Narrative:

We had departed ric about 15 mis prior to the event; for a flight to ZZZ. We were on an IFR flight plan and had received a full route clearance (not what we had filed) and a final altitude of 17000 ft versus the FL270 that we had filed. We were south of colin intersection and proceeding direct to colin to join V16. Leveling at 17000 ft; we observe a significant thunderstorm at approximately the colin intersection. Based on our position and a line of convective WX extending to the southwest from over colin; the only plausible escape maneuver was to deviate to the right. We made several requests for a deviation to the right (east). Due to frequency congestion (a number of other aircraft were requesting deviations; and most were being denied) we did not receive an answer until the third or fourth try. On the third or fourth try; the ZDC controller acknowledged our request; advised us that the restr airspace to our right was active; and indicated that he would try to coordination. I advised the controller that we had about 3 mi to make the turn. About 15 seconds later; he advised that he was unable to allow us to turn right. Being unsure of the potential safety of flight issues associated with penetrating restr airspace (especially that close to washington; dc); we elected to go left; through a tiny gap in the convective WX (with building cumulus below us and an anvil on top -- not a safe place to be). We then deviated around the north of colin and were put on a 090 degree heading to join V16. After the frequency settled down; we advised the ZDC controller that the restr airspace was posing a serious safety of flight problem; and the controller agreed; advised that he had also expressed his concerns to the people controling the airspace; but that he was overruled. I then asked for the phone number of 'the people;' and was provided a phone number for patuxent. Later that evening; I spoke with a senior ATC controller at patuxent and the watch desk at ZDC. Based on a review of both the radar and radio tapes; the ZDC controller; after acknowledging my request; had his d-side request a pointout from patuxent. The pointout was refused by patuxent. According to the controller at patuxent; he had initially intended to activate the restr airspace up to FL400. However; based on the objections of ZDC (and their request that the entire airspace be deactivated due to convective activity); they only activated it up to FL260. Further; patuxent agreed to take 'all pointouts for WX avoidance.' needless to say; the senior controller agreed that his instructions had not been followed by the sector controller; leading to the loss of safety. At the end of the day; I'm not convinced that there is much I could have done to avoid the situation given the fact that we were denied; on the fly; our requested flight path and altitude. The flight path would have allowed us to see the storm earlier (it would have been a straight line into V16) and the altitude would have put us above the restr airspace; where deviations would have been possible. In the future; I will immediately declare an emergency; and deviate into the restr airspace as necessary to maintain safety. I further advise that; due to the congestion of the area and the security airspace that has been installed around washington; dc; that the restr airspace (which is only there for operational reasons) be moved to a location outside of the northeast corridor to a location where there is sufficient space.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PC-12 PLT IFR AT 17000 WITH ZDC WAS DENIED WX DEV REQUEST INTO RESTRICTED AIRSPACE; REQUIRING ALTERNATIVE LESS SAFE RTE.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED RIC ABOUT 15 MIS PRIOR TO THE EVENT; FOR A FLT TO ZZZ. WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND HAD RECEIVED A FULL RTE CLRNC (NOT WHAT WE HAD FILED) AND A FINAL ALT OF 17000 FT VERSUS THE FL270 THAT WE HAD FILED. WE WERE S OF COLIN INTXN AND PROCEEDING DIRECT TO COLIN TO JOIN V16. LEVELING AT 17000 FT; WE OBSERVE A SIGNIFICANT TSTM AT APPROX THE COLIN INTXN. BASED ON OUR POS AND A LINE OF CONVECTIVE WX EXTENDING TO THE SW FROM OVER COLIN; THE ONLY PLAUSIBLE ESCAPE MANEUVER WAS TO DEVIATE TO THE R. WE MADE SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR A DEV TO THE R (EAST). DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION (A NUMBER OF OTHER ACFT WERE REQUESTING DEVS; AND MOST WERE BEING DENIED) WE DID NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER UNTIL THE THIRD OR FOURTH TRY. ON THE THIRD OR FOURTH TRY; THE ZDC CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST; ADVISED US THAT THE RESTR AIRSPACE TO OUR R WAS ACTIVE; AND INDICATED THAT HE WOULD TRY TO COORD. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE HAD ABOUT 3 MI TO MAKE THE TURN. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER; HE ADVISED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO ALLOW US TO TURN R. BEING UNSURE OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY OF FLT ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH PENETRATING RESTR AIRSPACE (ESPECIALLY THAT CLOSE TO WASHINGTON; DC); WE ELECTED TO GO L; THROUGH A TINY GAP IN THE CONVECTIVE WX (WITH BUILDING CUMULUS BELOW US AND AN ANVIL ON TOP -- NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE). WE THEN DEVIATED AROUND THE N OF COLIN AND WERE PUT ON A 090 DEG HDG TO JOIN V16. AFTER THE FREQ SETTLED DOWN; WE ADVISED THE ZDC CTLR THAT THE RESTR AIRSPACE WAS POSING A SERIOUS SAFETY OF FLT PROB; AND THE CTLR AGREED; ADVISED THAT HE HAD ALSO EXPRESSED HIS CONCERNS TO THE PEOPLE CTLING THE AIRSPACE; BUT THAT HE WAS OVERRULED. I THEN ASKED FOR THE PHONE NUMBER OF 'THE PEOPLE;' AND WAS PROVIDED A PHONE NUMBER FOR PATUXENT. LATER THAT EVENING; I SPOKE WITH A SENIOR ATC CTLR AT PATUXENT AND THE WATCH DESK AT ZDC. BASED ON A REVIEW OF BOTH THE RADAR AND RADIO TAPES; THE ZDC CTLR; AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING MY REQUEST; HAD HIS D-SIDE REQUEST A POINTOUT FROM PATUXENT. THE POINTOUT WAS REFUSED BY PATUXENT. ACCORDING TO THE CTLR AT PATUXENT; HE HAD INITIALLY INTENDED TO ACTIVATE THE RESTR AIRSPACE UP TO FL400. HOWEVER; BASED ON THE OBJECTIONS OF ZDC (AND THEIR REQUEST THAT THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE BE DEACTIVATED DUE TO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY); THEY ONLY ACTIVATED IT UP TO FL260. FURTHER; PATUXENT AGREED TO TAKE 'ALL POINTOUTS FOR WX AVOIDANCE.' NEEDLESS TO SAY; THE SENIOR CTLR AGREED THAT HIS INSTRUCTIONS HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED BY THE SECTOR CTLR; LEADING TO THE LOSS OF SAFETY. AT THE END OF THE DAY; I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THERE IS MUCH I COULD HAVE DONE TO AVOID THE SITUATION GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE WERE DENIED; ON THE FLY; OUR REQUESTED FLT PATH AND ALT. THE FLT PATH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US TO SEE THE STORM EARLIER (IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A STRAIGHT LINE INTO V16) AND THE ALT WOULD HAVE PUT US ABOVE THE RESTR AIRSPACE; WHERE DEVS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL IMMEDIATELY DECLARE AN EMER; AND DEVIATE INTO THE RESTR AIRSPACE AS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SAFETY. I FURTHER ADVISE THAT; DUE TO THE CONGESTION OF THE AREA AND THE SECURITY AIRSPACE THAT HAS BEEN INSTALLED AROUND WASHINGTON; DC; THAT THE RESTR AIRSPACE (WHICH IS ONLY THERE FOR OPERATIONAL REASONS) BE MOVED TO A LOCATION OUTSIDE OF THE NE CORRIDOR TO A LOCATION WHERE THERE IS SUFFICIENT SPACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.