Narrative:

While descending into the dca area a great deal of thunderstorm activity was building in the dca arrival area making it necessary for numerous deviations to avoid severe WX. The arrival path to dca was clustered with numerous contouring cells growing in intensity which made necessary our deviations which put us in a position south then east of dca. During this time we received an ACARS message of a PIREP-a 767 over armel reporting severe turbulence at 2000 ft. Aircraft on the arrival into dca were making reports of the same severe turbulence as well as moderate to heavy rain and a report of minus 20 KTS windshear on final to runway 18 on the river visual to dca. Previous to this we were given a complete rerouting to dca by ord that added a great deal extra time en route which used up any previous holding fuel that we were given upon our arrival into dca. With severe WX less than 5 mi from the airport and closing fast as well as ATC controllers wanting us to go into hazardous WX to attempt an approach and no holding fuel we had no choice but to divert to ric. We stayed there long enough to refuel and then departed and landed safely at dca. In conclusion I would like to comment that ATC controllers have no business whatsoever attempting to route aircraft through known hazardous WX simply because others are foolish enough to drive through and are lucky enough to survive. I felt pressured on more than 1 occasion during this experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WX FACTORS - ACR DIVERTS TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT AFTER RECEIVING RPTS OF SEVERE TURB AND WINDSHEAR AT THE SCHEDULED DEST.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING INTO THE DCA AREA A GREAT DEAL OF TSTM ACTIVITY WAS BUILDING IN THE DCA ARR AREA MAKING IT NECESSARY FOR NUMEROUS DEVS TO AVOID SEVERE WX. THE ARR PATH TO DCA WAS CLUSTERED WITH NUMEROUS CONTOURING CELLS GROWING IN INTENSITY WHICH MADE NECESSARY OUR DEVS WHICH PUT US IN A POS S THEN E OF DCA. DURING THIS TIME WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE OF A PIREP-A 767 OVER ARMEL RPTING SEVERE TURB AT 2000 FT. ACFT ON THE ARR INTO DCA WERE MAKING RPTS OF THE SAME SEVERE TURB AS WELL AS MODERATE TO HVY RAIN AND A RPT OF MINUS 20 KTS WINDSHEAR ON FINAL TO RWY 18 ON THE RIVER VISUAL TO DCA. PREVIOUS TO THIS WE WERE GIVEN A COMPLETE REROUTING TO DCA BY ORD THAT ADDED A GREAT DEAL EXTRA TIME ENRTE WHICH USED UP ANY PREVIOUS HOLDING FUEL THAT WE WERE GIVEN UPON OUR ARR INTO DCA. WITH SEVERE WX LESS THAN 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AND CLOSING FAST AS WELL AS ATC CTLRS WANTING US TO GO INTO HAZARDOUS WX TO ATTEMPT AN APCH AND NO HOLDING FUEL WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DIVERT TO RIC. WE STAYED THERE LONG ENOUGH TO REFUEL AND THEN DEPARTED AND LANDED SAFELY AT DCA. IN CONCLUSION I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT THAT ATC CTLRS HAVE NO BUSINESS WHATSOEVER ATTEMPTING TO RTE ACFT THROUGH KNOWN HAZARDOUS WX SIMPLY BECAUSE OTHERS ARE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO DRIVE THROUGH AND ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE. I FELT PRESSURED ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASION DURING THIS EXPERIENCE.

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.