A flight crew thought they were cleared to circumnav WX. ZHU ARTCC seemed unaware of the clearance.

Attributes
ACN	444315
Time
Date	199907
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : lch.vortac
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : ns.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	444315
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We advised ZHU that we would need deviations for WX. We started receiving weak and broken xmissions from center. We were able to receive parts of a revised clearance from ZHU. When radio reception was finally restored center advised us that we needed a clearance to deviate. Of course, we were under the belief that we were still cleared to deviate as necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC THOUGHT THEY WERE CLRED TO CIRCUMNAV WX. ZHU ARTCC SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE CLRNC.

Narrative: WE ADVISED ZHU THAT WE WOULD NEED DEVS FOR WX. WE STARTED RECEIVING WEAK AND BROKEN XMISSIONS FROM CTR. WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE PARTS OF A REVISED CLRNC FROM ZHU. WHEN RADIO RECEPTION WAS FINALLY RESTORED CTR ADVISED US THAT WE NEEDED A CLRNC TO DEVIATE. OF COURSE, WE WERE UNDER THE BELIEF THAT WE WERE STILL CLRED TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY.

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.