Narrative:

On initial contact with departure control after takeoff at cle, were told to continue present heading and climb to 11000 ft (I think). A few mins later, he gave us clearance to a higher altitude and to proceed direct to mfd VOR. We acknowledged the clearance, but it quickly became clear that there was a line of developing cells going directly down the course we would have taken had we gone direct to mfd. Tried unsuccessfully to call departure to tell him we needed to deviate but was unable to get because of heavy traffic on frequency. Rather than enter the WX, directed the first officer to deviate to south, which he did, taking about a 25 degree left turn away from course. For the next 2-3 mins, there was an unbroken string of calls between the controller and other aircraft through which I could not break. At the end of the string, again without a break, the controller called us to confirm we were proceeding directly to mfd. I said no, we were deviating around WX. He replied that we should have told him, at which point I snapped back I would have had he shut up long enough for me to do so (not the smartest thing I've said this yr). This is not the first time I have seen a situation develop wherein a pilot could not get through to ATC with critical information because of frequency saturation (although it is the first time I have been that pilot). Each such event has been on a wkend and/or a holiday, and in every case except this one, it was obvious the controller was working at least 2 different sectors because he was working 2 (or more) frequencys. In this case, all the radio traffic was on 1 frequency, so I do not know whether or not the controller was working more than 1 sector. What I do know is that he was saturated by his workload at a time when potentially severe WX was developing and the situation was definitely unsafe. Having had some time to reflect on this dismal event, there is no question in my mind that given a choice between following my ATC clearance into dangerous WX or deviating from clearance before receiving clearance to do so, the smartest and safest choice is to deviate around the WX first. As for the frequency congestion, the one action I didn't consider at the time (because I always expected a break after each transmission) was setting my transponder to either 7700 or 7600. Should I ever find myself in this situation again, I will not hesitate to do this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG DEV FOR WX. FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH DEP CTL AFTER TKOF AT CLE, WERE TOLD TO CONTINUE PRESENT HDG AND CLB TO 11000 FT (I THINK). A FEW MINS LATER, HE GAVE US CLRNC TO A HIGHER ALT AND TO PROCEED DIRECT TO MFD VOR. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC, BUT IT QUICKLY BECAME CLR THAT THERE WAS A LINE OF DEVELOPING CELLS GOING DIRECTLY DOWN THE COURSE WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN HAD WE GONE DIRECT TO MFD. TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CALL DEP TO TELL HIM WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET BECAUSE OF HVY TFC ON FREQ. RATHER THAN ENTER THE WX, DIRECTED THE FO TO DEVIATE TO S, WHICH HE DID, TAKING ABOUT A 25 DEG L TURN AWAY FROM COURSE. FOR THE NEXT 2-3 MINS, THERE WAS AN UNBROKEN STRING OF CALLS BTWN THE CTLR AND OTHER ACFT THROUGH WHICH I COULD NOT BREAK. AT THE END OF THE STRING, AGAIN WITHOUT A BREAK, THE CTLR CALLED US TO CONFIRM WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO MFD. I SAID NO, WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND WX. HE REPLIED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM, AT WHICH POINT I SNAPPED BACK I WOULD HAVE HAD HE SHUT UP LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO DO SO (NOT THE SMARTEST THING I'VE SAID THIS YR). THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN A SIT DEVELOP WHEREIN A PLT COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO ATC WITH CRITICAL INFO BECAUSE OF FREQ SATURATION (ALTHOUGH IT IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN THAT PLT). EACH SUCH EVENT HAS BEEN ON A WKEND AND/OR A HOLIDAY, AND IN EVERY CASE EXCEPT THIS ONE, IT WAS OBVIOUS THE CTLR WAS WORKING AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT SECTORS BECAUSE HE WAS WORKING 2 (OR MORE) FREQS. IN THIS CASE, ALL THE RADIO TFC WAS ON 1 FREQ, SO I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE CTLR WAS WORKING MORE THAN 1 SECTOR. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT HE WAS SATURATED BY HIS WORKLOAD AT A TIME WHEN POTENTIALLY SEVERE WX WAS DEVELOPING AND THE SIT WAS DEFINITELY UNSAFE. HAVING HAD SOME TIME TO REFLECT ON THIS DISMAL EVENT, THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT GIVEN A CHOICE BTWN FOLLOWING MY ATC CLRNC INTO DANGEROUS WX OR DEVIATING FROM CLRNC BEFORE RECEIVING CLRNC TO DO SO, THE SMARTEST AND SAFEST CHOICE IS TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WX FIRST. AS FOR THE FREQ CONGESTION, THE ONE ACTION I DIDN'T CONSIDER AT THE TIME (BECAUSE I ALWAYS EXPECTED A BREAK AFTER EACH XMISSION) WAS SETTING MY XPONDER TO EITHER 7700 OR 7600. SHOULD I EVER FIND MYSELF IN THIS SIT AGAIN, I WILL NOT HESITATE TO DO THIS.

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.