Narrative:

Departing ord, climbing to 13000 ft, departure controller would not allow any flts to deviate from departure course due to ord arrs. Deviation would be necessary by 20 mi because a line of thunderstorms were on the departure course. Controller said he would have a frequency change shortly and center would allow us to deviate around the storms. When my aircraft was about 10 mi from storms a frequency change was given but the transmission was 'stepped on' by another aircraft. Controller did not wait for a readback and continued to issue instructions to other departures. By the time we were able to confirm the frequency change was for us, and the frequency, we were at the edge of the thunderstorm. Center cleared us direct to elx and approved our request to deviate north. As I started the turn north and began to level off at 13000 ft, we entered into heavy rainshowers, light hail, and moderate turbulence. Aircraft altitude climbed to 13380 ft. In correcting back to altitude, aircraft descended to 12750 ft and then leveled off at 13000 ft while still in the edge of the thunderstorm. We then exited the storm and successfully managed to deviate around the remainder of the line. Not following standard communication and being prepared for alternate routing by departure control caused my flight to get dangerously close to a thunderstorm and afforded us very little time to avoid a dangerous situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG UNABLE TO GET PERMISSION TO DEVIATE TSTMS. FREQ CONGESTION, COM STEPPED ON. ENTERS WX, ALTDEV.

Narrative: DEPARTING ORD, CLBING TO 13000 FT, DEP CTLR WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY FLTS TO DEVIATE FROM DEP COURSE DUE TO ORD ARRS. DEV WOULD BE NECESSARY BY 20 MI BECAUSE A LINE OF TSTMS WERE ON THE DEP COURSE. CTLR SAID HE WOULD HAVE A FREQ CHANGE SHORTLY AND CTR WOULD ALLOW US TO DEVIATE AROUND THE STORMS. WHEN MY ACFT WAS ABOUT 10 MI FROM STORMS A FREQ CHANGE WAS GIVEN BUT THE XMISSION WAS 'STEPPED ON' BY ANOTHER ACFT. CTLR DID NOT WAIT FOR A READBACK AND CONTINUED TO ISSUE INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER DEPS. BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM THE FREQ CHANGE WAS FOR US, AND THE FREQ, WE WERE AT THE EDGE OF THE TSTM. CTR CLRED US DIRECT TO ELX AND APPROVED OUR REQUEST TO DEVIATE N. AS I STARTED THE TURN N AND BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF AT 13000 FT, WE ENTERED INTO HVY RAINSHOWERS, LIGHT HAIL, AND MODERATE TURB. ACFT ALT CLBED TO 13380 FT. IN CORRECTING BACK TO ALT, ACFT DSNDED TO 12750 FT AND THEN LEVELED OFF AT 13000 FT WHILE STILL IN THE EDGE OF THE TSTM. WE THEN EXITED THE STORM AND SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED TO DEVIATE AROUND THE REMAINDER OF THE LINE. NOT FOLLOWING STANDARD COM AND BEING PREPARED FOR ALTERNATE ROUTING BY DEP CTL CAUSED MY FLT TO GET DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO A TSTM AND AFFORDED US VERY LITTLE TIME TO AVOID A DANGEROUS SIT.

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.