Narrative:

The flight was from ZZZ to mco via the goufy 5 arrival over the X intersection. Numerous buildups/thunderstorms building along route of flight; strongest of which were located along and to the east of the arrival route. Deviations started almost immediately after takeoff. The ZMA controller working mco arrs gave us our initial descent clearance from FL190 to 13000 ft. We were unable to descend because of WX building rapidly below us and asked to delay descent. The controller gave us discretion to 13000 ft and told us to 'expect' bairn at 8000 ft. Told controller that we would not be able to fly directly over bairn due to WX and that we needed minor deviations to west of bairn. She requested we deviate right because of military airspace to west; but this was impossible due to large area of WX to the east of the arrival centerline. We started the descent and at this point I reverted to hand flying the aircraft as deviating on the autoplt became impractical. Shortly thereafter; we were issued a clearance to cross bairn at 8000 ft but told controller we were unable to comply as we were at 13000 ft and only 10 mi from the fix. A lengthy conversation ensued between the controller and the first officer and the controller then instructed us to enter holding at bairn. We were unable to comply because of large cell situationting just to the north of bairn. She then asked us to hold at present position. Again; we were unable to comply because of the WX building rapidly in all quadrants. At this point we had no choice but to proceed straight ahead and thread our way through the WX until clear just to the west of bairn; which is what we did. We briefly discussed declaring an emergency so that I could use that authority/authorized to maneuver the aircraft safely around the WX; but at this point the controller handed us over to approach. We cleared the WX shortly thereafter and were vectored for a normal landing on runway 18L. If I had it to do over again; I would have declared an emergency earlier in this scenario; as it was clear that she had a fundamental lack of understanding of the seriousness of the WX and our lack of safe options. This would also have given us relief from the constant verbal haranguing which was most unwelcome at this stressful and task-saturated time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW RPTS TRACON OR ARTCC CTLR RESISTANCE TO WX DEV AND ALT CONSTRAINT RELIEF ON MCO GOUFY 5 STAR WITH TSTMS ALONG THE RTE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM ZZZ TO MCO VIA THE GOUFY 5 ARR OVER THE X INTXN. NUMEROUS BUILDUPS/TSTMS BUILDING ALONG RTE OF FLT; STRONGEST OF WHICH WERE LOCATED ALONG AND TO THE E OF THE ARR RTE. DEVS STARTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. THE ZMA CTLR WORKING MCO ARRS GAVE US OUR INITIAL DSCNT CLRNC FROM FL190 TO 13000 FT. WE WERE UNABLE TO DSND BECAUSE OF WX BUILDING RAPIDLY BELOW US AND ASKED TO DELAY DSCNT. THE CTLR GAVE US DISCRETION TO 13000 FT AND TOLD US TO 'EXPECT' BAIRN AT 8000 FT. TOLD CTLR THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FLY DIRECTLY OVER BAIRN DUE TO WX AND THAT WE NEEDED MINOR DEVS TO W OF BAIRN. SHE REQUESTED WE DEVIATE R BECAUSE OF MIL AIRSPACE TO W; BUT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO LARGE AREA OF WX TO THE E OF THE ARR CTRLINE. WE STARTED THE DSCNT AND AT THIS POINT I REVERTED TO HAND FLYING THE ACFT AS DEVIATING ON THE AUTOPLT BECAME IMPRACTICAL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO CROSS BAIRN AT 8000 FT BUT TOLD CTLR WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY AS WE WERE AT 13000 FT AND ONLY 10 MI FROM THE FIX. A LENGTHY CONVERSATION ENSUED BTWN THE CTLR AND THE FO AND THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO ENTER HOLDING AT BAIRN. WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY BECAUSE OF LARGE CELL SITUATIONTING JUST TO THE N OF BAIRN. SHE THEN ASKED US TO HOLD AT PRESENT POS. AGAIN; WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY BECAUSE OF THE WX BUILDING RAPIDLY IN ALL QUADRANTS. AT THIS POINT WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PROCEED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND THREAD OUR WAY THROUGH THE WX UNTIL CLR JUST TO THE W OF BAIRN; WHICH IS WHAT WE DID. WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED DECLARING AN EMER SO THAT I COULD USE THAT AUTH TO MANEUVER THE ACFT SAFELY AROUND THE WX; BUT AT THIS POINT THE CTLR HANDED US OVER TO APCH. WE CLRED THE WX SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND WERE VECTORED FOR A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 18L. IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN; I WOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER EARLIER IN THIS SCENARIO; AS IT WAS CLR THAT SHE HAD A FUNDAMENTAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE WX AND OUR LACK OF SAFE OPTIONS. THIS WOULD ALSO HAVE GIVEN US RELIEF FROM THE CONSTANT VERBAL HARANGUING WHICH WAS MOST UNWELCOME AT THIS STRESSFUL AND TASK-SATURATED TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.