WX deviation request in florida is handed off by one controller, argued about by the second controll...

Attributes
ACN	480670
Time
Date	200007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : mrlin.4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 116 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	480670
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We were on the mrlin 4 arrival into fll. We had checked on with center while descending to 7000 ft and had requested a deviation to the right for WX. The controller came back and said that the next controller would have a turn for us. Since the WX was still a ways away (50+ mi) I decided we could wait a bit. We got handed off to the next controller and made our request again. The controller asked if we could turn left and we replied that we were unable due to WX. We needed to go to the right. At this point we were in the clear and could visibly see the WX. We had been painting on the radar and I wasn't going to go 'plugging' into it. While we were 'arguing' with the controller (with nice little comments from him like, 'the last guys went through it') I accidentally let the aircraft drift about 2 1/2 to 3 mi west of centerline. He called us 5 mi west of centerline. I replied that we showed ourselves no more than 3 mi west and would not accept a turn back to the east. He then said, 'I now show you 5 mi plus west of course, contact ZMA on 133.77.' we acknowledged the frequency change, contacted the next controller and he immediately granted our request for departures to the right (west). My question is this: WX (thunderstorms) are an issue almost everyday in florida. If an aircraft needs to deviate, who cares what the previous aircraft accepted? The controller in question kept acting as though he knew more about the WX than we did. I refrained, but wanted to ask if he had a better view from his seat. I believe that the crux of the situation was communication. I was not going to allow a controller to strong arm my aircraft into a situation I did not like and as soon as that was clear the communications deteriorated and became confrontational. If the controller had given us our options (descend and then turn, slow down and turn, climb and turn) we may have been able to avoid all of this. I maybe should have explored those same options but admit I 'got my dander' up a bit when he started to tell us our choices were basically to go straight into the WX or to turn left into the WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX DEV REQUEST IN FLORIDA IS HANDED OFF BY ONE CTLR, ARGUED ABOUT BY THE SECOND CTLR AND GRANTED BY THE THIRD CTLR. A MINOR TRACK DEV OCCURRED AS THE TIME PASSED TO GET ALL THIS DONE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE MRLIN 4 ARR INTO FLL. WE HAD CHKED ON WITH CTR WHILE DSNDING TO 7000 FT AND HAD REQUESTED A DEV TO THE R FOR WX. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID THAT THE NEXT CTLR WOULD HAVE A TURN FOR US. SINCE THE WX WAS STILL A WAYS AWAY (50+ MI) I DECIDED WE COULD WAIT A BIT. WE GOT HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR AND MADE OUR REQUEST AGAIN. THE CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD TURN L AND WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO WX. WE NEEDED TO GO TO THE R. AT THIS POINT WE WERE IN THE CLR AND COULD VISIBLY SEE THE WX. WE HAD BEEN PAINTING ON THE RADAR AND I WASN'T GOING TO GO 'PLUGGING' INTO IT. WHILE WE WERE 'ARGUING' WITH THE CTLR (WITH NICE LITTLE COMMENTS FROM HIM LIKE, 'THE LAST GUYS WENT THROUGH IT') I ACCIDENTALLY LET THE ACFT DRIFT ABOUT 2 1/2 TO 3 MI W OF CTRLINE. HE CALLED US 5 MI W OF CTRLINE. I REPLIED THAT WE SHOWED OURSELVES NO MORE THAN 3 MI W AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT A TURN BACK TO THE E. HE THEN SAID, 'I NOW SHOW YOU 5 MI PLUS W OF COURSE, CONTACT ZMA ON 133.77.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FREQ CHANGE, CONTACTED THE NEXT CTLR AND HE IMMEDIATELY GRANTED OUR REQUEST FOR DEPS TO THE R (W). MY QUESTION IS THIS: WX (TSTMS) ARE AN ISSUE ALMOST EVERYDAY IN FLORIDA. IF AN ACFT NEEDS TO DEVIATE, WHO CARES WHAT THE PREVIOUS ACFT ACCEPTED? THE CTLR IN QUESTION KEPT ACTING AS THOUGH HE KNEW MORE ABOUT THE WX THAN WE DID. I REFRAINED, BUT WANTED TO ASK IF HE HAD A BETTER VIEW FROM HIS SEAT. I BELIEVE THAT THE CRUX OF THE SIT WAS COM. I WAS NOT GOING TO ALLOW A CTLR TO STRONG ARM MY ACFT INTO A SIT I DID NOT LIKE AND AS SOON AS THAT WAS CLR THE COMS DETERIORATED AND BECAME CONFRONTATIONAL. IF THE CTLR HAD GIVEN US OUR OPTIONS (DSND AND THEN TURN, SLOW DOWN AND TURN, CLB AND TURN) WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID ALL OF THIS. I MAYBE SHOULD HAVE EXPLORED THOSE SAME OPTIONS BUT ADMIT I 'GOT MY DANDER' UP A BIT WHEN HE STARTED TO TELL US OUR CHOICES WERE BASICALLY TO GO STRAIGHT INTO THE WX OR TO TURN L INTO THE WX.

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.

WX deviation request in florida is handed off by one controller, argued about by the second controller and granted by the third controller. A minor track deviation occurred as the time passed to get all this done.