Narrative:

While IFR to leesburg, va VMC, both ZNY and ZDC gave me no less than 6 re routes. These re routes caused a high work load in a turbulent environment (single axis autoplt) a good portion of my time was spent writing clrncs, tuning and identifying different vors and looking at charts for new airways. Meanwhile, the re routes adding 75 mi to my route that was originally planned at 320 NM. This ate into my fuel reserves for my destination. The main problem was vectors towards walls of dark mean tower cumulous clouds and thunderstorms. I entered the precursor to a massive cold front system approaching from the west. Never would I take my family of three into such a system. ATC was overloaded, the frequency (ZDC) was saturated. I have no thunderstorm equipment on board. I was vectored 260 degree in and out of twring cumulous clouds. When I broke out of a ____ and was visual I saw a dark wall 60 seconds away and turned on my own emergency authority to a heading of south and stayed clear of that system. The radio was saturated and I had my hands full flying in moderate to heavy turbulence, trying to maintain altitude. My family was throwing up. After about 1 and a half mins I re established contact with ATC and the controller vectored me due north. I was just about to squawk 7700 to get ATC's attention to both my WX problems and my concern of my lowering fuel state. The controller stated, 'I should have told him.' as a professional, I didn't argue. Main problems: 1) deteriorating WX moving in from the west, 2) vectors towards that WX, 3) ATC workload saturated, 4) fuel reserves a concern, and 5) no thunderstorm detection equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAD ATC ASSIGN A LENGTHY REROUTE AND ACCEPTED VECTORS INTO HAZARDOUS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY.

Narrative: WHILE IFR TO LEESBURG, VA VMC, BOTH ZNY AND ZDC GAVE ME NO LESS THAN 6 RE ROUTES. THESE RE ROUTES CAUSED A HIGH WORK LOAD IN A TURBULENT ENVIRONMENT (SINGLE AXIS AUTOPLT) A GOOD PORTION OF MY TIME WAS SPENT WRITING CLRNCS, TUNING AND IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT VORS AND LOOKING AT CHARTS FOR NEW AIRWAYS. MEANWHILE, THE RE ROUTES ADDING 75 MI TO MY ROUTE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED AT 320 NM. THIS ATE INTO MY FUEL RESERVES FOR MY DESTINATION. THE MAIN PROBLEM WAS VECTORS TOWARDS WALLS OF DARK MEAN TWR CUMULOUS CLOUDS AND TSTMS. I ENTERED THE PRECURSOR TO A MASSIVE COLD FRONT SYS APCHING FROM THE WEST. NEVER WOULD I TAKE MY FAMILY OF THREE INTO SUCH A SYS. ATC WAS OVERLOADED, THE FREQ (ZDC) WAS SATURATED. I HAVE NO TSTM EQUIP ON BOARD. I WAS VECTORED 260 DEG IN AND OUT OF TWRING CUMULOUS CLOUDS. WHEN I BROKE OUT OF A ____ AND WAS VISUAL I SAW A DARK WALL 60 SECONDS AWAY AND TURNED ON MY OWN EMER AUTHORITY TO A HDG OF SOUTH AND STAYED CLR OF THAT SYS. THE RADIO WAS SATURATED AND I HAD MY HANDS FULL FLYING IN MODERATE TO HEAVY TURB, TRYING TO MAINTAIN ALT. MY FAMILY WAS THROWING UP. AFTER ABOUT 1 AND A HALF MINS I RE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ATC AND THE CTLR VECTORED ME DUE NORTH. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SQUAWK 7700 TO GET ATC'S ATTENTION TO BOTH MY WX PROBLEMS AND MY CONCERN OF MY LOWERING FUEL STATE. THE CTLR STATED, 'I SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM.' AS A PROFESSIONAL, I DIDN'T ARGUE. MAIN PROBLEMS: 1) DETERIORATING WX MOVING IN FROM THE WEST, 2) VECTORS TOWARDS THAT WX, 3) ATC WORKLOAD SATURATED, 4) FUEL RESERVES A CONCERN, AND 5) NO TSTM DETECTION EQUIP.

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.