Narrative:

After leveloff on B747 flight from hnl bound for lax at FL340, a large area of WX was showing on the WX radar. A call to the cabin area confirmed all the bar carts were out in the aisles, offering beverages. A call to commercial radio was placed for WX deviation to south, 15 mi. A deviation had to be made to the right to avoid large thunderstorm area directly ahead with tops above FL370. Deviation was about 8 mi or less to south, a heading change of about 15 degrees. After passing WX with light to moderate turbulence, commercial radio advised ZHN said no deviations due to traffic. No traffic was observed on TCASII and airway we were on was 1 direction only. As soon as the aircraft was by the WX, course corrected and we were back on course. Commercial radio advised us through SELCAL that we were off course by ZHN. It would have been a very unsafe action to have flown through a heavy area of thunderstorm activity, especially with heavy bar carts and flight attendants in the aisles. Serious injury or even death could be caused by a cart of several hundred pounds landing on someone in severe turbulence. We are also by company regulations prohibited from knowingly flying into thunderstorms! These people who situation in concrete buildings and direct traffic need to get out into the real world. Other flts were transmitting on guard with deviations for WX as well. A long line of imbedded thunderstorm activity was stretched across all the east/west tracks that day due to a tropical low which was upgraded to a tropical storm. We encountered light to moderate (more moderate) turbulence for an hour and 15 mins. Then we cleared WX area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF B747 OUT OF HNL, WHILE STILL IN RADAR RANGE OF ATC, PERFORMS AN UNAUTH HDG TRACK POS DEV FOR WX AVOIDANCE MANEUVER.

Narrative: AFTER LEVELOFF ON B747 FLT FROM HNL BOUND FOR LAX AT FL340, A LARGE AREA OF WX WAS SHOWING ON THE WX RADAR. A CALL TO THE CABIN AREA CONFIRMED ALL THE BAR CARTS WERE OUT IN THE AISLES, OFFERING BEVERAGES. A CALL TO COMMERCIAL RADIO WAS PLACED FOR WX DEV TO S, 15 MI. A DEV HAD TO BE MADE TO THE R TO AVOID LARGE TSTM AREA DIRECTLY AHEAD WITH TOPS ABOVE FL370. DEV WAS ABOUT 8 MI OR LESS TO S, A HDG CHANGE OF ABOUT 15 DEGS. AFTER PASSING WX WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB, COMMERCIAL RADIO ADVISED ZHN SAID NO DEVS DUE TO TFC. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED ON TCASII AND AIRWAY WE WERE ON WAS 1 DIRECTION ONLY. AS SOON AS THE ACFT WAS BY THE WX, COURSE CORRECTED AND WE WERE BACK ON COURSE. COMMERCIAL RADIO ADVISED US THROUGH SELCAL THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE BY ZHN. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY UNSAFE ACTION TO HAVE FLOWN THROUGH A HVY AREA OF TSTM ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY WITH HVY BAR CARTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AISLES. SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH COULD BE CAUSED BY A CART OF SEVERAL HUNDRED LBS LNDG ON SOMEONE IN SEVERE TURB. WE ARE ALSO BY COMPANY REGS PROHIBITED FROM KNOWINGLY FLYING INTO TSTMS! THESE PEOPLE WHO SIT IN CONCRETE BUILDINGS AND DIRECT TFC NEED TO GET OUT INTO THE REAL WORLD. OTHER FLTS WERE XMITTING ON GUARD WITH DEVS FOR WX AS WELL. A LONG LINE OF IMBEDDED TSTM ACTIVITY WAS STRETCHED ACROSS ALL THE E/W TRACKS THAT DAY DUE TO A TROPICAL LOW WHICH WAS UPGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM. WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT TO MODERATE (MORE MODERATE) TURB FOR AN HR AND 15 MINS. THEN WE CLRED WX AREA.

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.