Narrative:

While inbound from madrid, approximately 90 mi from louiz navigational fix, I noticed on the radar that there was some WX in the vicinity of louiz to nucar and possibly further to the west. At first it appeared that a deviation south of course would circumnav the cells and this was requested on the HF radio to ny commercial radio. I was told to standby. When at about 50 mi from louiz, the picture on the radar had gradually changed to require a north of course deviation. Since I had not yet been cleared for the original south of course request, I called commercial radio again to change the request from a south deviation to one to the north about 30 mi. I was again told to standby. The flight continued on course until finally to avoid flying into a thunderstorm and endangering the flight, I deviated on my own. I called commercial radio and notified them what I was doing, and that I would keep the deviation at a minimum. We actually deviated about 20 mi north of louiz and nucar. Once we were back on course toward heatt, I called commercial radio again and informed them that I was on course, and asked if I should be talking now to ZMA on VHF. When I switched over, miami gave us some delay vectors as we were in their area for some time with no communication established. I do not believe that there ever was a traffic conflict. While we were deviating, the only traffic on the TCASII was one behind us which I believe was company flight. Supplemental information from acn 346067: I noticed the waypoint nucar was behind us so I set the map scale to 160, from about 40. Mia appeared at the top of screen. I made the comment, shouldn't we be talking to mia? Their deviation caused us to pass nucar and not get handed off to mia. Ny commercial radio asked us to report nucar, I believe, and that is when the TCASII advised them of our position inside nucar and we were quickly handed off mia. Another contributing factor was the actual first officer, he gave me his leg, was new on international. It was his second trip since chkout so he did not know the radio procedures well and where we were supposed to get handed off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 NEAR LOUIZ WANTS TO DEVIATE WX. COMMERCIAL RADIO ADVISED FLT TO STANDBY. CAPT DECIDED DEV TO THE N WOULD BE BETTER AND COMMERCIAL RADIO ADVISED STANDBY. NEARING NUCAR CAPT ELECTED TO DEVIATE N WITHOUT CLRNC. FO RETURNED TO COCKPIT AND NOTED ACFT WAS IN ZMA AIRSPACE. SUGGESTED CALL ZMA ON VHF. NEW FO UNFAMILIAR WITH COM PROCS ON INTL FLTS.

Narrative: WHILE INBOUND FROM MADRID, APPROX 90 MI FROM LOUIZ NAVIGATIONAL FIX, I NOTICED ON THE RADAR THAT THERE WAS SOME WX IN THE VICINITY OF LOUIZ TO NUCAR AND POSSIBLY FURTHER TO THE W. AT FIRST IT APPEARED THAT A DEV S OF COURSE WOULD CIRCUMNAV THE CELLS AND THIS WAS REQUESTED ON THE HF RADIO TO NY COMMERCIAL RADIO. I WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. WHEN AT ABOUT 50 MI FROM LOUIZ, THE PICTURE ON THE RADAR HAD GRADUALLY CHANGED TO REQUIRE A N OF COURSE DEV. SINCE I HAD NOT YET BEEN CLRED FOR THE ORIGINAL S OF COURSE REQUEST, I CALLED COMMERCIAL RADIO AGAIN TO CHANGE THE REQUEST FROM A S DEV TO ONE TO THE N ABOUT 30 MI. I WAS AGAIN TOLD TO STANDBY. THE FLT CONTINUED ON COURSE UNTIL FINALLY TO AVOID FLYING INTO A TSTM AND ENDANGERING THE FLT, I DEVIATED ON MY OWN. I CALLED COMMERCIAL RADIO AND NOTIFIED THEM WHAT I WAS DOING, AND THAT I WOULD KEEP THE DEV AT A MINIMUM. WE ACTUALLY DEVIATED ABOUT 20 MI N OF LOUIZ AND NUCAR. ONCE WE WERE BACK ON COURSE TOWARD HEATT, I CALLED COMMERCIAL RADIO AGAIN AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS ON COURSE, AND ASKED IF I SHOULD BE TALKING NOW TO ZMA ON VHF. WHEN I SWITCHED OVER, MIAMI GAVE US SOME DELAY VECTORS AS WE WERE IN THEIR AREA FOR SOME TIME WITH NO COM ESTABLISHED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE EVER WAS A TFC CONFLICT. WHILE WE WERE DEVIATING, THE ONLY TFC ON THE TCASII WAS ONE BEHIND US WHICH I BELIEVE WAS COMPANY FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 346067: I NOTICED THE WAYPOINT NUCAR WAS BEHIND US SO I SET THE MAP SCALE TO 160, FROM ABOUT 40. MIA APPEARED AT THE TOP OF SCREEN. I MADE THE COMMENT, SHOULDN'T WE BE TALKING TO MIA? THEIR DEV CAUSED US TO PASS NUCAR AND NOT GET HANDED OFF TO MIA. NY COMMERCIAL RADIO ASKED US TO RPT NUCAR, I BELIEVE, AND THAT IS WHEN THE TCASII ADVISED THEM OF OUR POS INSIDE NUCAR AND WE WERE QUICKLY HANDED OFF MIA. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE ACTUAL FO, HE GAVE ME HIS LEG, WAS NEW ON INTL. IT WAS HIS SECOND TRIP SINCE CHKOUT SO HE DID NOT KNOW THE RADIO PROCS WELL AND WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET HANDED OFF.

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.