Narrative:

Situation: we were departing phx runway 26R on a drake 6 departure SID. There were a line of monsoon type heavy thunderstorms with tops of FL300-FL370 running on a line about 35 mi north of phoenix for 40 mi on a west to east basis. These extended about 80 mi total. Upon departure on the 336 degree radial at 8000 ft, we informed phx departure control that we would have to deviate left to avoid cells within the next 20 mi. My first officer was working the radio. The controller had told us to maintain 15000 ft, but said 'then maintain 11000 ft, contact center and tell them you're deviating.' my copilot switched and as we were turning left, told them we were deviating northwest. The controller asked us where we were going. We said 'we're deviating left of course, northwest, for WX.' he said he thought we were deviating right and told us to maintain 11000 ft for a possible traffic conflict. We did and continued paralleling the line wbound. The flight attendants had then informed me that a passenger had passed out and they were attempting to revive him. I asked if this was a medical emergency. They said they didn't think so at this time. I told the controller that we needed to turn further left at this time to avoid a large cell directly ahead. He approved a 230 degree heading. Considering a possible return to the airport for the passenger and/or a necessity to gain time/altitude for more advantageous penetration or clearing of WX, I asked for a left 270 degree turn to climb. The controller cleared us left direct to brice canyon (bce) and we once again found ourselves headed toward the line. We were cleared to deviate and gradually climbed to FL230. The passenger recovered and we proceeded to bce and slc uneventfully. I feel that there was either confusion as to our turn when xferring information from phx departure control to center, or a miscom between our crew and ATC. The diversion around WX and the passed out passenger information from the cabin may have contributed if this were the case. On the other hand, ATC had its hands full with numerous aircraft diverting in and around the storm system north, northeast, and northwest of phx. To the best of my recollection, that of my first officer and my so, we never requested anything other than a left, or northwest diversion until the point of contention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 ACFT ON CLBOUT HAD TO DEVIATE FOR LINE OF TSTMS AND THERE WAS SOME COORD PROBS WITH ATC ON DIRECTION OF DEV. ADDITIONALLY, A PAX HAD PASSED OUT AND FLC WAS DISTR BY THE PAX WHO RECOVERED AND FLT CONTINUED.

Narrative: SIT: WE WERE DEPARTING PHX RWY 26R ON A DRAKE 6 DEP SID. THERE WERE A LINE OF MONSOON TYPE HVY TSTMS WITH TOPS OF FL300-FL370 RUNNING ON A LINE ABOUT 35 MI N OF PHOENIX FOR 40 MI ON A W TO E BASIS. THESE EXTENDED ABOUT 80 MI TOTAL. UPON DEP ON THE 336 DEG RADIAL AT 8000 FT, WE INFORMED PHX DEP CTL THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DEVIATE L TO AVOID CELLS WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MI. MY FO WAS WORKING THE RADIO. THE CTLR HAD TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 15000 FT, BUT SAID 'THEN MAINTAIN 11000 FT, CONTACT CTR AND TELL THEM YOU'RE DEVIATING.' MY COPLT SWITCHED AND AS WE WERE TURNING L, TOLD THEM WE WERE DEVIATING NW. THE CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE SAID 'WE'RE DEVIATING L OF COURSE, NW, FOR WX.' HE SAID HE THOUGHT WE WERE DEVIATING R AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT FOR A POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT. WE DID AND CONTINUED PARALLELING THE LINE WBOUND. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD THEN INFORMED ME THAT A PAX HAD PASSED OUT AND THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO REVIVE HIM. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A MEDICAL EMER. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T THINK SO AT THIS TIME. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE NEEDED TO TURN FURTHER L AT THIS TIME TO AVOID A LARGE CELL DIRECTLY AHEAD. HE APPROVED A 230 DEG HDG. CONSIDERING A POSSIBLE RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR THE PAX AND/OR A NECESSITY TO GAIN TIME/ALT FOR MORE ADVANTAGEOUS PENETRATION OR CLRING OF WX, I ASKED FOR A L 270 DEG TURN TO CLB. THE CTLR CLRED US L DIRECT TO BRICE CANYON (BCE) AND WE ONCE AGAIN FOUND OURSELVES HEADED TOWARD THE LINE. WE WERE CLRED TO DEVIATE AND GRADUALLY CLBED TO FL230. THE PAX RECOVERED AND WE PROCEEDED TO BCE AND SLC UNEVENTFULLY. I FEEL THAT THERE WAS EITHER CONFUSION AS TO OUR TURN WHEN XFERRING INFO FROM PHX DEP CTL TO CTR, OR A MISCOM BTWN OUR CREW AND ATC. THE DIVERSION AROUND WX AND THE PASSED OUT PAX INFO FROM THE CABIN MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED IF THIS WERE THE CASE. ON THE OTHER HAND, ATC HAD ITS HANDS FULL WITH NUMEROUS ACFT DIVERTING IN AND AROUND THE STORM SYS N, NE, AND NW OF PHX. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, THAT OF MY FO AND MY SO, WE NEVER REQUESTED ANYTHING OTHER THAN A L, OR NW DIVERSION UNTIL THE POINT OF CONTENTION.

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.