 800 hours per yr all over the contiguous 48 states, and getting any controllers to use that 'WX-key' capability is like pulling molars! (This, I assume, is on the advice of the controller's union lawyers.) traffic separation is their primary job, not their only job, and all of the same old stuff about 'your radar sees it better than mine does' is crap. (My radar sees a 60 degree arc, from 11:00 - 1:00, while their radar coverage extends all around me.) as a taxpayer, I'm not getting my money's worth from the new radars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CGA LR60 CANCELS IFR ON APCH TO SYI, THEN ENCOUNTERS LIGHTNING AND HVY RAIN ON FINAL. THE PLT MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND DIVERTED TO FYM ARPT. LATER, AFTER DEPARTING FYM IFR, ATC COULD NOT APPROVE HIGHER ALT DUE TO OTHER TFC ABOVE THEM. THE RPTR IS CRITICAL OF ATC FOR NOT PROVIDING WX RPTS.

Narrative: ENRTE TEB-SYI, APCHING SYI FROM THE E, BNA 'TAF' HAD CALLED FOR POSSIBLE TSTM. (CHANCE 30%, AS I RECALL, WHICH I INTERP AS 'PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THE AREA, BUT PROBABLY SCATTERED.') A CLUSTER OF TSTMS HAD FORMED DURING OUR NEARLY 3 HRS ENRTE. IT EXTENDED FROM SYI, E AND NE, WITH ANOTHER GROUP ORIENTED NW-SE IN THE BNA AREA. AS WE DEVIATED S OF THESE CELLS, WE COULD SEE THAT THEY APPEARED (ON RADAR) TO BE OVERHEAD -- OR AT CLOSE RANGE IN ALL QUADRANTS -- FROM SYI, MOVING E, VERY SLOWLY. SYI AWOS WAS INOP, SAYING ONLY THAT ALL PARAMETERS (SKY CONDITION, VISIBILITY, ETC) WERE NOT AVAILABLE. WHEN WE (FINALLY) GOT AN ANSWER FROM SYI UNICOM, HE SAID THAT A LIGHT WIND FAVORED THE N RWY AND THAT IT WAS NOT RAINING AT SYI. THE CELLS ENDED, ABOUT 4 NM N AND W OF SYI, AND WE WERE OPTIMISTIC ENOUGH TO HOPE THAT THEY HAD MOVED E OF SYI (IN THE LAST TWILIGHT, IT LOOKED LIKE THAT MIGHT BE THE CASE, BUT THEY WERE STILL VERY CLOSE TO SYI). APCH GAVE US RADAR VECTORS TO A POINT ABOUT 15 NM NNW OF SYI, AND GAVE US CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH, WHICH WE BACKED UP BY INTERCEPTING AND FOLLOWING THE VOR DME FINAL APCH COURSE AND, ONCE ESTABLISHED INBOUND, THE PUBLISHED STEPDOWN ALTS. AT ABOUT 6-7 NM (SYI DME), IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN GND CONTACT AND VFR VISIBILITY, WHILE DSNDING TO A VFR PATTERN ALT (ABOUT 2300 FT MSL), AND I CANCELED OUR IFR TO GIVE MY FULL ATTN TO THE UNICOM (CTAF) FREQ AND MONITOR THE PATTERN AND RUN CHKLISTS. (MY FO WAS THE PF.) ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, AT ABOUT 5 NM, I SAW LIGHTNING AND HVY RAIN AHEAD AND ORDERED A 180 DEG TURN. I CALLED APCH BACK, WAS CLRED TO 6000 FT AND BRIEFLY HIT AN UPDRAFT THAT CAUSED ME TO ASK FOR A BLOCK ALT. (WE HIT ABOUT 6700 FT, THEN DSNDED ASAP AND MAINTAINED 6000 FT -- NO TFC CONFLICT.) WE DIVERTED TO FYM, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. BEFORE DEPARTING FYM, I CALLED FSS, FILED (IFR, FYM DIRECT ABS, FL430), AND GOT A WX BRIEFING. SUPPOSEDLY, RADAR SHOWED CELLS N AND NW OF FYM. ONCE AIRBORNE, WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A LARGE 'HORSESHOE' WITH CELLS IN ALL QUADRANTS EXCEPT, ROUGHLY, 090-180 DEGS. WE COULD'VE USED THE LEAR 60'S LEGENDARY CLB RATE (6000 FPM OR MORE AT SEA LEVEL, TO OVER 1000 FPM AT FL400, ASSUMING 'ISA' AND A MID WT AIRPLANE) TO GET ABOVE THESE RELATIVELY LOW CELLS, BUT ATC COULDN'T/WOULDN'T MAKE SPACE FOR US AMONG THE (OVERHEAD) MEM ARRS. DEP/CTR ALSO COULDN'T/WOULDN'T TELL US WHERE THE 'BREAK' (SE OF US) WAS. FINALLY, AFTER BEGGING FOR AND FINALLY RECEIVING CLRNC FOR NEARLY 360 DEGS WORTH OF TURNS, WE IDENTED THE CLR WAY OUT OF THE 'HORSESHOE' WITH OUR OWN RADAR. I'VE READ THAT THE NEWER APCH CTL AND CTR RADARS HAVE 'WX-Z' AND 'WX-3' KEYS, TO ENABLE THE CTLR TO SPOT AREAS OF MODERATE-TO-HVY PRECIP. MAYBE THOSE RADARS AREN'T INSTALLED AT CHA OR MEM -- I DON'T KNOW. HOWEVER, I FLY 800 HRS PER YR ALL OVER THE CONTIGUOUS 48 STATES, AND GETTING ANY CTLRS TO USE THAT 'WX-KEY' CAPABILITY IS LIKE PULLING MOLARS! (THIS, I ASSUME, IS ON THE ADVICE OF THE CTLR'S UNION LAWYERS.) TFC SEPARATION IS THEIR PRIMARY JOB, NOT THEIR ONLY JOB, AND ALL OF THE SAME OLD STUFF ABOUT 'YOUR RADAR SEES IT BETTER THAN MINE DOES' IS CRAP. (MY RADAR SEES A 60 DEG ARC, FROM 11:00 - 1:00, WHILE THEIR RADAR COVERAGE EXTENDS ALL AROUND ME.) AS A TAXPAYER, I'M NOT GETTING MY MONEY'S WORTH FROM THE NEW RADARS.

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.