Narrative:

First of all, in 34 yrs of flying, including 20 yrs in the military, this was the single, worst 'event' I've ever had! Just took off from ffc en route to jwn, took off runway 13 at ffc away from thunderstorms which had passed over the field. Our game plan was to head away from the line of WX and climb above it, then avoid as necessary with ATC approval. After takeoff and initial climb to 5000 ft MSL, received a vector of 360 degrees. We saw a solid red return as we rolled out on the ATC assigned heading, accompanied by bright flashes. The first officer on my order told ATC we could not now accept that heading due to WX and that 310 degrees looked fairly clear. As I started my turn ATC came back and told us to maintain 360 degrees! I took the radio and said that was absolutely unacceptable. At this point the controller told us to turn to 180 degrees immediately and descend to 5000 ft MSL. We had just leveled at 6000 ft. I was hand flying the aircraft and did not have the autoplt engaged. In attempting to comply with ATC and the urgent tone in his voice, I inadvertently over-controled the aircraft and ended up with 90+ degree bank approximately 15 degrees nose down and the TCASII going off, all of this IFR in moderate turbulence and lightning! We broke out at approximately 5000 ft MSL still going down but with the first officer's help and guidance leveled at just below 5000 ft, and climbed back to 5000 ft. We were then vectored further east, climbed, vectored north and through an 'opening' in the WX. First off, we were given a vector for which we did not have useful radar returns, basically over our left shoulder. Second, when we idented a potentially hazardous situation, and what our solution was, ATC instructed us to maintain heading. This was unacceptable! Third, in attempting to expedite a turn away from potential danger I overreacted and exceeded standard guidelines for safe flight in instrument conditions. Although I never in a million yrs ever expected to use all of my military and flight school experience (as a student, client and instructor) with unusual attitudes, it was that very training which no doubt saved our lives! My first officer worked with me in a calm (as calm as anyone could be!) manner to expedite a successful recovery and return to a more controled event. Even after 'monday morning' quarterbacking this a thousand times since that time I still wonder a lot of things too numerous to mention here. I know where I made my mistakes because the first officer and I had a debriefing that would make the most experienced instructor proud, 1 1/2 hours, and it was detailed! Result: we have formulated several proposed changes to our operations manual procedures which would hopefully prevent a situation like this from happening again. I tried my best to comply with all FAA rules and regulations. I never willfully or knowingly acted in any way but to try to save our skins. I'd certainly do some things differently next time, like situation on the ground about 1 hour longer!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ45 CREW LOST ACFT CTL DEPARTING ARPT IN HVY TSTMS.

Narrative: FIRST OF ALL, IN 34 YRS OF FLYING, INCLUDING 20 YRS IN THE MIL, THIS WAS THE SINGLE, WORST 'EVENT' I'VE EVER HAD! JUST TOOK OFF FROM FFC ENRTE TO JWN, TOOK OFF RWY 13 AT FFC AWAY FROM TSTMS WHICH HAD PASSED OVER THE FIELD. OUR GAME PLAN WAS TO HEAD AWAY FROM THE LINE OF WX AND CLB ABOVE IT, THEN AVOID AS NECESSARY WITH ATC APPROVAL. AFTER TKOF AND INITIAL CLB TO 5000 FT MSL, RECEIVED A VECTOR OF 360 DEGS. WE SAW A SOLID RED RETURN AS WE ROLLED OUT ON THE ATC ASSIGNED HEADING, ACCOMPANIED BY BRIGHT FLASHES. THE FO ON MY ORDER TOLD ATC WE COULD NOT NOW ACCEPT THAT HEADING DUE TO WX AND THAT 310 DEGS LOOKED FAIRLY CLR. AS I STARTED MY TURN ATC CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 360 DEGS! I TOOK THE RADIO AND SAID THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO 180 DEGS IMMEDIATELY AND DSND TO 5000 FT MSL. WE HAD JUST LEVELED AT 6000 FT. I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND DID NOT HAVE THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED. IN ATTEMPTING TO COMPLY WITH ATC AND THE URGENT TONE IN HIS VOICE, I INADVERTENTLY OVER-CTLED THE ACFT AND ENDED UP WITH 90+ DEG BANK APPROX 15 DEGS NOSE DOWN AND THE TCASII GOING OFF, ALL OF THIS IFR IN MODERATE TURB AND LIGHTNING! WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 5000 FT MSL STILL GOING DOWN BUT WITH THE FO'S HELP AND GUIDANCE LEVELED AT JUST BELOW 5000 FT, AND CLBED BACK TO 5000 FT. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FURTHER E, CLBED, VECTORED N AND THROUGH AN 'OPENING' IN THE WX. FIRST OFF, WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR FOR WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE USEFUL RADAR RETURNS, BASICALLY OVER OUR L SHOULDER. SECOND, WHEN WE IDENTED A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT, AND WHAT OUR SOLUTION WAS, ATC INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN HEADING. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE! THIRD, IN ATTEMPTING TO EXPEDITE A TURN AWAY FROM POTENTIAL DANGER I OVERREACTED AND EXCEEDED STANDARD GUIDELINES FOR SAFE FLT IN INST CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH I NEVER IN A MILLION YRS EVER EXPECTED TO USE ALL OF MY MIL AND FLT SCHOOL EXPERIENCE (AS A STUDENT, CLIENT AND INSTRUCTOR) WITH UNUSUAL ATTITUDES, IT WAS THAT VERY TRAINING WHICH NO DOUBT SAVED OUR LIVES! MY FO WORKED WITH ME IN A CALM (AS CALM AS ANYONE COULD BE!) MANNER TO EXPEDITE A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY AND RETURN TO A MORE CTLED EVENT. EVEN AFTER 'MONDAY MORNING' QUARTERBACKING THIS A THOUSAND TIMES SINCE THAT TIME I STILL WONDER A LOT OF THINGS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION HERE. I KNOW WHERE I MADE MY MISTAKES BECAUSE THE FO AND I HAD A DEBRIEFING THAT WOULD MAKE THE MOST EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTOR PROUD, 1 1/2 HRS, AND IT WAS DETAILED! RESULT: WE HAVE FORMULATED SEVERAL PROPOSED CHANGES TO OUR OPS MANUAL PROCS WHICH WOULD HOPEFULLY PREVENT A SIT LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I TRIED MY BEST TO COMPLY WITH ALL FAA RULES AND REGS. I NEVER WILLFULLY OR KNOWINGLY ACTED IN ANY WAY BUT TO TRY TO SAVE OUR SKINS. I'D CERTAINLY DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME, LIKE SIT ON THE GND ABOUT 1 HR LONGER!

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.