Narrative:

On departing there were numerous cells in florida which delayed my departure. When I did depart; I checked the computer WX and filed for a route that was free of thunderstorms. After leaving florida the WX was clear through georgia; however; ATC informed me of a line of thunderstorms south of my destination and rerouted me along the east side of atlanta. I was handed off to a new controller and all was going well until I was north of atlanta around gainesville; georgia; when I noted that many large aircraft were being vectored around areas of WX that seemed to be ahead of me. I tried to look at the WX using my cell phone and was able to pull up the radar images for my area. Usually the cell phone will not work in the cockpit; but I guess I just got lucky this time. I noted a rather nasty line of thunderstorms directly ahead of me and called ATC to ask what they saw on their radar. My controller advised me that there was a line of level 3; 4; and 5 thunderstorms at my 12 O'clock position and 22 mi. I immediately asked for a turn to go to mccollum airport (ryy) and was told to turn to a heading of 360 degrees and to stand by. I was also 'scolded' by the controller for not being aware of this WX on my preflight WX briefing. When I told him that this WX was not there when I received my preflight briefing; he informed me that he had been busy vectoring jets around the WX for 2 hours. I had been in the air slightly over 3 hours. With a heading of 360 degrees taking me directly into very large cells ahead; I turned to 90 degrees to remain clear of the thunderstorms. I had not yet informed ATC due to frequency congestion; but my controller quickly inquired if I was heading 360 degrees. I told him that I was unable due to buildups and he then apologized for his prior 'scolding' stating that he thought that I had departed from mccollum (near atlanta) and did not realize that I had been coming from sanford; fl. He then cleared me to mccollum; where I landed uneventfully. After landing there were some rather severe thunderstorms which finally cleared enough by the next day to make it home.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER LANCE PLT ENCOUNTERS SEVERE WX ENRTE AND DIVERTS FOR LNDG.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING THERE WERE NUMEROUS CELLS IN FLORIDA WHICH DELAYED MY DEP. WHEN I DID DEPART; I CHKED THE COMPUTER WX AND FILED FOR A RTE THAT WAS FREE OF TSTMS. AFTER LEAVING FLORIDA THE WX WAS CLR THROUGH GEORGIA; HOWEVER; ATC INFORMED ME OF A LINE OF TSTMS S OF MY DEST AND REROUTED ME ALONG THE E SIDE OF ATLANTA. I WAS HANDED OFF TO A NEW CTLR AND ALL WAS GOING WELL UNTIL I WAS N OF ATLANTA AROUND GAINESVILLE; GEORGIA; WHEN I NOTED THAT MANY LARGE ACFT WERE BEING VECTORED AROUND AREAS OF WX THAT SEEMED TO BE AHEAD OF ME. I TRIED TO LOOK AT THE WX USING MY CELL PHONE AND WAS ABLE TO PULL UP THE RADAR IMAGES FOR MY AREA. USUALLY THE CELL PHONE WILL NOT WORK IN THE COCKPIT; BUT I GUESS I JUST GOT LUCKY THIS TIME. I NOTED A RATHER NASTY LINE OF TSTMS DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME AND CALLED ATC TO ASK WHAT THEY SAW ON THEIR RADAR. MY CTLR ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS A LINE OF LEVEL 3; 4; AND 5 TSTMS AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 22 MI. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR A TURN TO GO TO MCCOLLUM ARPT (RYY) AND WAS TOLD TO TURN TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND TO STAND BY. I WAS ALSO 'SCOLDED' BY THE CTLR FOR NOT BEING AWARE OF THIS WX ON MY PREFLT WX BRIEFING. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT THIS WX WAS NOT THERE WHEN I RECEIVED MY PREFLT BRIEFING; HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD BEEN BUSY VECTORING JETS AROUND THE WX FOR 2 HRS. I HAD BEEN IN THE AIR SLIGHTLY OVER 3 HRS. WITH A HDG OF 360 DEGS TAKING ME DIRECTLY INTO VERY LARGE CELLS AHEAD; I TURNED TO 90 DEGS TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TSTMS. I HAD NOT YET INFORMED ATC DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION; BUT MY CTLR QUICKLY INQUIRED IF I WAS HDG 360 DEGS. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS UNABLE DUE TO BUILDUPS AND HE THEN APOLOGIZED FOR HIS PRIOR 'SCOLDING' STATING THAT HE THOUGHT THAT I HAD DEPARTED FROM MCCOLLUM (NEAR ATLANTA) AND DID NOT REALIZE THAT I HAD BEEN COMING FROM SANFORD; FL. HE THEN CLRED ME TO MCCOLLUM; WHERE I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER LNDG THERE WERE SOME RATHER SEVERE TSTMS WHICH FINALLY CLRED ENOUGH BY THE NEXT DAY TO MAKE IT HOME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.