Narrative:

We were en route from lee to pbi on an IFR flight plan. The WX report obtained from st petersburg FSS indicated VFR conditions along our route of flight and the current radar showed no returns on the proposed route. After passing through the orlando TCA at 3000 ft we asked and received a clearance to 6000 ft. We were in visual conditions and our route appeared clear up to this point, but the WX was starting to deteriorate. We began to encounter precipitation at increasing intensities and increasing turbulence. Since we were not equipped with WX radar we began to query the ZMA controller with regard to the deteriorating WX conditions. The controller, while willing, was unable to offer any helpful assistance due to his equipment limitations. We, along with the other aircraft on the frequency, were forced to deviate substantially from our assigned route at times without being able to notify the controller or obtaining his approval. Due to the substantial turbulence we also were unable to maintain our assigned altitude, and again, were unable to notify the controller or obtain his approval due to frequency congestion caused by other aircraft apparently in similar circumstances. Eventually, we deviated to vrb to obtain some reliable WX information on the ground, however, the FSS there was shut down, evidently a victim of consolidation. The best source of WX, therefore, was the WX channel on cable television. Additionally, mia FSS was unable to provide any useful guidance due to their lack of working equipment because of last yrþs hurricane damage. The significant problem is that I would like to address in this letter is the lack of WX information available to en route aircraft that are either not equipped with radar or have inoperative radar which comprises most aircraft flying today. I hope we can address this problem by collocating WX detection equipment, perhaps doppler radar, in all center and approach control facilities to provide en route WX assistance especially to advise pilots of rtes that avoid convective activity. This would eliminate the current guesswork, frequency congestion, dangerous emergency, unintentional deviations, not to mention the process of frequency changes necessitated by the current system of obtaining real time convective activity information from flight watch or FSS, which then has to be interpreted onto a map during which the pilot's attention is focused away from flying and the controller. If the center controller would have been able to provide us with vectors to avoid the convective activity, perhaps with WX radar superimposed on his radar display, our dangerous deviation and that of the other aircraft would not have been necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH HDG TRACK DEV DURING DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT ACCOUNT SEVERE WX ENRTE.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM LEE TO PBI ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE WX RPT OBTAINED FROM ST PETERSBURG FSS INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT AND THE CURRENT RADAR SHOWED NO RETURNS ON THE PROPOSED RTE. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE ORLANDO TCA AT 3000 FT WE ASKED AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO 6000 FT. WE WERE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS AND OUR RTE APPEARED CLR UP TO THIS POINT, BUT THE WX WAS STARTING TO DETERIORATE. WE BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER PRECIPITATION AT INCREASING INTENSITIES AND INCREASING TURB. SINCE WE WERE NOT EQUIPPED WITH WX RADAR WE BEGAN TO QUERY THE ZMA CTLR WITH REGARD TO THE DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS. THE CTLR, WHILE WILLING, WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY HELPFUL ASSISTANCE DUE TO HIS EQUIP LIMITATIONS. WE, ALONG WITH THE OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ, WERE FORCED TO DEVIATE SUBSTANTIALLY FROM OUR ASSIGNED RTE AT TIMES WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO NOTIFY THE CTLR OR OBTAINING HIS APPROVAL. DUE TO THE SUBSTANTIAL TURB WE ALSO WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR ASSIGNED ALT, AND AGAIN, WERE UNABLE TO NOTIFY THE CTLR OR OBTAIN HIS APPROVAL DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION CAUSED BY OTHER ACFT APPARENTLY IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. EVENTUALLY, WE DEVIATED TO VRB TO OBTAIN SOME RELIABLE WX INFO ON THE GND, HOWEVER, THE FSS THERE WAS SHUT DOWN, EVIDENTLY A VICTIM OF CONSOLIDATION. THE BEST SOURCE OF WX, THEREFORE, WAS THE WX CHANNEL ON CABLE TELEVISION. ADDITIONALLY, MIA FSS WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY USEFUL GUIDANCE DUE TO THEIR LACK OF WORKING EQUIP BECAUSE OF LAST YRþS HURRICANE DAMAGE. THE SIGNIFICANT PROB IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IN THIS LETTER IS THE LACK OF WX INFO AVAILABLE TO ENRTE ACFT THAT ARE EITHER NOT EQUIPPED WITH RADAR OR HAVE INOP RADAR WHICH COMPRISES MOST ACFT FLYING TODAY. I HOPE WE CAN ADDRESS THIS PROB BY COLLOCATING WX DETECTION EQUIP, PERHAPS DOPPLER RADAR, IN ALL CTR AND APCH CTL FACILITIES TO PROVIDE ENRTE WX ASSISTANCE ESPECIALLY TO ADVISE PLTS OF RTES THAT AVOID CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. THIS WOULD ELIMINATE THE CURRENT GUESSWORK, FREQ CONGESTION, DANGEROUS EMER, UNINTENTIONAL DEVS, NOT TO MENTION THE PROCESS OF FREQ CHANGES NECESSITATED BY THE CURRENT SYS OF OBTAINING REAL TIME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY INFO FROM FLT WATCH OR FSS, WHICH THEN HAS TO BE INTERPRETED ONTO A MAP DURING WHICH THE PLT'S ATTN IS FOCUSED AWAY FROM FLYING AND THE CTLR. IF THE CTR CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH VECTORS TO AVOID THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY, PERHAPS WITH WX RADAR SUPERIMPOSED ON HIS RADAR DISPLAY, OUR DANGEROUS DEV AND THAT OF THE OTHER ACFT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY.

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.