Narrative:

While proceeding direct hec on the BOACH1 hec departure, we observed multiple cells in the area around hec. The largest cell was 'painting' red on the WX radar. We advised ZLA that we would need to deviate and asked if a right or left deviation would be best. ZLA told us we could only deviate 15 degrees right and there was restr airspace to the left. We asked for a climb and were told 'unable due to traffic.' we started a left deviation about 10 degrees left (15 degrees right would put us right in the center of the largest cell) and advised ZLA of the heading. The controller was very busy handling traffic and I did not have a 'good feeling' about their ability to handle this situation. I asked my first officer to tell the flight attendants to take their seats. The controller gave us a radial/DME fix on the border of R-2501. I tried to make the deviation as small as possible in order to avoid R-2501 yet avoid the twring build-up. ZLA told us that we were going to enter R-2501 in 3 mi and issued a hard right turn. We complied with the clearance and informed ZLA that the heading would take us right into a cell. We entered the cell and experienced moderate turbulence. ZLA told us we had entered R-2501 and to squawk 7700. We complied. About 30 seconds later the controller advised us we were clear of R-2501 to squawk our original code, and we were cleared direct pmd. We advised the controller we needed to deviate 10 degrees left (from pmd heading) to avoid the largest cell and advised the controller of the heading. We then proceeded to bur uneventfully. In bur I called our dispatcher, discussed the situation with him, and suggested alternate routing from las-bur. He said that they had received an alternate routing message from ZLA but the message did not change the routing. He said that la prefers deviations versus reroutes. I was very unhappy with the outcome of the situation. Obviously, I never want to fly in (hot) restr airspace or cumulonimbus cells painting red on the radar with the associated hazards of moderate to severe turbulence, lightning, hail, or icing. I had a general idea of the location of R-2501 (depicted on us hi-2) and had hoped to avoid the restr airspace and the cells. I was disappointed with the ZLA controller. They knew our position, our deviation heading and had a much more accurate display of R-2501. I should have been much more assertive with the controller regarding the deviation heading and the proximity of R-2501. 'On this heading will we clear R-2501?' or 'we can't deviate left, far enough right, we can't climb and I'm not going to fly through this cell, what do you want us to do?'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW AT CRUISE OFF LAS, WHILE DEVIATING FOR WX, ENTERED A RESTR AREA AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK 7700 UNTIL THEY EXITED THE AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE PROCEEDING DIRECT HEC ON THE BOACH1 HEC DEP, WE OBSERVED MULTIPLE CELLS IN THE AREA AROUND HEC. THE LARGEST CELL WAS 'PAINTING' RED ON THE WX RADAR. WE ADVISED ZLA THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DEVIATE AND ASKED IF A R OR L DEV WOULD BE BEST. ZLA TOLD US WE COULD ONLY DEVIATE 15 DEGS R AND THERE WAS RESTR AIRSPACE TO THE L. WE ASKED FOR A CLB AND WERE TOLD 'UNABLE DUE TO TFC.' WE STARTED A L DEV ABOUT 10 DEGS L (15 DEGS R WOULD PUT US RIGHT IN THE CTR OF THE LARGEST CELL) AND ADVISED ZLA OF THE HDG. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY HANDLING TFC AND I DID NOT HAVE A 'GOOD FEELING' ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO HANDLE THIS SIT. I ASKED MY FO TO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO TAKE THEIR SEATS. THE CTLR GAVE US A RADIAL/DME FIX ON THE BORDER OF R-2501. I TRIED TO MAKE THE DEV AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO AVOID R-2501 YET AVOID THE TWRING BUILD-UP. ZLA TOLD US THAT WE WERE GOING TO ENTER R-2501 IN 3 MI AND ISSUED A HARD R TURN. WE COMPLIED WITH THE CLRNC AND INFORMED ZLA THAT THE HDG WOULD TAKE US RIGHT INTO A CELL. WE ENTERED THE CELL AND EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB. ZLA TOLD US WE HAD ENTERED R-2501 AND TO SQUAWK 7700. WE COMPLIED. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER THE CTLR ADVISED US WE WERE CLR OF R-2501 TO SQUAWK OUR ORIGINAL CODE, AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECT PMD. WE ADVISED THE CTLR WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE 10 DEGS L (FROM PMD HDG) TO AVOID THE LARGEST CELL AND ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE HDG. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO BUR UNEVENTFULLY. IN BUR I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER, DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH HIM, AND SUGGESTED ALTERNATE ROUTING FROM LAS-BUR. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED AN ALTERNATE ROUTING MESSAGE FROM ZLA BUT THE MESSAGE DID NOT CHANGE THE ROUTING. HE SAID THAT LA PREFERS DEVS VERSUS REROUTES. I WAS VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE SIT. OBVIOUSLY, I NEVER WANT TO FLY IN (HOT) RESTR AIRSPACE OR CUMULONIMBUS CELLS PAINTING RED ON THE RADAR WITH THE ASSOCIATED HAZARDS OF MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB, LIGHTNING, HAIL, OR ICING. I HAD A GENERAL IDEA OF THE LOCATION OF R-2501 (DEPICTED ON US HI-2) AND HAD HOPED TO AVOID THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND THE CELLS. I WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ZLA CTLR. THEY KNEW OUR POS, OUR DEV HDG AND HAD A MUCH MORE ACCURATE DISPLAY OF R-2501. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE ASSERTIVE WITH THE CTLR REGARDING THE DEV HDG AND THE PROX OF R-2501. 'ON THIS HDG WILL WE CLR R-2501?' OR 'WE CAN'T DEVIATE L, FAR ENOUGH R, WE CAN'T CLB AND I'M NOT GOING TO FLY THROUGH THIS CELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?'

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.