Narrative:

During cruise flight along route; approaching abe intersection; thunderstorms precluded navigating over the prescribed waypoint. This waypoint; abc; was the designated exit from north atlantic watrs area into ZMA's northern caribbean sector. Prior to reaching abc; HF communications were attempted with ZNY in an effort to request and receive deviation clearance prior to reaching mia airspace. HF communications were unsuccessful. The captain exercised his emergency authority/authorized and directed a deviation around the thunderstorms in order to avoid damage or injury that may have been caused. As the pilot at the controls; I executed the deviation and maneuvered the aircraft to re-intercept the prescribed airway course/track to resume normal flight. Deviation from track resulted in lateral deviation of approximately 5-6 NM from track. The captain utilized en route air-to-air communications to advise any aircraft that we were deviating; and transmitted relevant information as to intent; altitude; deviation; airway and intersection involved. Air crew utilized WX radar; TCAS and VHF air-to-air communications for coordination and traffic avoidance. No other air traffic was visually observed nor indicated on TCAS; and none responded to our xmissions during the deviation. While rejoining course; ZMA responded to our xmissions during the deviation. While rejoining course ZMA was contacted abeam abc intersection and advised of the deviation. The mia controller requested information as to the deviation; which the captain provided. The mia controller verified that we were now in radar contact after requesting identify. The mia controller was professional and helpful in providing guidance after communications and radar contact were achieved. The flight continued to destination without further incident(south). The newly compressed airway structure in the watrs area and rvsm altitude; coupled with lack of sufficient en route communication are contributing factors that when coupled with required navigation deviations due to hazardous WX; create a potential risk to aircraft safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW REPORTS EXERCISING EMER AUTHORITY AND DEVIATING FOR TSTMS ON THE ATLANTIC WATRS TRACK IN THE N CARIBBEAN WITH NO ATC COMM.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT ALONG RTE; APCHING ABE INTXN; TSTMS PRECLUDED NAVING OVER THE PRESCRIBED WAYPOINT. THIS WAYPOINT; ABC; WAS THE DESIGNATED EXIT FROM NORTH ATLANTIC WATRS AREA INTO ZMA'S NORTHERN CARIBBEAN SECTOR. PRIOR TO REACHING ABC; HF COMS WERE ATTEMPTED WITH ZNY IN AN EFFORT TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE DEV CLRNC PRIOR TO REACHING MIA AIRSPACE. HF COMS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CAPT EXERCISED HIS EMER AUTH AND DIRECTED A DEV AROUND THE TSTMS IN ORDER TO AVOID DAMAGE OR INJURY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED. AS THE PLT AT THE CTLS; I EXECUTED THE DEV AND MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO RE-INTERCEPT THE PRESCRIBED AIRWAY COURSE/TRACK TO RESUME NORMAL FLT. DEV FROM TRACK RESULTED IN LATERAL DEV OF APPROX 5-6 NM FROM TRACK. THE CAPT UTILIZED ENRTE AIR-TO-AIR COMS TO ADVISE ANY ACFT THAT WE WERE DEVIATING; AND XMITTED RELEVANT INFO AS TO INTENT; ALT; DEV; AIRWAY AND INTXN INVOLVED. AIR CREW UTILIZED WX RADAR; TCAS AND VHF AIR-TO-AIR COMS FOR COORD AND TFC AVOIDANCE. NO OTHER AIR TFC WAS VISUALLY OBSERVED NOR INDICATED ON TCAS; AND NONE RESPONDED TO OUR XMISSIONS DURING THE DEV. WHILE REJOINING COURSE; ZMA RESPONDED TO OUR XMISSIONS DURING THE DEV. WHILE REJOINING COURSE ZMA WAS CONTACTED ABEAM ABC INTXN AND ADVISED OF THE DEV. THE MIA CTLR REQUESTED INFO AS TO THE DEV; WHICH THE CAPT PROVIDED. THE MIA CTLR VERIFIED THAT WE WERE NOW IN RADAR CONTACT AFTER REQUESTING IDENT. THE MIA CTLR WAS PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL IN PROVIDING GUIDANCE AFTER COMS AND RADAR CONTACT WERE ACHIEVED. THE FLT CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT(S). THE NEWLY COMPRESSED AIRWAY STRUCTURE IN THE WATRS AREA AND RVSM ALT; COUPLED WITH LACK OF SUFFICIENT ENRTE COM ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT WHEN COUPLED WITH REQUIRED NAV DEVS DUE TO HAZARDOUS WX; CREATE A POTENTIAL RISK TO ACFT SAFETY.

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.