Narrative:

Departed phx at XA45 aug/thu/04. Upon check-in with ZAB, we were cleared to FL350. Numerous thunderstorms ahead of us, but our altitude of FL350 was going to make it easy to avoid them. As we were climbing through FL310, ZAB informed us that ZLA would not let us have FL350 because of crossing traffic ahead. ZAB told us to descend to FL280. We told ZAB that we would need to deviate to the west for thunderstorms. ZAB told us we could deviate as far as we needed to. Upon check-in with ZLA, we informed them of our deviation and inquired how long until we could have FL350. ZLA said it would be at least 40 mi. A couple of mins later (less than 10 mi) ZLA cleared us to FL350 only to change their mind as we started our climb and told us to stop at FL310. At this point, there were huge thunderstorm cells off our right side and we were heading 300 degree magnetic. A few moments later, ZLA informed us that we needed to turn to heading 010 degrees to avoid military airspace. We informed them of the large thunderstorm cells in that direction and that we could not accept that vector. They told us to turn 'now to 020 degrees.' we told them that vector would put us right in the middle of the cell and we could not. They asked us if we were declaring an emergency for WX. We said yes. We squawked 7700 and transited nellis military airspace. ZLA gave us no options. It is my opinion that the controller was completely unconcerned about our informing him of the large high level thunderstorms on our right side. After telling him of the huge thunderstorm cell, he told us to turn right into it without missing a beat. I believe ZLA should have been more clear as to when we would get FL350. This information would have helped us formulate a WX avoidance plan that would not have resulted in us declaring an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW FELT A ZLA ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS UNCONCERNED ABOUT WX WHEN THEY REFUSED A TURN TOWARD A TSTM CELL.

Narrative: DEPARTED PHX AT XA45 AUG/THU/04. UPON CHK-IN WITH ZAB, WE WERE CLRED TO FL350. NUMEROUS TSTMS AHEAD OF US, BUT OUR ALT OF FL350 WAS GOING TO MAKE IT EASY TO AVOID THEM. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL310, ZAB INFORMED US THAT ZLA WOULD NOT LET US HAVE FL350 BECAUSE OF XING TFC AHEAD. ZAB TOLD US TO DSND TO FL280. WE TOLD ZAB THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DEVIATE TO THE W FOR TSTMS. ZAB TOLD US WE COULD DEVIATE AS FAR AS WE NEEDED TO. UPON CHK-IN WITH ZLA, WE INFORMED THEM OF OUR DEV AND INQUIRED HOW LONG UNTIL WE COULD HAVE FL350. ZLA SAID IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 40 MI. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER (LESS THAN 10 MI) ZLA CLRED US TO FL350 ONLY TO CHANGE THEIR MIND AS WE STARTED OUR CLB AND TOLD US TO STOP AT FL310. AT THIS POINT, THERE WERE HUGE TSTM CELLS OFF OUR R SIDE AND WE WERE HDG 300 DEG MAGNETIC. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, ZLA INFORMED US THAT WE NEEDED TO TURN TO HDG 010 DEGS TO AVOID MIL AIRSPACE. WE INFORMED THEM OF THE LARGE TSTM CELLS IN THAT DIRECTION AND THAT WE COULD NOT ACCEPT THAT VECTOR. THEY TOLD US TO TURN 'NOW TO 020 DEGS.' WE TOLD THEM THAT VECTOR WOULD PUT US RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CELL AND WE COULD NOT. THEY ASKED US IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER FOR WX. WE SAID YES. WE SQUAWKED 7700 AND TRANSITED NELLIS MIL AIRSPACE. ZLA GAVE US NO OPTIONS. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE CTLR WAS COMPLETELY UNCONCERNED ABOUT OUR INFORMING HIM OF THE LARGE HIGH LEVEL TSTMS ON OUR R SIDE. AFTER TELLING HIM OF THE HUGE TSTM CELL, HE TOLD US TO TURN RIGHT INTO IT WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT. I BELIEVE ZLA SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLR AS TO WHEN WE WOULD GET FL350. THIS INFO WOULD HAVE HELPED US FORMULATE A WX AVOIDANCE PLAN THAT WOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN US DECLARING AN EMER.

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.