Narrative:

Flight ewr-dca at cruise altitude with clearance to descend, cleared to fly V378 (VOR 245 degree radial) balance, dca. This was not original route. At balance VOR V378 appeared to fly into convective activity. A slight deviation to the left of course was taken to avoid radar depiction of heavy WX. Moderate turbulence and rain buffeted the aircraft and the descent was initiated. Shortly thereafter, a very annoyed center controller informed me that I was 10 mi left of the airway in another (washington) sector's airspace. I then realized that, with all the distrs of descending through WX, turbulence, and avoiding thunderstorms, I had neglected to tell the controller what I was doing and why. I should have informed the center of what was transpiring immediately! He had a right to know and to be annoyed! I received quite a lecture about how important it is to adhere to the airway and how close the sector airspace boundary was. I felt about 2 inches high. It was sound judgement to avoid the heavy WX but failure to inform the controller of my course of action in a more timely manner could have caused a problem at least as serious as a thunderstorm. Upon arrival at my destination, I phoned both the new york sector and the adjacent washington sector and was assured that no 'incident' had occurred. I took this opportunity to assure those involved that I realized the situation I had placed the controller in and to reassure myself that a more serious situation did not occur. Moral: in ATC environment, communicate!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT DEVIATED FROM CLRED COURSE.

Narrative: FLT EWR-DCA AT CRUISE ALT WITH CLRNC TO DSND, CLRED TO FLY V378 (VOR 245 DEG RADIAL) BAL, DCA. THIS WAS NOT ORIGINAL RTE. AT BAL VOR V378 APPEARED TO FLY INTO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. A SLIGHT DEV TO THE L OF COURSE WAS TAKEN TO AVOID RADAR DEPICTION OF HVY WX. MODERATE TURB AND RAIN BUFFETED THE ACFT AND THE DSCNT WAS INITIATED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A VERY ANNOYED CENTER CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS 10 MI L OF THE AIRWAY IN ANOTHER (WASHINGTON) SECTOR'S AIRSPACE. I THEN REALIZED THAT, WITH ALL THE DISTRS OF DSNDING THROUGH WX, TURB, AND AVOIDING TSTMS, I HAD NEGLECTED TO TELL THE CTLR WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHY. I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED THE CENTER OF WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING IMMEDIATELY! HE HAD A RIGHT TO KNOW AND TO BE ANNOYED! I RECEIVED QUITE A LECTURE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ADHERE TO THE AIRWAY AND HOW CLOSE THE SECTOR AIRSPACE BOUNDARY WAS. I FELT ABOUT 2 INCHES HIGH. IT WAS SOUND JUDGEMENT TO AVOID THE HVY WX BUT FAILURE TO INFORM THE CTLR OF MY COURSE OF ACTION IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER COULD HAVE CAUSED A PROBLEM AT LEAST AS SERIOUS AS A TSTM. UPON ARR AT MY DEST, I PHONED BOTH THE NEW YORK SECTOR AND THE ADJACENT WASHINGTON SECTOR AND WAS ASSURED THAT NO 'INCIDENT' HAD OCCURRED. I TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ASSURE THOSE INVOLVED THAT I REALIZED THE SITUATION I HAD PLACED THE CTLR IN AND TO REASSURE MYSELF THAT A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION DID NOT OCCUR. MORAL: IN ATC ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATE!

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.