Narrative:

Upon climb out from dca and initial turn from the dca 328 degree radial to an easterly heading, proceeding in the direction of paleo intersection, ATC was unable to accommodate a turn for hazardous WX. We advised washington center of the necessity to turn northwest, and they declined our request telling us to, 'squawk 7700 and do what you have to.' we set the transponder to 7700 and took appropriate evasive WX avoidance turning to a northwesterly heading. The controller on washington center frequency 124.55 stated, 'he wasn't picking up anything greater than level 1 activity, and that other aircraft traversed the area, so why couldn't we?' flight conditions were rapidly deteriorating, with continuous moderate turbulence and lightning in the distance. Time was critical since onboard radar depicted cell activity ahead, and any further delay would have compromised safety. We were apparently denied a turn due to overlapping sector airspace responsibility. We didn't declare an emergency, but complied with setting the transponder to 7700 for turn initiation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDC UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE B737 FLC HDG CHANGE DUE TO WX ADVISING THEM TO SQUAWK 7700 AND 'DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO' AS FLC INITIATES EVASIVE MANEUVER.

Narrative: UPON CLBOUT FROM DCA AND INITIAL TURN FROM THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL TO AN EASTERLY HEADING, PROCEEDING IN THE DIRECTION OF PALEO INTERSECTION, ATC WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A TURN FOR HAZARDOUS WX. WE ADVISED WASHINGTON CENTER OF THE NECESSITY TO TURN NW, AND THEY DECLINED OUR REQUEST TELLING US TO, 'SQUAWK 7700 AND DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO.' WE SET THE TRANSPONDER TO 7700 AND TOOK APPROPRIATE EVASIVE WX AVOIDANCE TURNING TO A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING. THE CTLR ON WASHINGTON CENTER FREQ 124.55 STATED, 'HE WASN'T PICKING UP ANYTHING GREATER THAN LEVEL 1 ACTIVITY, AND THAT OTHER ACFT TRAVERSED THE AREA, SO WHY COULDN'T WE?' FLT CONDITIONS WERE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING, WITH CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB AND LIGHTNING IN THE DISTANCE. TIME WAS CRITICAL SINCE ONBOARD RADAR DEPICTED CELL ACTIVITY AHEAD, AND ANY FURTHER DELAY WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED SAFETY. WE WERE APPARENTLY DENIED A TURN DUE TO OVERLAPPING SECTOR AIRSPACE RESPONSIBILITY. WE DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER, BUT COMPLIED WITH SETTING THE TRANSPONDER TO 7700 FOR TURN INITIATION.

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.