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Air carrier medium large transport flight crew turns to heading greater than that approved ATC for WX avoidance. Less than standard separation probably resulted.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 151419 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199007 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sav |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 17300 flight time type : 220 |
| ASRS Report | 151419 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 151396 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 30000 vertical : 800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flight was on initial climb out from rdu to mmon on a direct routing from fay to sav climbing to FL350. There were numerous thunderstorm cells and extensive precipitation along our route of flight with several aircraft ahead of us deviating for WX. At approximately the sav 035/120 DME, we (air carrier a) requested a 30 degree right (west) turn to avoid a thunderstorm cell. Air carrier a was heading 220 degree at the time of request climbing through FL290 for 350. Jax center approved the request for a 30 degree turn at which time a turn to 250 degree was initiated. Shortly after rolling out on the 250 degree heading it became evident to the crew that a further turn to the west was necessary to avoid entering the cell. A turn was initiated to a heading of 265 degree while passing FL310 for 350 the crew tried to contact jax center but the frequency was congested, especially with a navy aircraft with a cracked windshield trying to divert to charleston, sc. After holding 265 for about 1 min and just as air carrier a clearing the WX, jax center called and asked our heading and directed an immediate left turn to 180 degree for traffic avoidance. As we complied immediately with the controller directive he vectored a northbound air carrier B aircraft to a 270 degree heading and advised us we had traffic at 3 O'clock and 5 mi at FL310. Air carrier a was climbing through 31.8 at that time. Shortly after rolling out on the 180 degree heading, the controller cleared us direct sav (approximately a 220 degree heading), nothing more was said by jax center. The heading deviation was regrettable but absolutely necessary to avoid the cell. Had the controller not been so busy with diverting aircraft and a military emergency we would have been able to advise him sooner of the necessity for a WX deviation greater than the originally requested. The crew of air carrier a regrets this occurrence and any consternation it may have caused the ATC controller involved.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW TURNS TO HEADING GREATER THAN THAT APPROVED ATC FOR WX AVOIDANCE. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION PROBABLY RESULTED.
Narrative: FLT WAS ON INITIAL CLBOUT FROM RDU TO MMON ON A DIRECT RTING FROM FAY TO SAV CLBING TO FL350. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTM CELLS AND EXTENSIVE PRECIPITATION ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT WITH SEVERAL ACFT AHEAD OF US DEVIATING FOR WX. AT APPROX THE SAV 035/120 DME, WE (ACR A) REQUESTED A 30 DEG R (W) TURN TO AVOID A TSTM CELL. ACR A WAS HDG 220 DEG AT THE TIME OF REQUEST CLBING THROUGH FL290 FOR 350. JAX CTR APPROVED THE REQUEST FOR A 30 DEG TURN AT WHICH TIME A TURN TO 250 DEG WAS INITIATED. SHORTLY AFTER ROLLING OUT ON THE 250 DEG HDG IT BECAME EVIDENT TO THE CREW THAT A FURTHER TURN TO THE W WAS NECESSARY TO AVOID ENTERING THE CELL. A TURN WAS INITIATED TO A HDG OF 265 DEG WHILE PASSING FL310 FOR 350 THE CREW TRIED TO CONTACT JAX CTR BUT THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED, ESPECIALLY WITH A NAVY ACFT WITH A CRACKED WINDSHIELD TRYING TO DIVERT TO CHARLESTON, SC. AFTER HOLDING 265 FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AND JUST AS ACR A CLRING THE WX, JAX CTR CALLED AND ASKED OUR HDG AND DIRECTED AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO 180 DEG FOR TFC AVOIDANCE. AS WE COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY WITH THE CTLR DIRECTIVE HE VECTORED A NBND ACR B ACFT TO A 270 DEG HDG AND ADVISED US WE HAD TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI AT FL310. ACR A WAS CLBING THROUGH 31.8 AT THAT TIME. SHORTLY AFTER ROLLING OUT ON THE 180 DEG HDG, THE CTLR CLRED US DIRECT SAV (APPROX A 220 DEG HDG), NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY JAX CTR. THE HDG DEV WAS REGRETTABLE BUT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO AVOID THE CELL. HAD THE CTLR NOT BEEN SO BUSY WITH DIVERTING ACFT AND A MIL EMER WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADVISE HIM SOONER OF THE NECESSITY FOR A WX DEV GREATER THAN THE ORIGINALLY REQUESTED. THE CREW OF ACR A REGRETS THIS OCCURRENCE AND ANY CONSTERNATION IT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ATC CTLR INVOLVED.
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.