Narrative:

While transitioning from ramms arrival to tompson arrival, ZDV asked us to copy a phone number and contact ATC upon arrival. When asked why we were to contact them, the response was 'possible' pilot deviation. Upon contacting the watch manager at that number, we were informed that the controller had told his supervisor that we had disregarded his clearance to fly heading 180 degrees. When we were given that heading, the PNF told ATC that being on that heading would put us in the center of a cell that we were already deviating around. There was also a cell directly ahead of us (approximately 120 degree heading). We informed ATC that we had to come more to the north. We told the controller what heading we could fly briefly and were cleared to do that (heading 090 degrees). We were handed to another controller who then gave us a heading more to the north. This controller was the one who gave us the phone number. The watch manager on the phone informed us that he had listened to the tapes and there was no issue, as we had done exactly what had been stated here. He stated that the 'young' controller was overworked and had thought we had violated his clearance. There was never any pilot deviation of any kind from any ATC clearance. The controller was simply upset that we questioned his orders to fly directly into the center of a 15 NM wide red radar return. The controller's request that we fly heading 180 degrees was unsafe. We told him so and requested an amended clearance. We were given one and then handed off, but apparently this controller believes that his orders are not to be questioned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CREW TRANSITIONING ON A STAR WERE GIVEN A VECTOR HDG BY ATC. BECAUSE OF WX THE CREW REQUESTED AND WAS GRANTED VARIOUS HDGS. AFTER A FREQ CHANGE, THE CREW WAS ADVISED OF A POSSIBLE PLTDEV.

Narrative: WHILE TRANSITIONING FROM RAMMS ARR TO TOMPSON ARR, ZDV ASKED US TO COPY A PHONE NUMBER AND CONTACT ATC UPON ARR. WHEN ASKED WHY WE WERE TO CONTACT THEM, THE RESPONSE WAS 'POSSIBLE' PLTDEV. UPON CONTACTING THE WATCH MGR AT THAT NUMBER, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CTLR HAD TOLD HIS SUPVR THAT WE HAD DISREGARDED HIS CLRNC TO FLY HDG 180 DEGS. WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THAT HDG, THE PNF TOLD ATC THAT BEING ON THAT HDG WOULD PUT US IN THE CTR OF A CELL THAT WE WERE ALREADY DEVIATING AROUND. THERE WAS ALSO A CELL DIRECTLY AHEAD OF US (APPROX 120 DEG HDG). WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD TO COME MORE TO THE N. WE TOLD THE CTLR WHAT HDG WE COULD FLY BRIEFLY AND WERE CLRED TO DO THAT (HDG 090 DEGS). WE WERE HANDED TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO THEN GAVE US A HDG MORE TO THE N. THIS CTLR WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE US THE PHONE NUMBER. THE WATCH MGR ON THE PHONE INFORMED US THAT HE HAD LISTENED TO THE TAPES AND THERE WAS NO ISSUE, AS WE HAD DONE EXACTLY WHAT HAD BEEN STATED HERE. HE STATED THAT THE 'YOUNG' CTLR WAS OVERWORKED AND HAD THOUGHT WE HAD VIOLATED HIS CLRNC. THERE WAS NEVER ANY PLTDEV OF ANY KIND FROM ANY ATC CLRNC. THE CTLR WAS SIMPLY UPSET THAT WE QUESTIONED HIS ORDERS TO FLY DIRECTLY INTO THE CTR OF A 15 NM WIDE RED RADAR RETURN. THE CTLR'S REQUEST THAT WE FLY HDG 180 DEGS WAS UNSAFE. WE TOLD HIM SO AND REQUESTED AN AMENDED CLRNC. WE WERE GIVEN ONE AND THEN HANDED OFF, BUT APPARENTLY THIS CTLR BELIEVES THAT HIS ORDERS ARE NOT TO BE QUESTIONED.

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.