MD80 CREW HAD AN UNCOOPERATIVE ATC CTLR WHEN REQUESTING A RTE DIVERSION TO AVOID TSTM ACTIVITY.

Date: 1999-05 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-ctlr-attitude

Synopsis

MD80 CREW HAD AN UNCOOPERATIVE ATC CTLR WHEN REQUESTING A RTE DIVERSION TO AVOID TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative

WX AVOIDANCE. APCHING S OF ABQ; THERE WAS A LINE OF WX FROM 11 O'CLOCK POS TO THE N HORIZON. I REQUESTED S DEV; AS TOPS APPEARED ABOVE FL350. CTR REFUSED; CITING WHITE SANDS AIRSPACE. REQUESTED THEY ASK WHITE SANDS FOR PERMISSION. THEY DID. WHITE SANDS REFUSED; CITING A 'MISSION.' WE WERE LECTURED AS TO THE FACT THAT WHITE SANDS WAS A 'CUSTOMER' JUST LIKE US; AND HAD TO BE ACCOMMODATED; JUST LIKE US. WE DEVIATED N AND PASSED THROUGH MODERATE CHOP IN AN ANVIL CLOUD. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO FURTHER CELLS IN THE ATTENUATED AREA BEHIND THE FIRST LINE. AS WE PREPARED TO LEAVE THE FREQ; WE WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL; AND WERE THREATENED WITH HAVING 'OUR CASE' TURNED OVER TO SOMEONE IF WE DID NOT CALL; I GUESS FOR DARING TO ARGUE WITH THEM ABOUT THE DEV. UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST THE PHONE NUMBER AFTER ARR AT ONT AND WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY. THE ATC FOLKS OBVIOUSLY NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT AVOIDING A CONVECTIVE CELL AT HIGH ALT IS NOT OPTIONAL OR SOMETHING WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IF IT IS CONVENIENT. I SURE DON'T WANT TO BE HIT BY A MISSILE; BUT SENDING ME THROUGH A TSTM INSTEAD IS NOT THE ANSWER. AND THREATENING ME WITH SOME SORT OF VIOLATION BECAUSE I QUESTIONED THEIR ACTIONS IS VERY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.