Narrative:

On departure from mem, tn, to pit, PA, our aircraft was experiencing moderate turbulence. There was a line of thunderstorms to the east of mem that we were trying to negotiate. Our WX radar was not painting any heavy precipitation in our area however, as I previously stated, we were experiencing quite a ride. We were in and out of the clouds and it became necessary to deviate around some large buildups. I was inquiring with the center controller about rtes and ride reports of some other aircraft in our vicinity. He switched us to the next controller, as we were leaving his sector. We checked on with the next controller. About this time we began to encounter heavy precipitation and moderate to occasional severe turbulence. We requested and were granted a deviation on a heading of 180 degrees. The static buildup on the aircraft was making radio communication quite difficult to understand. There were other aircraft in our same situation, and the radio was becoming quite congested. It became quite apparent that our heading of 180 degrees was not helping us. It was only getting worse. After repeated unanswered calls to ATC my captain and I elected to change course to exit the thunderstorm. As we turned back to a heading of 270 degrees. We exited the thunderstorm cell. Before we turned I looked at our TCAS and the screen was clear. Man how things change. As we exited the storm cell, we received a TA and immediately made visual contact on the traffic and maintained a visual separation. About this time mem center answered our call and immediately asked who authorized our deviation to a heading of 270 degrees? I explained the situation, that we had made numerous unanswered calls and that we could not continue on the assigned heading of deviation due to WX. He told us to stop our climb of FL240. We complied. After several mins the controller simply asked us 'what are your intentions?' we explained and were granted clearance and continued to pit without any further incidents. After thinking of this incident for several days, I spoke with a captain who is a mentor about this and asked for some input. He explained that we exercised emergency authority in our deviation and made radio contact as soon as possible, however that we should of informed the controller of this instead of just telling him. I believe we were all a bit anxious and I could have communication a little better, once radio communications were re-established. It must be difficult to be a controller in these sits let alone a mind reader. The old saying goes aviate, navigate, communicate. I just learned a valuable lesson, communicate clearly. Leave the guesswork on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E145 CREW, CLBING THROUGH FL180, 75 NM NORTH OF MEM, DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED HEADING TO AVOID A TSTM CELL.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM MEM, TN, TO PIT, PA, OUR ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING MODERATE TURB. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS TO THE EAST OF MEM THAT WE WERE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE. OUR WX RADAR WAS NOT PAINTING ANY HVY PRECIPITATION IN OUR AREA HOWEVER, AS I PREVIOUSLY STATED, WE WERE EXPERIENCING QUITE A RIDE. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND IT BECAME NECESSARY TO DEVIATE AROUND SOME LARGE BUILDUPS. I WAS INQUIRING WITH THE CENTER CTLR ABOUT RTES AND RIDE RPTS OF SOME OTHER ACFT IN OUR VICINITY. HE SWITCHED US TO THE NEXT CTLR, AS WE WERE LEAVING HIS SECTOR. WE CHECKED ON WITH THE NEXT CTLR. ABOUT THIS TIME WE BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER HVY PRECIPITATION AND MODERATE TO OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURB. WE REQUESTED AND WERE GRANTED A DEV ON A HEADING OF 180 DEGS. THE STATIC BUILDUP ON THE ACFT WAS MAKING RADIO COM QUITE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THERE WERE OTHER ACFT IN OUR SAME SIT, AND THE RADIO WAS BECOMING QUITE CONGESTED. IT BECAME QUITE APPARENT THAT OUR HEADING OF 180 DEGS WAS NOT HELPING US. IT WAS ONLY GETTING WORSE. AFTER REPEATED UNANSWERED CALLS TO ATC MY CAPT AND I ELECTED TO CHANGE COURSE TO EXIT THE TSTM. AS WE TURNED BACK TO A HEADING OF 270 DEGS. WE EXITED THE TSTM CELL. BEFORE WE TURNED I LOOKED AT OUR TCAS AND THE SCREEN WAS CLR. MAN HOW THINGS CHANGE. AS WE EXITED THE STORM CELL, WE RECEIVED A TA AND IMMEDIATELY MADE VISUAL CONTACT ON THE TFC AND MAINTAINED A VISUAL SEPARATION. ABOUT THIS TIME MEM CENTER ANSWERED OUR CALL AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED WHO AUTHORIZED OUR DEV TO A HEADING OF 270 DEGS? I EXPLAINED THE SIT, THAT WE HAD MADE NUMEROUS UNANSWERED CALLS AND THAT WE COULD NOT CONTINUE ON THE ASSIGNED HEADING OF DEV DUE TO WX. HE TOLD US TO STOP OUR CLB OF FL240. WE COMPLIED. AFTER SEVERAL MINS THE CTLR SIMPLY ASKED US 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?' WE EXPLAINED AND WERE GRANTED CLRNC AND CONTINUED TO PIT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. AFTER THINKING OF THIS INCIDENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, I SPOKE WITH A CAPT WHO IS A MENTOR ABOUT THIS AND ASKED FOR SOME INPUT. HE EXPLAINED THAT WE EXERCISED EMER AUTHORITY IN OUR DEV AND MADE RADIO CONTACT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HOWEVER THAT WE SHOULD OF INFORMED THE CTLR OF THIS INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING HIM. I BELIEVE WE WERE ALL A BIT ANXIOUS AND I COULD HAVE COM A LITTLE BETTER, ONCE RADIO COMS WERE RE-ESTABLISHED. IT MUST BE DIFFICULT TO BE A CTLR IN THESE SITS LET ALONE A MIND READER. THE OLD SAYING GOES AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE. I JUST LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON, COMMUNICATE CLRLY. LEAVE THE GUESSWORK ON THE GND.

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.