Flight crew declares emergency to avoid WX.

Attributes
ACN	550620
Time
Date	200206
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	550620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	550622
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On departure, flew runway heading to 1000 ft. Then a left turn to 295 degrees. ATC then began to vector us towards the northwest. We were then heading toward a line of thunderstorms. The returns were red with some magenta present. Asked for vectors around this WX, and we were given advised unable as we only had 3 mi remaining in the airspace. Instructed the copilot to turn clear of the WX and at the same time a different controller came up on the frequency and instructed us to call a number upon landing. Responded by declaring an emergency due to WX. Later, this controller asked us why we could not operate in what they saw as level 2 storms. Were assigned a speed restr of 250 KTS till advised. Exceeded this by approximately 30 KTS at times so as to expedite clearance of the WX. Called ATC on landing. Said they understood completely. Said their controller was caught by surprise and did not realize that WX is dynamic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DECLARES EMER TO AVOID WX.

Narrative: ON DEP, FLEW RWY HDG TO 1000 FT. THEN A L TURN TO 295 DEGS. ATC THEN BEGAN TO VECTOR US TOWARDS THE NW. WE WERE THEN HDG TOWARD A LINE OF TSTMS. THE RETURNS WERE RED WITH SOME MAGENTA PRESENT. ASKED FOR VECTORS AROUND THIS WX, AND WE WERE GIVEN ADVISED UNABLE AS WE ONLY HAD 3 MI REMAINING IN THE AIRSPACE. INSTRUCTED THE COPLT TO TURN CLR OF THE WX AND AT THE SAME TIME A DIFFERENT CTLR CAME UP ON THE FREQ AND INSTRUCTED US TO CALL A NUMBER UPON LNDG. RESPONDED BY DECLARING AN EMER DUE TO WX. LATER, THIS CTLR ASKED US WHY WE COULD NOT OPERATE IN WHAT THEY SAW AS LEVEL 2 STORMS. WERE ASSIGNED A SPD RESTR OF 250 KTS TILL ADVISED. EXCEEDED THIS BY APPROX 30 KTS AT TIMES SO AS TO EXPEDITE CLRNC OF THE WX. CALLED ATC ON LNDG. SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD COMPLETELY. SAID THEIR CTLR WAS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE AND DID NOT REALIZE THAT WX IS DYNAMIC.

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.