Narrative:

We approached acton VOR on our approach into dfw at FL220 assigned 280 KIAS. We were painting a line of thunderstorms on our radar. The line ran from the southwest to the northeast. There was a very large storm on the southwest end of the line, and the storms became lighter to the northeast. It appeared that a short deviation to the north would leave us well clear of WX. Other aircraft had been cleared that direction, and we notified ZFW that we would like a deviation to the north to avoid the storms ahead. Ft worth advised that we would get a heading on the next frequency. We were about 30 mi from the storms when we changed frequency to dfw approach control. We heard another aircraft report severe turbulence. Someone asked approach to give the position of that aircraft. The reply by a busy controller was 'your guess is as good as mine.' we asked for a deviation to the north but were not given permission. Soon afterward, we requested an immediate deviation north. We were on a direct heading toward a large thunderstorm and the largest one was now a short distance to the south. We were told that we could not deviate to the north but could go south. This left us in a box. We started an immediate turn to the south, but by this time, we were very close and were not able to miss the WX completely. We caught the edge of the storms and experienced severe turbulence and hail for a short time. The frequency was very busy and we were unable to contact the controller. Since we didn't have permission to turn any direction except south, we squawked 7700 and declared an emergency as we continued the 180 degree turn to the west. After contact was again established, we were given permission to deviate around the WX to the south. After we cleared the storms on the west side, we proceeded about 35 mi south of acton, found a large opening, went around the south side, and continued over acton for an uneventful approach to dfw. The entire event could have been avoided if the controllers had made some decision on where to send us earlier. We made several requests for deviations, and from a point 30 mi from the storms, we could have gone almost anywhere. As it was, they left us with no options except to fly through or dangerously near the WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC DUE TO SEVERE TURB HAIL DECLARED EMER MADE 180 DEG TURN FOR WX AVOIDANCE.

Narrative: WE APCHED ACTON VOR ON OUR APCH INTO DFW AT FL220 ASSIGNED 280 KIAS. WE WERE PAINTING A LINE OF TSTMS ON OUR RADAR. THE LINE RAN FROM THE SW TO THE NE. THERE WAS A VERY LARGE STORM ON THE SW END OF THE LINE, AND THE STORMS BECAME LIGHTER TO THE NE. IT APPEARED THAT A SHORT DEV TO THE N WOULD LEAVE US WELL CLR OF WX. OTHER ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED THAT DIRECTION, AND WE NOTIFIED ZFW THAT WE WOULD LIKE A DEV TO THE N TO AVOID THE STORMS AHEAD. FT WORTH ADVISED THAT WE WOULD GET A HDG ON THE NEXT FREQ. WE WERE ABOUT 30 MI FROM THE STORMS WHEN WE CHANGED FREQ TO DFW APCH CTL. WE HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RPT SEVERE TURB. SOMEONE ASKED APCH TO GIVE THE POS OF THAT ACFT. THE REPLY BY A BUSY CTLR WAS 'YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.' WE ASKED FOR A DEV TO THE N BUT WERE NOT GIVEN PERMISSION. SOON AFTERWARD, WE REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DEV N. WE WERE ON A DIRECT HDG TOWARD A LARGE TSTM AND THE LARGEST ONE WAS NOW A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE S. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD NOT DEVIATE TO THE N BUT COULD GO S. THIS LEFT US IN A BOX. WE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE S, BUT BY THIS TIME, WE WERE VERY CLOSE AND WERE NOT ABLE TO MISS THE WX COMPLETELY. WE CAUGHT THE EDGE OF THE STORMS AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE TURB AND HAIL FOR A SHORT TIME. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT THE CTLR. SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE PERMISSION TO TURN ANY DIRECTION EXCEPT S, WE SQUAWKED 7700 AND DECLARED AN EMER AS WE CONTINUED THE 180 DEG TURN TO THE W. AFTER CONTACT WAS AGAIN ESTABLISHED, WE WERE GIVEN PERMISSION TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WX TO THE S. AFTER WE CLRED THE STORMS ON THE W SIDE, WE PROCEEDED ABOUT 35 MI S OF ACTON, FOUND A LARGE OPENING, WENT AROUND THE S SIDE, AND CONTINUED OVER ACTON FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH TO DFW. THE ENTIRE EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLRS HAD MADE SOME DECISION ON WHERE TO SEND US EARLIER. WE MADE SEVERAL REQUESTS FOR DEVS, AND FROM A POINT 30 MI FROM THE STORMS, WE COULD HAVE GONE ALMOST ANYWHERE. AS IT WAS, THEY LEFT US WITH NO OPTIONS EXCEPT TO FLY THROUGH OR DANGEROUSLY NEAR THE WX.

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.