CAPT OF AN MLG DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED HDG IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID TSTMS DURING DSCNT FOR APCH.

Narrative

OUR FLT WAS OPERATING FROM MSY TO STL; AND THE CREW OBSERVED NUMEROUS TSTM CELLS ENRTE; WHICH REQUIRED DEV. DURING THE LETDOWN PHASE FROM CRUISE ALT ON THE 'Q BALL' ARR; WE ENCOUNTERED SOME CELLS THAT WERE NOT PRODUCING RAIN; BUT EXPERIENCED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB AS WE FLEW THROUGH THESE CELLS. MOST OF THESE WERE IN THE BUILDING STAGE; AND SOME WERE ABOVE 30000 FT. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTION TO TURN TO A 290 DEG HDG AT CHIKN INTXN; AND CONTACT THE FINAL CTLR. AS WE WERE APCHING CHIKN WE NOTICED A CELL ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD THAT WAS PRODUCING CONSIDERABLE RED CONTOUR. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO ADVISE THAT THE FINAL CTLR THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO AVOID THIS CELL. THE FO CALLED THE FINAL CTLR AS PER INSTRUCTION OF THE PREVIOUS CTLR; AND ADDED THAT WE NEEDED TO TURN TO AVOID WX AHEAD. THE RESPONSE FROM THE FINAL CTLR WAS THAT WE SHOULD SHUT UP; AND QUIT STEPPING ON EVERYONE. WE HAD NOT BEGUN OUR XMISSION WHILE THERE WAS OTHER RADIO TFC ON FREQ; SO THIS WAS PUZZLING AS WELL AS ANNOYING. WE NEEDED TO GET A TURN FROM ATC TO AVOID WX; AND THE STRESS WAS BUILDING; BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE CTLR'S PLANS WERE; OR IF HE UNDERSTOOD OUR REQUEST. A FEW MOMENTS LATER WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 270 DEG HDG; BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO MISS THE WX. THE CTLR WAS NOT GIVING US A CHANCE TO COM OUT REQUEST FOR A TURN TO AVOID THE WX. BY THIS TIME WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO THE CELL THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED; AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT UNLESS WE TURNED IMMEDIATELY; WE WERE GOING TO GO RIGHT THROUGH IT. THEN THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO A 310 DEG HDG; THE NET RESULT OF THAT TURN WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT WE WOULD HAVE HIT THE CELL AT THE SAME SPOT AS WE WOULD HAVE ON THE INITIAL HDG OF 290 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A TURN INSTRUCTING THE FO TO TELL THE FINAL CTLR THAT WE WERE GOING TO TURN TO 330 DEGS TO AVOID THE CELL. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY TELLING US TO CLB TO 6000 FT IMMEDIATELY. WE COMPLIED WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS; AND THE CTLR TOOK US THROUGH THE LOC TO TURN ON FROM THE N SIDE. AS THE CTLR WAS TURNING US ON TO THE LOC; HE INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO A 210 DEG HDG. AS THE FO WAS READING BACK THIS CLRNC; THE CTLR BEGAN ANOTHER XMISSION INSTRUCTING US TO TURN TO A 150 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. HOWEVER PART OF THE FLT NUMBER WAS CLIPPED; AND I ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE CLRED TO INTERCEPT ON A 150 DEG HDG. AS THE FO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LAST CLRNC ASKING FOR A VERIFICATION; THE CTLR JUMPED US AGAIN TELLING US THAT 'WE HAD BETTER LISTEN UP AND STOP STEPPING ON EVERYBODY.' WITH THE STRESS OF THE WX; AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD BEEN HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME MAKING THIS CTLR UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEEDED DEV; AND BECAUSE HIS DEMEANOR WAS SO ABRASIVE; I TOLD HIM THAT 'HE HAD BETTER START LISTENING TO US.' I CONTACTED STL TRACON VIA TELEPHONE AFTER ARRIVING AT STL; AND DISCUSSED THIS PROB WITH THEM; AN ASKED IF OUR DEV HAD CAUSED A TFC CONFLICT. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT.