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Air carrier large transport declared an emergency to enable the aircraft to continue WX deviation into restricted airspace.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 119515 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198908 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bty |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors enroute : direct enroute airway : j92 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 119515 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 23000 |
| ASRS Report | 119341 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
We departed san francisco for las vegas via linden J84, J92, beatty, fuzzy, las. We were aware that thunderstorms existed east of the sierras. Approaching the mountains we advised ZOA we would soon have to begin deviating. Oak advised us that J92 was 'closed' due to thunderstorms and we should expect to be rerouted via milford, ut. We were on initial vector toward milford as we crossed J92 south of coaldale. ZOA advised J92 was now open and gave a vector heading toward beatty. We replied we would have to hold our current heading to go around the east side of a large thunderstorm on J92. Shortly, center (lax by now) asked how much further east we had to go. We replied 15 mi. Lax said that in 7 mi we would reach boundary of restr area. In the time it took to say all this, lax said turn now to a heading that would put us right in the thunderstorm, according to lax, no other heading would keep us out of restr area. Captain declared an emergency and flew headings to stay out of thunderstorms, but apparently we entered restr areas. Eventually, we went around all the thunderstorms (which the media reported were the worst in a decade) and landed in las. Given the limitations of ATC and airborne WX radar there is probably no way to prevent this type of situation. If there is a narrow airway between restr areas, and thunderstorms develop, sooner or later airplanes will wind up either in the restr area or in the thunderstorms. Supplemental information from acn 119341: shortly after level off, we were informed by oak ATC that we were being rerouted over milford because J92 was closed due to severe WX. As we approached bty, it became apparent on our radar that we would need to deviate either east or west. We obtained a clearance to deviate to the east. More communication between all involved parties could have resulted in a coordinated effort to counteract some of the shortcomings of the system as it exists today.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LGT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO ENABLE THE ACFT TO CONTINUE WX DEVIATION INTO RESTRICTED AIRSPACE.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED SAN FRANCISCO FOR LAS VEGAS VIA LINDEN J84, J92, BEATTY, FUZZY, LAS. WE WERE AWARE THAT TSTMS EXISTED E OF THE SIERRAS. APCHING THE MOUNTAINS WE ADVISED ZOA WE WOULD SOON HAVE TO BEGIN DEVIATING. OAK ADVISED US THAT J92 WAS 'CLOSED' DUE TO TSTMS AND WE SHOULD EXPECT TO BE REROUTED VIA MILFORD, UT. WE WERE ON INITIAL VECTOR TOWARD MILFORD AS WE CROSSED J92 S OF COALDALE. ZOA ADVISED J92 WAS NOW OPEN AND GAVE A VECTOR HDG TOWARD BEATTY. WE REPLIED WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD OUR CURRENT HDG TO GO AROUND THE E SIDE OF A LARGE TSTM ON J92. SHORTLY, CENTER (LAX BY NOW) ASKED HOW MUCH FURTHER E WE HAD TO GO. WE REPLIED 15 MI. LAX SAID THAT IN 7 MI WE WOULD REACH BOUNDARY OF RESTR AREA. IN THE TIME IT TOOK TO SAY ALL THIS, LAX SAID TURN NOW TO A HDG THAT WOULD PUT US RIGHT IN THE TSTM, ACCORDING TO LAX, NO OTHER HDG WOULD KEEP US OUT OF RESTR AREA. CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND FLEW HDGS TO STAY OUT OF TSTMS, BUT APPARENTLY WE ENTERED RESTR AREAS. EVENTUALLY, WE WENT AROUND ALL THE TSTMS (WHICH THE MEDIA REPORTED WERE THE WORST IN A DECADE) AND LANDED IN LAS. GIVEN THE LIMITATIONS OF ATC AND AIRBORNE WX RADAR THERE IS PROBABLY NO WAY TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. IF THERE IS A NARROW AIRWAY BETWEEN RESTR AREAS, AND TSTMS DEVELOP, SOONER OR LATER AIRPLANES WILL WIND UP EITHER IN THE RESTR AREA OR IN THE TSTMS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 119341: SHORTLY AFTER LEVEL OFF, WE WERE INFORMED BY OAK ATC THAT WE WERE BEING REROUTED OVER MILFORD BECAUSE J92 WAS CLOSED DUE TO SEVERE WX. AS WE APCHED BTY, IT BECAME APPARENT ON OUR RADAR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DEVIATE EITHER E OR W. WE OBTAINED A CLRNC TO DEVIATE TO THE E. MORE COM BETWEEN ALL INVOLVED PARTIES COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A COORDINATED EFFORT TO COUNTERACT SOME OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE SYSTEM AS IT EXISTS TODAY.
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.