Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff on a flight from atl to dtw we had to start deviating around a line of thunderstorms running wsw-ene about 80 mi north of atl. We were cleared by ATC to deviate east or west as needed. We deviated west and started picking our way around cells. We had one more area of WX to go around to the west, then it looked like we would be able to go direct to flm VOR, which was on our flight plan. We had switched ZTL controllers and informed the new controller that we were deviating to the west around thunderstorms. A few mins had passed, our location was approximately 60 mi southwest of vxv VOR. We were not receiving flm VOR yet, so we asked the controller what a heading would be if we went direct to flm VOR, just to see if we were far enough around the west side of the cell to go direct flm VOR. This is where the confusion set in. The controller told us a 005 degree heading would take us direct to flm, however, we were not done deviating to the northwest yet around the cell but would be able to take the 005 degree heading in about 10-15 mi. About the time we were getting ready to make a turn back to the right to go direct flm the controller asked us what our heading was, we told him 330 degrees and he told us to make an immediate turn back to a 360 degree heading because he had traffic off our left. The problem was the controller before this one had cleared us to deviate left or right and when we changed controllers and told the new controller we were deviating west of course for WX, then asked him what a heading would be for direct flm VOR, we never indicated that we could take that heading at that time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9. ZTL CTLRS DID NOT COORDINATE A WX DEV AROUND TSTMS.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF ON A FLT FROM ATL TO DTW WE HAD TO START DEVIATING AROUND A LINE OF TSTMS RUNNING WSW-ENE ABOUT 80 MI N OF ATL. WE WERE CLRED BY ATC TO DEVIATE E OR W AS NEEDED. WE DEVIATED W AND STARTED PICKING OUR WAY AROUND CELLS. WE HAD ONE MORE AREA OF WX TO GO AROUND TO THE W, THEN IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO DIRECT TO FLM VOR, WHICH WAS ON OUR FLT PLAN. WE HAD SWITCHED ZTL CTLRS AND INFORMED THE NEW CTLR THAT WE WERE DEVIATING TO THE W AROUND TSTMS. A FEW MINS HAD PASSED, OUR LOCATION WAS APPROX 60 MI SW OF VXV VOR. WE WERE NOT RECEIVING FLM VOR YET, SO WE ASKED THE CTLR WHAT A HEADING WOULD BE IF WE WENT DIRECT TO FLM VOR, JUST TO SEE IF WE WERE FAR ENOUGH AROUND THE W SIDE OF THE CELL TO GO DIRECT FLM VOR. THIS IS WHERE THE CONFUSION SET IN. THE CTLR TOLD US A 005 DEG HDG WOULD TAKE US DIRECT TO FLM, HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT DONE DEVIATING TO THE NW YET AROUND THE CELL BUT WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THE 005 DEG HDG IN ABOUT 10-15 MI. ABOUT THE TIME WE WERE GETTING READY TO MAKE A TURN BACK TO THE R TO GO DIRECT FLM THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR HEADING WAS, WE TOLD HIM 330 DEGS AND HE TOLD US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN BACK TO A 360 DEG HDG BECAUSE HE HAD TFC OFF OUR L. THE PROB WAS THE CTLR BEFORE THIS ONE HAD CLRED US TO DEVIATE L OR R AND WHEN WE CHANGED CTLRS AND TOLD THE NEW CTLR WE WERE DEVIATING W OF COURSE FOR WX, THEN ASKED HIM WHAT A HEADING WOULD BE FOR DIRECT FLM VOR, WE NEVER INDICATED THAT WE COULD TAKE THAT HEADING AT THAT TIME.

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.