Narrative:

Departed egkk on the lambourne 4M departure off runway 26L. After turning and at 5000 ft, we observed thunderstorms ahead at 5-10 mi. London departure control issued a 090 degree vector which took us off the departure course and also would have taken us through the thunderstorms. The captain told the controller he needed a different vector for WX safety reasons. The controller refused and the captain declared an emergency deviating to the north. The controller stated that he was filing a report and made a number of additional comments not related to navigation which were highly distracting in a critical phase of flight. Supplemental information from acn 624670: departure from lgw on the LAM4M at 5000 ft with thunderstorm on radar. Refused heading that would have taken us into center of storm. Declared emergency (mayday confirmed by controller). Told controller we were turning to heading of 060 degrees then to 050 degrees. Controller stated he was reporting a violation. Supplemental information from acn 624671: on climb out, controller gave heading directly toward a large thunderstorm. Captain asked the controller for new heading but was denied. Captain declared an emergency and turned to avoid the thunderstorm. 2 mins later, we turned back on course with no further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 FLT CREW RPTED THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THE EGTT ARTCC CTLR TO VECTOR THE FLT AROUND CUMULO NIMBUS, CAUSING THE CAPT TO DECLARE AN EMER TO AVOID THE WX, WHICH RESULTED IN A VIOLATION BEING FILED.

Narrative: DEPARTED EGKK ON THE LAMBOURNE 4M DEP OFF RWY 26L. AFTER TURNING AND AT 5000 FT, WE OBSERVED TSTMS AHEAD AT 5-10 MI. LONDON DEP CTL ISSUED A 090 DEG VECTOR WHICH TOOK US OFF THE DEP COURSE AND ALSO WOULD HAVE TAKEN US THROUGH THE TSTMS. THE CAPT TOLD THE CTLR HE NEEDED A DIFFERENT VECTOR FOR WX SAFETY REASONS. THE CTLR REFUSED AND THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER DEVIATING TO THE N. THE CTLR STATED THAT HE WAS FILING A RPT AND MADE A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO NAV WHICH WERE HIGHLY DISTRACTING IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 624670: DEP FROM LGW ON THE LAM4M AT 5000 FT WITH TSTM ON RADAR. REFUSED HDG THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US INTO CTR OF STORM. DECLARED EMER (MAYDAY CONFIRMED BY CTLR). TOLD CTLR WE WERE TURNING TO HDG OF 060 DEGS THEN TO 050 DEGS. CTLR STATED HE WAS RPTING A VIOLATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 624671: ON CLBOUT, CTLR GAVE HDG DIRECTLY TOWARD A LARGE TSTM. CAPT ASKED THE CTLR FOR NEW HDG BUT WAS DENIED. CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND TURNED TO AVOID THE TSTM. 2 MINS LATER, WE TURNED BACK ON COURSE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.