Narrative:

Eastbound on J-86 between elp and fst approximately 80 mi west of ft stockton, we talked with ZAB controller about a line of thunderstorms to the east of our position which stretched north/south across our path. The controller advised a course parallel to the airway 10 mi south of the airway, deviations south approved. While still in VMC using radar and visual cues, we decided to enter an area between 2 cells which looked to be a reasonably clear path. As we approached the 'corridor' I could see that it was closing up and rising above our altitude very rapidly. I made a comment to the captain concerning this rapidly changing WX development. Seconds later we entered IMC and began encountering moderate turbulence immediately. The captain ordered a turn to the right to exit the area and I began a turn to the right. Our original heading when entering the clouds was approximately 100 degrees. As I entered the turn, the captain informed ATC of our intentions to turn south and the controller approved. During the turn, the turbulence increased to severe and was accompanied by mixtures of rain and ice. My personal feeling was that a heading of 180 degrees would take us deeper into the WX and possibly even into the 'cell' which was originally off our right side. I told the captain that I was continuing the turn further right. The captain transmitted this to ATC and advised our new heading was to be 230 degrees. About a min later, ATC asked for our present heading. When we acknowledged 230 degrees, we were informed by the controller that we had traffic at 6 O'clock and to turn back to a heading of 180. Later, as the flight progressed, we were informed by ZHU to call ZAB upon landing at msy. It appears that our turn to 230 degrees put us in conflict with another aircraft which was behind us originally but was subsequently given a 180 degree heading to parallel our course. There were many aircraft deviating in this area, and the communication frequency was being used quite extensively. Apparently, our transmission informing the controller of our intended turn to 230 degrees was blocked by another aircraft. Under most other circumstances, we would have waited for a response from the controller before turning, but with these conditions ( a passenger later referred to the ride as an 'east' ticket at disneyland) and my belief that they were going to worsen, I felt the proper action was to turn now and work on the approval during the turn. Supplemental information from acn 210838: I wonder if more ATC controllers and more available frequencys could have eliminated the congestion. It was very frustrating trying to do our job and then realize that the communication was not working.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV DURING ACR LGT ENCOUNTER WITH TSTM ACTIVITY CREATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT.

Narrative: EBOUND ON J-86 BTWN ELP AND FST APPROX 80 MI W OF FT STOCKTON, WE TALKED WITH ZAB CTLR ABOUT A LINE OF TSTMS TO THE E OF OUR POS WHICH STRETCHED N/S ACROSS OUR PATH. THE CTLR ADVISED A COURSE PARALLEL TO THE AIRWAY 10 MI S OF THE AIRWAY, DEVS S APPROVED. WHILE STILL IN VMC USING RADAR AND VISUAL CUES, WE DECIDED TO ENTER AN AREA BTWN 2 CELLS WHICH LOOKED TO BE A REASONABLY CLR PATH. AS WE APCHED THE 'CORRIDOR' I COULD SEE THAT IT WAS CLOSING UP AND RISING ABOVE OUR ALT VERY RAPIDLY. I MADE A COMMENT TO THE CAPT CONCERNING THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING WX DEVELOPMENT. SECONDS LATER WE ENTERED IMC AND BEGAN ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB IMMEDIATELY. THE CAPT ORDERED A TURN TO THE R TO EXIT THE AREA AND I BEGAN A TURN TO THE R. OUR ORIGINAL HDG WHEN ENTERING THE CLOUDS WAS APPROX 100 DEGS. AS I ENTERED THE TURN, THE CAPT INFORMED ATC OF OUR INTENTIONS TO TURN S AND THE CTLR APPROVED. DURING THE TURN, THE TURB INCREASED TO SEVERE AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MIXTURES OF RAIN AND ICE. MY PERSONAL FEELING WAS THAT A HDG OF 180 DEGS WOULD TAKE US DEEPER INTO THE WX AND POSSIBLY EVEN INTO THE 'CELL' WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY OFF OUR R SIDE. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS CONTINUING THE TURN FURTHER R. THE CAPT XMITTED THIS TO ATC AND ADVISED OUR NEW HDG WAS TO BE 230 DEGS. ABOUT A MIN LATER, ATC ASKED FOR OUR PRESENT HDG. WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGED 230 DEGS, WE WERE INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT WE HAD TFC AT 6 O'CLOCK AND TO TURN BACK TO A HDG OF 180. LATER, AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, WE WERE INFORMED BY ZHU TO CALL ZAB UPON LNDG AT MSY. IT APPEARS THAT OUR TURN TO 230 DEGS PUT US IN CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WAS BEHIND US ORIGINALLY BUT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN A 180 DEG HDG TO PARALLEL OUR COURSE. THERE WERE MANY ACFT DEVIATING IN THIS AREA, AND THE COM FREQ WAS BEING USED QUITE EXTENSIVELY. APPARENTLY, OUR XMISSION INFORMING THE CTLR OF OUR INTENDED TURN TO 230 DEGS WAS BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT. UNDER MOST OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, WE WOULD HAVE WAITED FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR BEFORE TURNING, BUT WITH THESE CONDITIONS ( A PAX LATER REFERRED TO THE RIDE AS AN 'E' TICKET AT DISNEYLAND) AND MY BELIEF THAT THEY WERE GOING TO WORSEN, I FELT THE PROPER ACTION WAS TO TURN NOW AND WORK ON THE APPROVAL DURING THE TURN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 210838: I WONDER IF MORE ATC CTLRS AND MORE AVAILABLE FREQS COULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE CONGESTION. IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING TRYING TO DO OUR JOB AND THEN REALIZE THAT THE COM WAS NOT WORKING.

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.