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B737-900 crew was required to declare an emergency, when they flew into a warning area, to avoid flight into a level 5 thunderstorm.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 628492 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200408 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zab.artcc |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc.artcc artcc : zab.artcc tower : cvg.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 628492 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : wx radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
On climb out from phx at FL280 we were told to climb to FL350 with a good rate. Climbing at 2500 FPM out of FL313 ZAB told us to stop our climb and descend to FL280 for ZLA. Told ZAB that we needed to deviate left for WX. They approved. There was a long line of level 5 storms on our right. About 60-80 mi into the deviation ZLC said that we needed to make a right turn direct to beryl intersection which would have been a 90 degree turn also into level 5 thunderstorms. I advised the controller I could come 20 degrees left in about 20 mi or do a 180 degree turn back towards phx. The controller once again told me to turn directly into the level 5 thunderstorm. He advised that I would have to declare a WX emergency and squawk 7700 to proceed, which I did. We exited the warning area as quickly as we could to the northwest on a heading of 310 degrees. If we could have continued the climb to FL350 we would have been able to avoid the WX.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-900 CREW WAS REQUIRED TO DECLARE AN EMER, WHEN THEY FLEW INTO A WARNING AREA, TO AVOID FLT INTO A LEVEL 5 TSTM.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM PHX AT FL280 WE WERE TOLD TO CLB TO FL350 WITH A GOOD RATE. CLBING AT 2500 FPM OUT OF FL313 ZAB TOLD US TO STOP OUR CLB AND DSND TO FL280 FOR ZLA. TOLD ZAB THAT WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE L FOR WX. THEY APPROVED. THERE WAS A LONG LINE OF LEVEL 5 STORMS ON OUR R. ABOUT 60-80 MI INTO THE DEV ZLC SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE A R TURN DIRECT TO BERYL INTXN WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A 90 DEG TURN ALSO INTO LEVEL 5 TSTMS. I ADVISED THE CTLR I COULD COME 20 DEGS L IN ABOUT 20 MI OR DO A 180 DEG TURN BACK TOWARDS PHX. THE CTLR ONCE AGAIN TOLD ME TO TURN DIRECTLY INTO THE LEVEL 5 TSTM. HE ADVISED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE A WX EMER AND SQUAWK 7700 TO PROCEED, WHICH I DID. WE EXITED THE WARNING AREA AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD TO THE NW ON A HDG OF 310 DEGS. IF WE COULD HAVE CONTINUED THE CLB TO FL350 WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID THE WX.
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.