An air carrier medium large transport had to deviate due to heavy WX. The deviation took it into a r...

Attributes
ACN	342896
Time
Date	199608
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pxt
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 26000 msl bound upper : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6400 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	342896
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Our flight plan was J-174 (warnn intersection to swl on this segment), however, severe thunderstorms were along the route. Previous controller cleared us to deviate west of course, then handed us off to next sector. I checked in with altitude and told controller of our heading due to deviation. Controller acknowledged. Approximately 10 mins later, center controller told us that we were 5 mi from restr area and to turn east. We advised controller that we were unable due to severe WX, then requested vectors west of restr area. Controller responded 'squawk emergency,' which we did, and continued our heading. When clear of restr area, center gave us a new squawk code, cleared us to pxt VOR, and apologized for putting us in the situation. This is another situation where commercial air rtes are not navigable due to WX, yet deviations are not available due to military areas, which many times do not even have aircraft in them! It seems common sense should rule that when WX closes a route or arrival, the military areas should go cold to allow safe deviations! Had we known the restr areas were hot, we would have made alternate plans, however, it seems they went hot, as usual, just when WX moved over the airway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG HAD TO DEVIATE DUE TO HVY WX. THE DEV TOOK IT INTO A RESTR AREA THAT MAY HAVE BEEN HOT. WX FACTORS TSTMS THAT REQUIRED ACFT DEVS. PROX OF SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE RESTR AREA 4006.

Narrative: OUR FLT PLAN WAS J-174 (WARNN INTXN TO SWL ON THIS SEGMENT), HOWEVER, SEVERE TSTMS WERE ALONG THE RTE. PREVIOUS CTLR CLRED US TO DEVIATE W OF COURSE, THEN HANDED US OFF TO NEXT SECTOR. I CHKED IN WITH ALT AND TOLD CTLR OF OUR HEADING DUE TO DEV. CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED. APPROX 10 MINS LATER, CTR CTLR TOLD US THAT WE WERE 5 MI FROM RESTR AREA AND TO TURN E. WE ADVISED CTLR THAT WE WERE UNABLE DUE TO SEVERE WX, THEN REQUESTED VECTORS W OF RESTR AREA. CTLR RESPONDED 'SQUAWK EMER,' WHICH WE DID, AND CONTINUED OUR HEADING. WHEN CLR OF RESTR AREA, CTR GAVE US A NEW SQUAWK CODE, CLRED US TO PXT VOR, AND APOLOGIZED FOR PUTTING US IN THE SIT. THIS IS ANOTHER SIT WHERE COMMERCIAL AIR RTES ARE NOT NAVIGABLE DUE TO WX, YET DEVS ARE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO MIL AREAS, WHICH MANY TIMES DO NOT EVEN HAVE ACFT IN THEM! IT SEEMS COMMON SENSE SHOULD RULE THAT WHEN WX CLOSES A RTE OR ARR, THE MIL AREAS SHOULD GO COLD TO ALLOW SAFE DEVS! HAD WE KNOWN THE RESTR AREAS WERE HOT, WE WOULD HAVE MADE ALTERNATE PLANS, HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THEY WENT HOT, AS USUAL, JUST WHEN WX MOVED OVER THE AIRWAY.

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.

An air carrier medium large transport had to deviate due to heavy WX. The deviation took it into a restr area that may have been hot. WX factors thunderstorms that required aircraft deviations. Proximity of special use airspace restr area 4006.