ACR RPTR COMPLAINS ABOUT CTLR ATTITUDE WHEN LAST MIN REQUEST TO DEVIATE AROUND WX.
Synopsis
ACR RPTR COMPLAINS ABOUT CTLR ATTITUDE WHEN LAST MIN REQUEST TO DEVIATE AROUND WX.
Narrative
WE WERE ABOUT TO DEPART MDW ON A FERRY FLT TO PIT. THERE WAS A FRONTAL PASSAGE IN PROGRESS WITH RAIN AND ACFT RPTING MODERATE TURB. THE SKY WAS QUITE DARK AND THREATENING. PRIOR TO TKOF ON RWY 4R I SWUNG THE ACFT TO THE E AND CHKED THE AREA WITH THE RADAR AND NOTICED A CELL TO THE E BUT FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO TURN INSIDE OF IT. PRIOR TO TKOF I CAUTIONED THE FO TO CALL DEP IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFTOFF SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE TIME TO NEGOTIATE A HDG. AN ACR MLG HAD TAKEN OFF JUST AHEAD OF US AND I WAS SURE DEP WAS AWARE OF THE WX. RIGHT AFTER TKOF WE ADVISED DEP THAT WE COULD TAKE A HDG OF NE OR SE AND WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 070. WE WERE PAINTING AN AREA OF WX THAT SHOWED MAGENTA AROUND THE EDGES AND RED IN THE MIDDLE. THE ACFT RADAR IS VERY SENSITIVE AND WE HAD IT IN THE LOWEST SENSITIVITY. DEP THEN GAVE US A HDG OF 090 WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WX. I TOLD THE FO TO TELL DEP THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO THAT AND ATC RESPONDED TELLING US THAT WE HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER AND THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD GONE THROUGH THE AREA WITHOUT COMPLAINT. AT THAT POINT I TOOK THE MICROPHONE (THE FO WAS A W COAST TYPE WHO TAKES 12 WORDS TO SAY WHAT A NEW ENGLANDER SAYS IN 2) AND IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS TOLD DEP THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN E UNTIL WE WERE CLR OF THE WX. WE WERE GIVEN A CLB TO 13000 FT AND I SELECTED MAX CTL PWR AND DEP THEN TOLD US TO PROVIDE OUR SEPARATION OURSELVES! (WE WERE IMC.) TO AVOID THE WX OUR HDG WAS 060 DEG AND WE BENT IT AROUND TO THE E (ANNOUNCING THIS TO ATC) IN 5 DEG INCREMENTS AS WE WENT AROUND THE WX. WITH 2 NEAR MISSES INVOLVING AIRLINERS AT MDW IN THE LAST 2 WKS I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ATC IN THIS AREA. (I REGRET NOT DECLARING AN EMER AS SOON AS DEP TOLD US TO PROVIDE OUR OWN SEPARATION.) THE ATTITUDE OF THIS CTLR IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PLTS WHO ARE INTIMIDATED INTO FLYING INTO WX THEY DEEM UNSUITABLE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IT. IN THIS CASE THE CAPT IS A 25 YR VETERAN WHO FULLY REALIZES HOW LITTLE HE KNOWS ABOUT FLYING INTO POSSIBLE SEVERE WX AND AVOIDS IT AT ALL COST.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.