Narrative:

While in pdx, the dispatcher and I discussed the affect WX in the upper midwest would have on my flight from sfo to bwi. It was decided to file as far south as practical to avoid the anticipated thunderstorms that would be occurring if the normal route to bwi, just south of chicago, was to be flown. The route chosen was sfo..lin J84 ilc J58 mlf..per..rzc..iiu..bkw J147 csn OTT6 bwi. The flight was proceeding as planned when abeam lbl, ZKC said we had a reroute. The assigned route was direct vhp..ape..air..keman EMI4 bwi. The reason given was a WX reroute. Shortly after proceeding on this route direct to vhp, it became apparent that severe WX was going to be encountered. The WX system required the flight to deviate off this new route more to the north and proceed north of irk before it was at all possible to turn eastward toward ape as going to vhp was a total impossibility. The flight experienced moderate turbulence and required all passenger and flight attendants to remain seated for almost 1 hour. Upon exiting this WX system, the ZOB controller read a SIGMET issued for the area I had just passed through that warned of possible tornadoes in that area. According to my dispatcher, my flight would have avoided all the WX if we had stayed on the original route. I now feel the FAA put this flight in an unsafe area that was totally unnecessary. This is the 3RD time this summer that a planned WX avoidance route was filed and then amended by the FAA with a reroute through the WX I had filed to avoid. Should I ever file a WX avoidance route again, I shall not accept a reroute from ATC flow until I contact my dispatcher and get the true story as where I am being directed to fly!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER FILING A FLT PLAN WITH COMPANY TO AVOID SEVERE WX, A B757 CAPT WAS GIVEN A REROUTE BY ATC THAT TOOK THE FLT THROUGH TSTMS AND TURB.

Narrative: WHILE IN PDX, THE DISPATCHER AND I DISCUSSED THE AFFECT WX IN THE UPPER MIDWEST WOULD HAVE ON MY FLT FROM SFO TO BWI. IT WAS DECIDED TO FILE AS FAR S AS PRACTICAL TO AVOID THE ANTICIPATED TSTMS THAT WOULD BE OCCURRING IF THE NORMAL RTE TO BWI, JUST S OF CHICAGO, WAS TO BE FLOWN. THE RTE CHOSEN WAS SFO..LIN J84 ILC J58 MLF..PER..RZC..IIU..BKW J147 CSN OTT6 BWI. THE FLT WAS PROCEEDING AS PLANNED WHEN ABEAM LBL, ZKC SAID WE HAD A REROUTE. THE ASSIGNED RTE WAS DIRECT VHP..APE..AIR..KEMAN EMI4 BWI. THE REASON GIVEN WAS A WX REROUTE. SHORTLY AFTER PROCEEDING ON THIS RTE DIRECT TO VHP, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT SEVERE WX WAS GOING TO BE ENCOUNTERED. THE WX SYS REQUIRED THE FLT TO DEVIATE OFF THIS NEW RTE MORE TO THE N AND PROCEED N OF IRK BEFORE IT WAS AT ALL POSSIBLE TO TURN EASTWARD TOWARD APE AS GOING TO VHP WAS A TOTAL IMPOSSIBILITY. THE FLT EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB AND REQUIRED ALL PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED FOR ALMOST 1 HR. UPON EXITING THIS WX SYS, THE ZOB CTLR READ A SIGMET ISSUED FOR THE AREA I HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH THAT WARNED OF POSSIBLE TORNADOES IN THAT AREA. ACCORDING TO MY DISPATCHER, MY FLT WOULD HAVE AVOIDED ALL THE WX IF WE HAD STAYED ON THE ORIGINAL RTE. I NOW FEEL THE FAA PUT THIS FLT IN AN UNSAFE AREA THAT WAS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS SUMMER THAT A PLANNED WX AVOIDANCE RTE WAS FILED AND THEN AMENDED BY THE FAA WITH A REROUTE THROUGH THE WX I HAD FILED TO AVOID. SHOULD I EVER FILE A WX AVOIDANCE RTE AGAIN, I SHALL NOT ACCEPT A REROUTE FROM ATC FLOW UNTIL I CONTACT MY DISPATCHER AND GET THE TRUE STORY AS WHERE I AM BEING DIRECTED TO FLY!

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.