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Air carrier medium large transport unable to coordination track deviation for thunderstorm avoidance declared an emergency and proceeded around the WX.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 115858 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198907 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ott |
| State Reference | MD |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zdc |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 115858 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Flight departed bwi for rdu. Thunderstorms were in the area and on the entire route of flight. We were working dca center. That controller was working 2 frequencys. As I approached a line of cells I asked for a left turn to avoid them. I did not set a response due to the fact he was overloaded with the other frequency I could not hear me. After a few attempts to set approval for the turn, I turned to avoid the cells. We finally were able to tell the controller our new heading, he then told us to turn back right. We were unable to do that. The controller realized I was not going to turn per his order. He then said I was going to leave his airspace. I asked him for a handoff. He told me if I flew the heading I was on he would not be responsible and I would have to provide my own separation. He left me no choice but to declare an emergency to avoid the cells he was vectoring me to. I believe this could have been avoided if we allow the controllers to work only one frequency at a time, after all when was the last time you held 2 different conversations with 2 different people at the same time?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG UNABLE TO COORD TRACK DEVIATION FOR TSTM AVOIDANCE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDED AROUND THE WX.
Narrative: FLT DEPARTED BWI FOR RDU. TSTMS WERE IN THE AREA AND ON THE ENTIRE ROUTE OF FLT. WE WERE WORKING DCA CENTER. THAT CTLR WAS WORKING 2 FREQS. AS I APCHED A LINE OF CELLS I ASKED FOR A LEFT TURN TO AVOID THEM. I DID NOT SET A RESPONSE DUE TO THE FACT HE WAS OVERLOADED WITH THE OTHER FREQ I COULD NOT HEAR ME. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS TO SET APPROVAL FOR THE TURN, I TURNED TO AVOID THE CELLS. WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO TELL THE CTLR OUR NEW HDG, HE THEN TOLD US TO TURN BACK RIGHT. WE WERE UNABLE TO DO THAT. THE CTLR REALIZED I WAS NOT GOING TO TURN PER HIS ORDER. HE THEN SAID I WAS GOING TO LEAVE HIS AIRSPACE. I ASKED HIM FOR A HANDOFF. HE TOLD ME IF I FLEW THE HDG I WAS ON HE WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE AND I WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE MY OWN SEPARATION. HE LEFT ME NO CHOICE BUT TO DECLARE AN EMER TO AVOID THE CELLS HE WAS VECTORING ME TO. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE ALLOW THE CTLRS TO WORK ONLY ONE FREQ AT A TIME, AFTER ALL WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HELD 2 DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS WITH 2 DIFFERENT PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME?
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.