Narrative:

Approaching nepta, jax advised us that we would have to deviate on a heading of 120 degrees for 180-190 mi south of course to clear WX. That would have put us close to the 162 NM limit of our limited overwater equipped aircraft. Also, rapidly bldg storms to the south would have forced us to either penetrate them or deviate even farther, neither of which the captain would accept. He suggested and was cleared on a heading of 100 degrees to avoid WX. He asked about turning northeast, toward mobile. Here it began to get confusing to me. Jax said it would be an initial heading of 020 degrees, with further clearance from military airspace. We did not accept the clearance, then deviated on a heading of 075 degrees to clear a storm. We penetrated W151C and W151D approximately 50 mi before we cleared WX. We asked for and received clearance direct blond intersection, then ZMA vectored us 140 degrees until clear of military airspace. The captain exercised his authority to provide safe transit for the aircraft. Due to rapidly bldg storms an the limits of overwater equipment, deviating to the south did not appear to be an option. Fuel was not a factor. It was unclear to me whether we had clearance to deviate as far north as we did, or even penetrate warning areas. Jax initially told us the military areas were hot, but then advised that we could be cleared on an 020 degree heading if we requested. With summer upon us, coordination between pilot, center and military airspace controllers is imperative. Up to the minute WX reporting is also needed. If we would have stayed on the course jax advised, we would have had a very rough ride in some rapidly bldg storms.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FLT CREW DEVIATES AROUND WX BUILD-UPS USING COMMAND AUTHORITY.

Narrative: APCHING NEPTA, JAX ADVISED US THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DEVIATE ON A HDG OF 120 DEGS FOR 180-190 MI S OF COURSE TO CLR WX. THAT WOULD HAVE PUT US CLOSE TO THE 162 NM LIMIT OF OUR LIMITED OVERWATER EQUIPPED ACFT. ALSO, RAPIDLY BLDG STORMS TO THE S WOULD HAVE FORCED US TO EITHER PENETRATE THEM OR DEVIATE EVEN FARTHER, NEITHER OF WHICH THE CAPT WOULD ACCEPT. HE SUGGESTED AND WAS CLRED ON A HDG OF 100 DEGS TO AVOID WX. HE ASKED ABOUT TURNING NE, TOWARD MOBILE. HERE IT BEGAN TO GET CONFUSING TO ME. JAX SAID IT WOULD BE AN INITIAL HDG OF 020 DEGS, WITH FURTHER CLRNC FROM MIL AIRSPACE. WE DID NOT ACCEPT THE CLRNC, THEN DEVIATED ON A HDG OF 075 DEGS TO CLR A STORM. WE PENETRATED W151C AND W151D APPROX 50 MI BEFORE WE CLRED WX. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC DIRECT BLOND INTXN, THEN ZMA VECTORED US 140 DEGS UNTIL CLR OF MIL AIRSPACE. THE CAPT EXERCISED HIS AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE SAFE TRANSIT FOR THE ACFT. DUE TO RAPIDLY BLDG STORMS AN THE LIMITS OF OVERWATER EQUIP, DEVIATING TO THE S DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AN OPTION. FUEL WAS NOT A FACTOR. IT WAS UNCLEAR TO ME WHETHER WE HAD CLRNC TO DEVIATE AS FAR N AS WE DID, OR EVEN PENETRATE WARNING AREAS. JAX INITIALLY TOLD US THE MIL AREAS WERE HOT, BUT THEN ADVISED THAT WE COULD BE CLRED ON AN 020 DEG HDG IF WE REQUESTED. WITH SUMMER UPON US, COORD BTWN PLT, CENTER AND MIL AIRSPACE CTLRS IS IMPERATIVE. UP TO THE MINUTE WX RPTING IS ALSO NEEDED. IF WE WOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE COURSE JAX ADVISED, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A VERY ROUGH RIDE IN SOME RAPIDLY BLDG STORMS.

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.