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An F100 crew en route to msp encounters a large WX cell and has difficulty contacting ZAU radar controller for clearance to deviate around the cell.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 589227 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200307 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | IA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Fokker 100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 589227 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| ASRS Report | 589228 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
We attempted to contact ATC about avoiding WX around the waterloo VOR. Radio contact was attempted 5 times, but frequency was very congested with other traffic trying to avoid the WX and aircraft not answering or responding to ATC's repeated requests. We were unable to make contact with ATC before we had to avoid the thunderstorm. We deviated 5 mi north off course and then received a TA from TCASII from an aircraft approaching opposite direction. We attempted to stay clear of traffic and thunderstorm. We did not receive an RA and we were never closer than 3 mi to the other traffic. After this we were able to contact ATC and they gave us a climb to FL290. The controller was very helpful after we were finally able to get a hold of him. He had been over saturated on his frequency due to the amount of traffic and WX deviations. The controller was very busy and was doing as good a job as possible given the situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN F100 CREW ENRTE TO MSP ENCOUNTERS A LARGE WX CELL AND HAS DIFFICULTY CONTACTING ZAU RADAR CTLR FOR CLRNC TO DEVIATE AROUND THE CELL.
Narrative: WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ATC ABOUT AVOIDING WX AROUND THE WATERLOO VOR. RADIO CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTED 5 TIMES, BUT FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED WITH OTHER TFC TRYING TO AVOID THE WX AND ACFT NOT ANSWERING OR RESPONDING TO ATC'S REPEATED REQUESTS. WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ATC BEFORE WE HAD TO AVOID THE TSTM. WE DEVIATED 5 MI N OFF COURSE AND THEN RECEIVED A TA FROM TCASII FROM AN ACFT APCHING OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WE ATTEMPTED TO STAY CLR OF TFC AND TSTM. WE DID NOT RECEIVE AN RA AND WE WERE NEVER CLOSER THAN 3 MI TO THE OTHER TFC. AFTER THIS WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT ATC AND THEY GAVE US A CLB TO FL290. THE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL AFTER WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF HIM. HE HAD BEEN OVER SATURATED ON HIS FREQ DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TFC AND WX DEVS. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND WAS DOING AS GOOD A JOB AS POSSIBLE GIVEN THE SIT.
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.