Narrative:

I was the flight leader of a 2 ship of fgt aircraft en route from hill AFB, ut to R6406 special use airspace. We were in standard formation with the second aircraft out in front of me by 1 mi. WX in the area and at hill AFB was marginal VFR with thunderstorms in the area. Approaching the area on a southwest heading, a thunderstorm was in our path. I asked clover for higher, but was denied. It looked like if we climbed 2000-3000', we could make it over the top. #2 (who had the navigation lead of the flight at the time) turned approximately 30 degrees farther west to avoid entering the thunderstorm. He did not tell clover he was doing so, and neither did I. I again asked for higher and was denied again. I believe at this time I told clover we were turned right for WX and they asked us to turn south. I informed them we could not turn south due to WX. They did not seem concerned about this at all. They informed us of traffic to our west. I assumed that was why they would not let us climb. Anyway, we finally made it around the thunderstorm and picked up a south heading as requested. Clover control was not at all perturbed and never gave any indication that we were close to any traffic. Upon return to base, I was told that ZLC had their switch patch go off, and that we had violated the minimum sep criteria from an medium large transport who was also an emergency with an engine out. None of this was passed to me in the air. The bottom line is that we were deviating for WX. I will not fly into a thunderstorm intentionally. The controling agency knew we were deviating and didn't say we couldn't. No instructions were issued to us such as 'turn south immediately', or anything to that effect. The only error that my flight committed was in not informing clover we were deviating west for WX at the exact moment we did it. We did inform them very shortly thereafter, however.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL FGT PLT WITH FLT OF 2 FGT ALLEGEDLY CAME WITHIN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION OF MLG DESCENDING INTO SLC WITH ENGINE OUT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLT LEADER OF A 2 SHIP OF FGT ACFT ENRTE FROM HILL AFB, UT TO R6406 SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE. WE WERE IN STANDARD FORMATION WITH THE SECOND ACFT OUT IN FRONT OF ME BY 1 MI. WX IN THE AREA AND AT HILL AFB WAS MARGINAL VFR WITH TSTMS IN THE AREA. APCHING THE AREA ON A SW HDG, A TSTM WAS IN OUR PATH. I ASKED CLOVER FOR HIGHER, BUT WAS DENIED. IT LOOKED LIKE IF WE CLBED 2000-3000', WE COULD MAKE IT OVER THE TOP. #2 (WHO HAD THE NAV LEAD OF THE FLT AT THE TIME) TURNED APPROX 30 DEGS FARTHER W TO AVOID ENTERING THE TSTM. HE DID NOT TELL CLOVER HE WAS DOING SO, AND NEITHER DID I. I AGAIN ASKED FOR HIGHER AND WAS DENIED AGAIN. I BELIEVE AT THIS TIME I TOLD CLOVER WE WERE TURNED RIGHT FOR WX AND THEY ASKED US TO TURN S. I INFORMED THEM WE COULD NOT TURN S DUE TO WX. THEY DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AT ALL. THEY INFORMED US OF TFC TO OUR W. I ASSUMED THAT WAS WHY THEY WOULD NOT LET US CLB. ANYWAY, WE FINALLY MADE IT AROUND THE TSTM AND PICKED UP A S HDG AS REQUESTED. CLOVER CTL WAS NOT AT ALL PERTURBED AND NEVER GAVE ANY INDICATION THAT WE WERE CLOSE TO ANY TFC. UPON RETURN TO BASE, I WAS TOLD THAT ZLC HAD THEIR SWITCH PATCH GO OFF, AND THAT WE HAD VIOLATED THE MINIMUM SEP CRITERIA FROM AN MLG WHO WAS ALSO AN EMER WITH AN ENG OUT. NONE OF THIS WAS PASSED TO ME IN THE AIR. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE WERE DEVIATING FOR WX. I WILL NOT FLY INTO A TSTM INTENTIONALLY. THE CTLING AGENCY KNEW WE WERE DEVIATING AND DIDN'T SAY WE COULDN'T. NO INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED TO US SUCH AS 'TURN S IMMEDIATELY', OR ANYTHING TO THAT EFFECT. THE ONLY ERROR THAT MY FLT COMMITTED WAS IN NOT INFORMING CLOVER WE WERE DEVIATING W FOR WX AT THE EXACT MOMENT WE DID IT. WE DID INFORM THEM VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HOWEVER.

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.