Narrative:

Level at 8000 ft. Had finished deviating during departure from the ZZZ area due to widespread precipitation associated with tropical storm dolly that made landfall the preceding day. Very little activity on center frequency. Approached an area of convective activity about 20 mins into the flight. No mention of any activity north of ZZZ during preflight standard WX briefing. The line was approximately 40-50 mi wide; and was developing very rapidly. No indication of precipitation on live nexrad feed to the aircraft; but as we approached the line began to paint on the bw radar; bendix in 152. Visually; the tops grew very quickly over 15000 ft; and virga and precipitation could be observed at the bottom of the cumulonimbus clouds. Did not want to traverse this area with the aircraft based upon concern for safety of aircraft and potential for severe turbulence. Advised center that a deviation 60 degrees to left of course was required. Told to standby. When no response was received; initiated turn to left to avoid the convective activity. While in the turn; center informed deviation left of course was approved. Controller stated that he observed turn had been commenced; and not to make a turn until it was approved. Frequency change given to another center frequency. New controller asked the reason for the deviation; and we reported the description of the WX observed. Following information given to controller; no acknowledgement was received. Upon further inquiry; controller acknowledged that report had been received. Once the area of WX was cleared; we provided center with a PIREP of all of the WX described herein; as it was not forecast and no mention of it was made during a WX briefing approximately 1 hour previous. Following return to ZZZ; made inquiry into whether the PIREP was published; and saw no indication of it on multiple sources of PIREP information. Downloaded and retained flight track that showed the WX very clearly. Upon departure from ZZZ1 about 3 hours later; observed well developed line of heavy precipitation approximately at the location of the developing convective activity observed during the earlier flight. Center controller seemed indifferent to the request to deviate; and delayed providing a turn when there was no other traffic on the frequency. The deviation from the building convective activity was necessary to reasonably protect the aircraft and its occupants. Had the controller not approved the turn; other alternatives were to cancel IFR to enable WX avoidance; or if in IFR to declare an emergency. The center controller was specifically informed that the requested deviation was for avoidance of convective activity. There was no indication that the PIREP was ever published; and information provided to the center controller was not made available for others that would be operating in the vicinity of this unforecast convective activity; which represents an opportunity for improvement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AC50 PILOT REQUESTED WX DEVIATIONS AROUND AND MADE PIREPS ABOUT DEVELOPING WX NOT CONTAINED IN THE STANDARD WX BRIEF. THE PIREP WAS REPORTEDLY NOT RECORDED AND ATC WAS SLOW TO PERMIT WX DEVIATIONS.

Narrative: LEVEL AT 8000 FT. HAD FINISHED DEVIATING DURING DEP FROM THE ZZZ AREA DUE TO WIDESPREAD PRECIP ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM DOLLY THAT MADE LANDFALL THE PRECEDING DAY. VERY LITTLE ACTIVITY ON CTR FREQ. APCHED AN AREA OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ABOUT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT. NO MENTION OF ANY ACTIVITY N OF ZZZ DURING PREFLT STANDARD WX BRIEFING. THE LINE WAS APPROX 40-50 MI WIDE; AND WAS DEVELOPING VERY RAPIDLY. NO INDICATION OF PRECIP ON LIVE NEXRAD FEED TO THE ACFT; BUT AS WE APCHED THE LINE BEGAN TO PAINT ON THE BW RADAR; BENDIX IN 152. VISUALLY; THE TOPS GREW VERY QUICKLY OVER 15000 FT; AND VIRGA AND PRECIP COULD BE OBSERVED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS. DID NOT WANT TO TRAVERSE THIS AREA WITH THE ACFT BASED UPON CONCERN FOR SAFETY OF ACFT AND POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE TURB. ADVISED CTR THAT A DEV 60 DEGS TO L OF COURSE WAS REQUIRED. TOLD TO STANDBY. WHEN NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED; INITIATED TURN TO L TO AVOID THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. WHILE IN THE TURN; CTR INFORMED DEV L OF COURSE WAS APPROVED. CTLR STATED THAT HE OBSERVED TURN HAD BEEN COMMENCED; AND NOT TO MAKE A TURN UNTIL IT WAS APPROVED. FREQ CHANGE GIVEN TO ANOTHER CTR FREQ. NEW CTLR ASKED THE REASON FOR THE DEV; AND WE RPTED THE DESCRIPTION OF THE WX OBSERVED. FOLLOWING INFO GIVEN TO CTLR; NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS RECEIVED. UPON FURTHER INQUIRY; CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT RPT HAD BEEN RECEIVED. ONCE THE AREA OF WX WAS CLRED; WE PROVIDED CTR WITH A PIREP OF ALL OF THE WX DESCRIBED HEREIN; AS IT WAS NOT FORECAST AND NO MENTION OF IT WAS MADE DURING A WX BRIEFING APPROX 1 HR PREVIOUS. FOLLOWING RETURN TO ZZZ; MADE INQUIRY INTO WHETHER THE PIREP WAS PUBLISHED; AND SAW NO INDICATION OF IT ON MULTIPLE SOURCES OF PIREP INFO. DOWNLOADED AND RETAINED FLT TRACK THAT SHOWED THE WX VERY CLRLY. UPON DEP FROM ZZZ1 ABOUT 3 HRS LATER; OBSERVED WELL DEVELOPED LINE OF HVY PRECIP APPROX AT THE LOCATION OF THE DEVELOPING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY OBSERVED DURING THE EARLIER FLT. CTR CTLR SEEMED INDIFFERENT TO THE REQUEST TO DEVIATE; AND DELAYED PROVIDING A TURN WHEN THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC ON THE FREQ. THE DEV FROM THE BUILDING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS NECESSARY TO REASONABLY PROTECT THE ACFT AND ITS OCCUPANTS. HAD THE CTLR NOT APPROVED THE TURN; OTHER ALTERNATIVES WERE TO CANCEL IFR TO ENABLE WX AVOIDANCE; OR IF IN IFR TO DECLARE AN EMER. THE CTR CTLR WAS SPECIFICALLY INFORMED THAT THE REQUESTED DEV WAS FOR AVOIDANCE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE PIREP WAS EVER PUBLISHED; AND INFO PROVIDED TO THE CTR CTLR WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE FOR OTHERS THAT WOULD BE OPERATING IN THE VICINITY OF THIS UNFORECAST CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY; WHICH REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.