Narrative:

Traveling south on A554 we noticed several severe thunderstorms on radar between the intxns manna and tallo and deviation east of course became imminent. We tried to reach ny arinc several times, but were unable due to frequency congestion. We finally reached them on HF for deviation request, but by this time we needed to make the WX deviation immediately to maintain safe flight. The captain had to exercise his authority to avoid an unsafe situation while radio contacts proved impossible. We deviated east, and while turning back to course, arinc advised unable deviation. By tallo we were on course. The problem is to be attributed to inability to maintain safe flight on airway, HF radio frequency congestion, and slow coordination between arinc and ny center. Given the safety nature of air transportation in the 1990's, the aircraft to arinc to ATC communication is often too slow to accommodate such occurrences and the pilot is left with no alternative but to consider the safety of his passengers and crew. The airway/communications in the mid atlantic need to be looked into to help prevent future problems of this nature. The possibility of allowable airway deviations without sometimes difficult ATC coordination would make both the pilot and ATC system workload a lot easier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB CREW DEVIATED FROM THEIR ATLANTIC TRACK DUE TO WX. THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET CLRNC THROUGH ARINC FROM ZNY.

Narrative: TRAVELING S ON A554 WE NOTICED SEVERAL SEVERE TSTMS ON RADAR BTWN THE INTXNS MANNA AND TALLO AND DEV E OF COURSE BECAME IMMINENT. WE TRIED TO REACH NY ARINC SEVERAL TIMES, BUT WERE UNABLE DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. WE FINALLY REACHED THEM ON HF FOR DEV REQUEST, BUT BY THIS TIME WE NEEDED TO MAKE THE WX DEV IMMEDIATELY TO MAINTAIN SAFE FLT. THE CAPT HAD TO EXERCISE HIS AUTHORITY TO AVOID AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHILE RADIO CONTACTS PROVED IMPOSSIBLE. WE DEVIATED E, AND WHILE TURNING BACK TO COURSE, ARINC ADVISED UNABLE DEV. BY TALLO WE WERE ON COURSE. THE PROBLEM IS TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO INABILITY TO MAINTAIN SAFE FLT ON AIRWAY, HF RADIO FREQ CONGESTION, AND SLOW COORD BTWN ARINC AND NY CTR. GIVEN THE SAFETY NATURE OF AIR TRANSPORTATION IN THE 1990'S, THE ACFT TO ARINC TO ATC COM IS OFTEN TOO SLOW TO ACCOMMODATE SUCH OCCURRENCES AND THE PLT IS LEFT WITH NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO CONSIDER THE SAFETY OF HIS PAXS AND CREW. THE AIRWAY/COMS IN THE MID ATLANTIC NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO TO HELP PREVENT FUTURE PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE. THE POSSIBILITY OF ALLOWABLE AIRWAY DEVS WITHOUT SOMETIMES DIFFICULT ATC COORD WOULD MAKE BOTH THE PLT AND ATC SYS WORKLOAD A LOT EASIER.

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.