Narrative:

We departed cvg runway 27 and tower handed us off to departure. When I checked in heading 210 degrees, the controller was in a very foul mood and accused myself and another company flight of walking all over one another on frequency. The first officer and I were discussing a large cell of WX, on radar and visually producing frequent lightning, that was positioned between hyk VOR and northwest to the course from cvg VOR to iiu VOR. Had we been cleared to intercept the bluegrass departure to iiu as filed, the cell would not have been a problem. But ATC issued a 180 degree heading for several mi then said proceed 'direct iiu when able.' I explained to the controller that we would need to either go south past hyk VOR or turn northwest toward the bluegrass course from cvg VOR to iiu VOR due to the cell that was blocking a turn direct iiu. The foul-mooded controller told me there was no WX along my route. I told him that I could see the lightning sticking out of it. He told me that my company was going through it. I saw a target on TCASII that was on the bluegrass course to iiu and told ATC fine, we'll go where he is. We turned to intercept the bluegrass course to iiu near the cell's northwestern edge. Nobody on TCASII was observed going through the cell. I felt this whole exchange was unprofessional on both sides. When the controller had us on the 180 degree heading and said go direct iiu when able, I should have gone south past hyk VOR then to iiu VOR. But I had a hunch that was not what he expected. It appears I was correct and he expected our turn to iiu right away. The idea that I turned toward the route followed by an unidented target on TCASII presumed to be the company flight he referred to and that he was ok with our turning in an unknown direction toward a company flight that neither of us even idented by number seems questionable in retrospect. But this controller's attitude on frequency was so curt and in my opinion unreasonable that it effectively closed the channel of meaningful communication.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT OFF CVG FOUND DEP CTLR IN UNPLEASANT MOOD WHEN THE CREW CHKED IN AND REQUESTED A TURN AWAY FROM HAZARDOUS WX.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CVG RWY 27 AND TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP. WHEN I CHKED IN HDG 210 DEGS, THE CTLR WAS IN A VERY FOUL MOOD AND ACCUSED MYSELF AND ANOTHER COMPANY FLT OF WALKING ALL OVER ONE ANOTHER ON FREQ. THE FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING A LARGE CELL OF WX, ON RADAR AND VISUALLY PRODUCING FREQUENT LIGHTNING, THAT WAS POSITIONED BTWN HYK VOR AND NW TO THE COURSE FROM CVG VOR TO IIU VOR. HAD WE BEEN CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE BLUEGRASS DEP TO IIU AS FILED, THE CELL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB. BUT ATC ISSUED A 180 DEG HDG FOR SEVERAL MI THEN SAID PROCEED 'DIRECT IIU WHEN ABLE.' I EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO EITHER GO S PAST HYK VOR OR TURN NW TOWARD THE BLUEGRASS COURSE FROM CVG VOR TO IIU VOR DUE TO THE CELL THAT WAS BLOCKING A TURN DIRECT IIU. THE FOUL-MOODED CTLR TOLD ME THERE WAS NO WX ALONG MY RTE. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULD SEE THE LIGHTNING STICKING OUT OF IT. HE TOLD ME THAT MY COMPANY WAS GOING THROUGH IT. I SAW A TARGET ON TCASII THAT WAS ON THE BLUEGRASS COURSE TO IIU AND TOLD ATC FINE, WE'LL GO WHERE HE IS. WE TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE BLUEGRASS COURSE TO IIU NEAR THE CELL'S NORTHWESTERN EDGE. NOBODY ON TCASII WAS OBSERVED GOING THROUGH THE CELL. I FELT THIS WHOLE EXCHANGE WAS UNPROFESSIONAL ON BOTH SIDES. WHEN THE CTLR HAD US ON THE 180 DEG HDG AND SAID GO DIRECT IIU WHEN ABLE, I SHOULD HAVE GONE S PAST HYK VOR THEN TO IIU VOR. BUT I HAD A HUNCH THAT WAS NOT WHAT HE EXPECTED. IT APPEARS I WAS CORRECT AND HE EXPECTED OUR TURN TO IIU RIGHT AWAY. THE IDEA THAT I TURNED TOWARD THE RTE FOLLOWED BY AN UNIDENTED TARGET ON TCASII PRESUMED TO BE THE COMPANY FLT HE REFERRED TO AND THAT HE WAS OK WITH OUR TURNING IN AN UNKNOWN DIRECTION TOWARD A COMPANY FLT THAT NEITHER OF US EVEN IDENTED BY NUMBER SEEMS QUESTIONABLE IN RETROSPECT. BUT THIS CTLR'S ATTITUDE ON FREQ WAS SO CURT AND IN MY OPINION UNREASONABLE THAT IT EFFECTIVELY CLOSED THE CHANNEL OF MEANINGFUL COM.

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.