Flight crew of a super MD80 did not accept ARTCC radar controller heading due to severe thunderstorm WX build-up, resulting in ATC declaring an emergency for them and assigning a transponder code of 7700 due to heavy traffic in the area. The crew believed that there was insufficient coordination between ATC departure and center controllers.

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Attributes
ACN	408001
Time
Date	199806
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mxe
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	408001
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	408010
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On climb out at FL260 nyc 134.6, cleared us direct mxe after vectoring us off the airway J75 while awaiting handoff. On handoff to nyc 134.32, the new center wanted us to turn right to join J75. We were currently on a heading of 220 degrees direct mxe with an isolated thunderstorm to the right of the aircraft. Our position was mxe 040/10. We were unable to turn right to join the J75 because of the buildup and advised ATC. ATC insisted we turn right to heading 270 degrees because he had arrs to the left of us and ZDC was not taking the next handoff. We again told the controller that we were unable to comply. The controller then declared us an emergency and told us to squawk 7700 till the handoff with washington was accomplished. Emergency was declared at XX26Z at mxe 040/10 heading 220 degrees and then terminated by ZDC at XX31Z. It appeared to us that the original nyc 134.6 who cleared us direct mxe did not properly pass the information along to the next controller during the handoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SUPER MD80 DID NOT ACCEPT ARTCC RADAR CTLR HEADING DUE TO SEVERE TSTM WX BUILD-UP, RESULTING IN ATC DECLARING AN EMER FOR THEM AND ASSIGNING A XPONDER CODE OF 7700 DUE TO HVY TFC IN THE AREA. THE CREW BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT COORD BTWN ATC DEP AND CTR CTLRS.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT AT FL260 NYC 134.6, CLRED US DIRECT MXE AFTER VECTORING US OFF THE AIRWAY J75 WHILE AWAITING HDOF. ON HDOF TO NYC 134.32, THE NEW CTR WANTED US TO TURN R TO JOIN J75. WE WERE CURRENTLY ON A HDG OF 220 DEGS DIRECT MXE WITH AN ISOLATED TSTM TO THE R OF THE ACFT. OUR POS WAS MXE 040/10. WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN R TO JOIN THE J75 BECAUSE OF THE BUILDUP AND ADVISED ATC. ATC INSISTED WE TURN R TO HDG 270 DEGS BECAUSE HE HAD ARRS TO THE L OF US AND ZDC WAS NOT TAKING THE NEXT HDOF. WE AGAIN TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY. THE CTLR THEN DECLARED US AN EMER AND TOLD US TO SQUAWK 7700 TILL THE HDOF WITH WASHINGTON WAS ACCOMPLISHED. EMER WAS DECLARED AT XX26Z AT MXE 040/10 HDG 220 DEGS AND THEN TERMINATED BY ZDC AT XX31Z. IT APPEARED TO US THAT THE ORIGINAL NYC 134.6 WHO CLRED US DIRECT MXE DID NOT PROPERLY PASS THE INFO ALONG TO THE NEXT CTLR DURING THE HDOF.

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.