Narrative:

On jul/xa/99 at XA50, we departed new airport on an IFR flight to iah airport with a clearance to lake charles VOR, sabine VOR, sabine 5 arrival to iah. Following takeoff, we found it necessary to deviate around numerous thunderstorms and were given the clearance to deviate as necessary by new orleans departure. After being handed off to ZHU, we were rerted direct sabine VOR, sabine 5 arrival to iah. We advised ZHU that we would need deviations for WX and received a clearance to deviate as necessary, direct sabine VOR when able. We were on a heading of 250 degrees and level at FL280 when ZHU gave us a further climb to FL310. After leveling at FL310 and still deviating for a line of intense thunderstorms and buildups we started receiving weak and broken xmissions from ZHU. We squelched our radio and requested a different frequency but apparently ZHU was having a problem receiving our xmissions. We tried our other radio but had the same results. We were able to receive parts of a revised clearance that ZHU was trying to get to us. The clearance was to lake charles VOR with the daisetta arrival to iah, maintain FL310. Apparently our clearance was revised due to the intense WX over sabine and the sabine 5 arrival. At this time, we were on the southern side of this intense WX and were trying to advise ZHU that we were unable to proceed direct lake charles due to WX but could get around the end of the WX with a heading of 040 degrees, followed by a turn direct to lake charles once clear. Our approximately position was 35-40 NM southeast of lake charles VOR, FL310, heading 250 degrees. The radio reception and transmission with ZHU was getting weaker and more broken. Under the belief that I was still cleared to deviate as necessary, I commenced a right turn to 040 degrees to clear the end of the line of thunderstorms that I believed was causing our radio problems. I believed this to be the safest and most expeditious manner to comply with ZHU. No TA's or conflicts were noted on our TCASII. After clearing the end of the WX, we immediately turned back to lake charles VOR (approximately 280 degree heading), our radio reception improved and contact with ZHU was re-established. The center controller advised us that we needed a clearance to deviate. I advised the controller that it is my belief that we had clearance to deviate. The rest of the flight to iah was uneventful. In retrospect, I believe that there were a number of factors in this event. The WX was the main factor followed by the weak and broken radio reception as well as xmissions. If I could have been rerted prior to deviating around the southern side of this WX, it would have prevented this event. In the future, and in a similar situation, I feel that it would be best to continue deviating as I was until radio communications could be re-established and further clrncs received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR CREW DEVIATES AROUND WX WHILE HAVING COMS PROBS WITH CTR. CTR QUESTIONS DEVS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/99 AT XA50, WE DEPARTED NEW ARPT ON AN IFR FLT TO IAH ARPT WITH A CLRNC TO LAKE CHARLES VOR, SABINE VOR, SABINE 5 ARR TO IAH. FOLLOWING TKOF, WE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO DEVIATE AROUND NUMEROUS TSTMS AND WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY BY NEW ORLEANS DEP. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO ZHU, WE WERE RERTED DIRECT SABINE VOR, SABINE 5 ARR TO IAH. WE ADVISED ZHU THAT WE WOULD NEED DEVS FOR WX AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY, DIRECT SABINE VOR WHEN ABLE. WE WERE ON A HDG OF 250 DEGS AND LEVEL AT FL280 WHEN ZHU GAVE US A FURTHER CLB TO FL310. AFTER LEVELING AT FL310 AND STILL DEVIATING FOR A LINE OF INTENSE TSTMS AND BUILDUPS WE STARTED RECEIVING WEAK AND BROKEN XMISSIONS FROM ZHU. WE SQUELCHED OUR RADIO AND REQUESTED A DIFFERENT FREQ BUT APPARENTLY ZHU WAS HAVING A PROB RECEIVING OUR XMISSIONS. WE TRIED OUR OTHER RADIO BUT HAD THE SAME RESULTS. WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE PARTS OF A REVISED CLRNC THAT ZHU WAS TRYING TO GET TO US. THE CLRNC WAS TO LAKE CHARLES VOR WITH THE DAISETTA ARR TO IAH, MAINTAIN FL310. APPARENTLY OUR CLRNC WAS REVISED DUE TO THE INTENSE WX OVER SABINE AND THE SABINE 5 ARR. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THIS INTENSE WX AND WERE TRYING TO ADVISE ZHU THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO PROCEED DIRECT LAKE CHARLES DUE TO WX BUT COULD GET AROUND THE END OF THE WX WITH A HDG OF 040 DEGS, FOLLOWED BY A TURN DIRECT TO LAKE CHARLES ONCE CLR. OUR APPROX POS WAS 35-40 NM SE OF LAKE CHARLES VOR, FL310, HDG 250 DEGS. THE RADIO RECEPTION AND XMISSION WITH ZHU WAS GETTING WEAKER AND MORE BROKEN. UNDER THE BELIEF THAT I WAS STILL CLRED TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY, I COMMENCED A R TURN TO 040 DEGS TO CLR THE END OF THE LINE OF TSTMS THAT I BELIEVED WAS CAUSING OUR RADIO PROBS. I BELIEVED THIS TO BE THE SAFEST AND MOST EXPEDITIOUS MANNER TO COMPLY WITH ZHU. NO TA'S OR CONFLICTS WERE NOTED ON OUR TCASII. AFTER CLRING THE END OF THE WX, WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TO LAKE CHARLES VOR (APPROX 280 DEG HDG), OUR RADIO RECEPTION IMPROVED AND CONTACT WITH ZHU WAS RE-ESTABLISHED. THE CTR CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE NEEDED A CLRNC TO DEVIATE. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WE HAD CLRNC TO DEVIATE. THE REST OF THE FLT TO IAH WAS UNEVENTFUL. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF FACTORS IN THIS EVENT. THE WX WAS THE MAIN FACTOR FOLLOWED BY THE WEAK AND BROKEN RADIO RECEPTION AS WELL AS XMISSIONS. IF I COULD HAVE BEEN RERTED PRIOR TO DEVIATING AROUND THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THIS WX, IT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT. IN THE FUTURE, AND IN A SIMILAR SIT, I FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO CONTINUE DEVIATING AS I WAS UNTIL RADIO COMS COULD BE RE-ESTABLISHED AND FURTHER CLRNCS RECEIVED.

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.