Narrative:

When a high traffic area such as phoenix, az, is affected by thunderstorms, military aircraft should exit the MOA's and return to base so the airspace is opened up to airliners deviating around the thunderstorms. En route to phx from slc, we painted thunderstorms along the karlo arrival from drk to phx. We informed ZAB that we wanted to deviate east and join the fossl arrival to phx. ZAB informed us that the fossl arrival was saturated, and we would have to hold over flg. ZAB said that aircraft were getting into phx on the karlo arrival, and that we could deviate west of the karlo arrival for WX avoidance. We chose to continue as filed via the karlo arrival. ZAB cleared us via the karlo arrival, and deviations west for WX avoidance. After passing drk, we began our deviations west to avoid thunderstorms. We were passed to the next ZAB controller who said that we were entering the gladden MOA and would have to turn southeast. We informed the controller that we could not change our heading due to the WX. We were at 16000 ft and the controller told us to climb immediately to 17000 ft for traffic. We completed the climb to 17000 ft and the controller told us turn left to heading 130 degrees because of 2 F16's in the MOA. We told the controller we could not turn left because of the WX. The controller said that we would have to turn to 130 degrees or declare an emergency. There was a heavy thunderstorm to our left, with cloud to ground lightning, painted solid red on the radar. We declared an emergency, and continued our heading. We informed the controller that we had the 2 F16's in sight. The controller then told us to maintain visual separation. I turned the aircraft to the right to take us off an intercept heading with the F16's and followed behind them. The F16's showed only 100 ft below us on TCASII, and I climbed to 17500 ft until we were on a divergent heading. Our altitude deviation lasted for maybe 30-60 seconds. We turned left to follow the F16's through a hole in the WX. They descended toward luke AFB. We turned direct to pxr as we cleared the WX, and were handed off to phx approach. We landed in phx uneventfully. In the cockpit was an FAA air carrier inspector giving a route inspection (check ride), and a captain for an air carrier. The inspector was on headset, and listened to all of our communications with ATC. After landing in phx, the inspector informed me that I did everything correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B737 DECLARES EMER ENTERING HOT MIL MOA TO AVOID WX. FLC EXECUTES EVASIVE TCASII CLB MANEUVER TO FOLLOW BEHIND F16 FLT RETURNING TO BASE. FAA ACR INSPECTOR ON BOARD OBSERVES INCIDENT AND ALLEGEDLY SUPPORTS PIC ACTIONS.

Narrative: WHEN A HIGH TFC AREA SUCH AS PHOENIX, AZ, IS AFFECTED BY TSTMS, MIL ACFT SHOULD EXIT THE MOA'S AND RETURN TO BASE SO THE AIRSPACE IS OPENED UP TO AIRLINERS DEVIATING AROUND THE TSTMS. ENRTE TO PHX FROM SLC, WE PAINTED TSTMS ALONG THE KARLO ARR FROM DRK TO PHX. WE INFORMED ZAB THAT WE WANTED TO DEVIATE E AND JOIN THE FOSSL ARR TO PHX. ZAB INFORMED US THAT THE FOSSL ARR WAS SATURATED, AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD OVER FLG. ZAB SAID THAT ACFT WERE GETTING INTO PHX ON THE KARLO ARR, AND THAT WE COULD DEVIATE W OF THE KARLO ARR FOR WX AVOIDANCE. WE CHOSE TO CONTINUE AS FILED VIA THE KARLO ARR. ZAB CLRED US VIA THE KARLO ARR, AND DEVS W FOR WX AVOIDANCE. AFTER PASSING DRK, WE BEGAN OUR DEVS W TO AVOID TSTMS. WE WERE PASSED TO THE NEXT ZAB CTLR WHO SAID THAT WE WERE ENTERING THE GLADDEN MOA AND WOULD HAVE TO TURN SE. WE INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE COULD NOT CHANGE OUR HEADING DUE TO THE WX. WE WERE AT 16000 FT AND THE CTLR TOLD US TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO 17000 FT FOR TFC. WE COMPLETED THE CLB TO 17000 FT AND THE CTLR TOLD US TURN L TO HDG 130 DEGS BECAUSE OF 2 F16'S IN THE MOA. WE TOLD THE CTLR WE COULD NOT TURN L BECAUSE OF THE WX. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TURN TO 130 DEGS OR DECLARE AN EMER. THERE WAS A HVY TSTM TO OUR L, WITH CLOUD TO GND LIGHTNING, PAINTED SOLID RED ON THE RADAR. WE DECLARED AN EMER, AND CONTINUED OUR HEADING. WE INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE HAD THE 2 F16'S IN SIGHT. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. I TURNED THE ACFT TO THE R TO TAKE US OFF AN INTERCEPT HEADING WITH THE F16'S AND FOLLOWED BEHIND THEM. THE F16'S SHOWED ONLY 100 FT BELOW US ON TCASII, AND I CLBED TO 17500 FT UNTIL WE WERE ON A DIVERGENT HEADING. OUR ALTDEV LASTED FOR MAYBE 30-60 SECONDS. WE TURNED L TO FOLLOW THE F16'S THROUGH A HOLE IN THE WX. THEY DSNDED TOWARD LUKE AFB. WE TURNED DIRECT TO PXR AS WE CLRED THE WX, AND WERE HANDED OFF TO PHX APCH. WE LANDED IN PHX UNEVENTFULLY. IN THE COCKPIT WAS AN FAA ACR INSPECTOR GIVING A RTE INSPECTION (CHK RIDE), AND A CAPT FOR AN ACR. THE INSPECTOR WAS ON HEADSET, AND LISTENED TO ALL OF OUR COMS WITH ATC. AFTER LNDG IN PHX, THE INSPECTOR INFORMED ME THAT I DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY.

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.