Narrative:

The flight was from bangkok to taipei. The flight plan route was characterized by a great deal of WX activity associated with the presence of tropical storm. The route of flight was direct vipop, B460 totox, R85 suuek, direct isban, ch, and elato. Convention dictates requesting clearance from hong kong ATC to proceed isban direct elato. After totox we requested clearance direct elato to avoid the intense WX returns associated with the storm. The request was denied, and we then requested a deviation of 10 NM to the right of our planned route. The request was slowly and grudgingly approved. As we flew further into the WX, it became apparent that this deviation was inadequate, prudence and safety dictated that we fly further to the right of course. I asked for additional deviation of 50 NM to the right of course, then just to deviation an unspecified distance as we saw fit. The WX was extremely severe, and communications were difficult, not only due to our concentration on WX avoidance, but the static associated with it. Communications were further exacerbated by the controller's diction and accent. Our priorities were concentrated on avoiding the intense precipitation associated with tropical storm during the course of WX avoidance, the #3 INS indicated a xtrack distance of 63 NM to the right of our fpr. The closest airway to the southeast, R93, is a min of 110 NM to the right of our fpr, although the manila fir, into which we undoubtedly flew, was closer. By the time the complexity of the situation diminished to the extent that we could be more 'chatty' with ATC, we changed frequencys and flew into an area of radar coverage. Hkk ATC advised that we were in radar contact approximately abeam isban intersection. Even though I had allowed the flight to deviation further to the right than cleared, the demands of WX avoidance, combined with the difficulty of communications, dictated that I safely conduct the flight by circumnaving the WX, and advise ATC of my actions as soon as the constraints imposed upon me by severe WX avoidance diminished. At no time did my navigation equipment indicate we were sufficiently to the right of course to create any conflict with any traffic on R93, to the southeast of our flight planned route. The language problem, combined with the lack of cooperation of the controller, resulted in our flight being further southeast than the next controller anticipated. Given the nature of the WX, I felt that its avoidance was the lesser of the 2 evils, consistent with a safe operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DIVERTED OUT OF VHHK AIRSPACE INTO RPMM AIRSPACE TO AVOID TSTM ACTIVITY OVER THE S CHINA SEA.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM BANGKOK TO TAIPEI. THE FLT PLAN RTE WAS CHARACTERIZED BY A GREAT DEAL OF WX ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF TROPICAL STORM. THE RTE OF FLT WAS DIRECT VIPOP, B460 TOTOX, R85 SUUEK, DIRECT ISBAN, CH, AND ELATO. CONVENTION DICTATES REQUESTING CLRNC FROM HONG KONG ATC TO PROCEED ISBAN DIRECT ELATO. AFTER TOTOX WE REQUESTED CLRNC DIRECT ELATO TO AVOID THE INTENSE WX RETURNS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED, AND WE THEN REQUESTED A DEV OF 10 NM TO THE R OF OUR PLANNED RTE. THE REQUEST WAS SLOWLY AND GRUDGINGLY APPROVED. AS WE FLEW FURTHER INTO THE WX, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS DEV WAS INADEQUATE, PRUDENCE AND SAFETY DICTATED THAT WE FLY FURTHER TO THE R OF COURSE. I ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL DEV OF 50 NM TO THE R OF COURSE, THEN JUST TO DEV AN UNSPECIFIED DISTANCE AS WE SAW FIT. THE WX WAS EXTREMELY SEVERE, AND COMS WERE DIFFICULT, NOT ONLY DUE TO OUR CONCENTRATION ON WX AVOIDANCE, BUT THE STATIC ASSOCIATED WITH IT. COMS WERE FURTHER EXACERBATED BY THE CTLR'S DICTION AND ACCENT. OUR PRIORITIES WERE CONCENTRATED ON AVOIDING THE INTENSE PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM DURING THE COURSE OF WX AVOIDANCE, THE #3 INS INDICATED A XTRACK DISTANCE OF 63 NM TO THE R OF OUR FPR. THE CLOSEST AIRWAY TO THE SE, R93, IS A MIN OF 110 NM TO THE R OF OUR FPR, ALTHOUGH THE MANILA FIR, INTO WHICH WE UNDOUBTEDLY FLEW, WAS CLOSER. BY THE TIME THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SITUATION DIMINISHED TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD BE MORE 'CHATTY' WITH ATC, WE CHANGED FREQS AND FLEW INTO AN AREA OF RADAR COVERAGE. HKK ATC ADVISED THAT WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT APPROX ABEAM ISBAN INTXN. EVEN THOUGH I HAD ALLOWED THE FLT TO DEV FURTHER TO THE R THAN CLRED, THE DEMANDS OF WX AVOIDANCE, COMBINED WITH THE DIFFICULTY OF COMS, DICTATED THAT I SAFELY CONDUCT THE FLT BY CIRCUMNAVING THE WX, AND ADVISE ATC OF MY ACTIONS AS SOON AS THE CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED UPON ME BY SEVERE WX AVOIDANCE DIMINISHED. AT NO TIME DID MY NAV EQUIP INDICATE WE WERE SUFFICIENTLY TO THE R OF COURSE TO CREATE ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY TFC ON R93, TO THE SE OF OUR FLT PLANNED RTE. THE LANGUAGE PROBLEM, COMBINED WITH THE LACK OF COOPERATION OF THE CTLR, RESULTED IN OUR FLT BEING FURTHER SE THAN THE NEXT CTLR ANTICIPATED. GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE WX, I FELT THAT ITS AVOIDANCE WAS THE LESSER OF THE 2 EVILS, CONSISTENT WITH A SAFE OP.

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.