B737 crew landing mia was unable to accept a turn to final because of severe WX.

Attributes
ACN	558675
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : gritt
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 9l other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558675
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558676
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	vertical : 900
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

We were between worpp intersection and mia and north of the runway 9L final approach course. The controller gave us a right turn from our current heading (110 degrees) towards the south, which had us just west of some buildups and moderate to severe radar returns. I assumed he was vectoring us to the south of the WX to intercept runway 9R localizer from the south. To our surprise, he gave us a heading right into the WX (120 degrees). I read back that, 'I didn't think we could take that heading' and he didn't respond. We continued on the southerly heading while some radio chatter occurred. He then asked us why we hadn't turned and told us to turn to 080 degrees to intercept the final. He was not very happy, not very nice, telling us that we needed to tell him when we can't take a heading. I told him what we had read back and that was the end of the subject. As we turned to intercept the final, I looked back at the WX that we had refused to turn into and saw a heavy to wide rain shaft coming out of it (the controller seemed to question whether there was any WX at all out there). I am glad we didn't turn into it, however, I think that more standard phraseology and an increase in the level of my voice may have helped the controller to hear my readback. I should have said 'unable' when he gave us the heading into the WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW LNDG MIA WAS UNABLE TO ACCEPT A TURN TO FINAL BECAUSE OF SEVERE WX.

Narrative: WE WERE BTWN WORPP INTXN AND MIA AND N OF THE RWY 9L FINAL APCH COURSE. THE CTLR GAVE US A R TURN FROM OUR CURRENT HDG (110 DEGS) TOWARDS THE S, WHICH HAD US JUST W OF SOME BUILDUPS AND MODERATE TO SEVERE RADAR RETURNS. I ASSUMED HE WAS VECTORING US TO THE S OF THE WX TO INTERCEPT RWY 9R LOC FROM THE S. TO OUR SURPRISE, HE GAVE US A HDG RIGHT INTO THE WX (120 DEGS). I READ BACK THAT, 'I DIDN'T THINK WE COULD TAKE THAT HDG' AND HE DIDN'T RESPOND. WE CONTINUED ON THE SOUTHERLY HDG WHILE SOME RADIO CHATTER OCCURRED. HE THEN ASKED US WHY WE HADN'T TURNED AND TOLD US TO TURN TO 080 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL. HE WAS NOT VERY HAPPY, NOT VERY NICE, TELLING US THAT WE NEEDED TO TELL HIM WHEN WE CAN'T TAKE A HDG. I TOLD HIM WHAT WE HAD READ BACK AND THAT WAS THE END OF THE SUBJECT. AS WE TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL, I LOOKED BACK AT THE WX THAT WE HAD REFUSED TO TURN INTO AND SAW A HVY TO WIDE RAIN SHAFT COMING OUT OF IT (THE CTLR SEEMED TO QUESTION WHETHER THERE WAS ANY WX AT ALL OUT THERE). I AM GLAD WE DIDN'T TURN INTO IT, HOWEVER, I THINK THAT MORE STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY AND AN INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF MY VOICE MAY HAVE HELPED THE CTLR TO HEAR MY READBACK. I SHOULD HAVE SAID 'UNABLE' WHEN HE GAVE US THE HDG 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.