Narrative:

On a flight from dfw to srq, in the vicinity of a position 50 mi or so north of crestview, on arwys and as filed, I received a vector to the right (south) of my filed route so as to intercept the tallahassee VOR 148 degree right southeast of tallahassee. There was WX throughout the area, not only on my route but also ahead of me and to the right and left. Some thunderstorms were contouring heavily. The WX to the south seemed less precarious, so I did not complain about the vector. In addition to being actively concerned about and involved with avoiding thunderstorms, I had 2 other immediate concerns--1) my aircraft was not over-water-equipped and 2) there are military restr areas offshore of the florida panhandle. The vector was in the order of 130 degrees and in my perception would have taken me near apalachicola, fl, an area I am familiar with. This, of course, would have resulted in some over water flight southeast of apalachicola, but never more than 50 mi offshore. Soon after crossing the shoreline, I observed a gradually building radar picture of severe WX to the east and southeast of my track. I requested and received permission to deviate around the WX, turned slightly to the south and cleared the line of thunderstorms. I also descended so as to avoid overhangs, and got a smooth ride once I left the higher cruising altitude. Suddenly, jax center asked me to squawk code 7700. I questioned this, and the reply was, 'we can't get ahold of fort walton (elgin) to coordinate the restr area and (something to the effect of...) this will get their attention.' I complied. We squawked 7700 for 4 mins. I believe I ended up on the common border of west 470C and west 470D when I finally cleared the WX and headed to st petersburg. My final position when we stopped squawking 7700 was panama city 139 degrees/108 hm. My decision to avoid flying into severe WX resulted in being, for a few mins, a little farther off shore than 50 mi. The inability of ARTCC to coordinate with eglin in a timely fashion resulted in a 7700 squawk when no sort of emergency existed, and in my opinion this should never be allowed to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT DEVIATING FOR WX ENTERED RESTRICTED AND WARNING AREAS, WAS ADVISED TO SQUAWK EMERGENCY CODE BY ARTCC CTLR.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM DFW TO SRQ, IN THE VICINITY OF A POS 50 MI OR SO N OF CRESTVIEW, ON ARWYS AND AS FILED, I RECEIVED A VECTOR TO THE RIGHT (S) OF MY FILED ROUTE SO AS TO INTERCEPT THE TALLAHASSEE VOR 148 DEG R SE OF TALLAHASSEE. THERE WAS WX THROUGHOUT THE AREA, NOT ONLY ON MY ROUTE BUT ALSO AHEAD OF ME AND TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. SOME TSTMS WERE CONTOURING HEAVILY. THE WX TO THE S SEEMED LESS PRECARIOUS, SO I DID NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE VECTOR. IN ADDITION TO BEING ACTIVELY CONCERNED ABOUT AND INVOLVED WITH AVOIDING TSTMS, I HAD 2 OTHER IMMEDIATE CONCERNS--1) MY ACFT WAS NOT OVER-WATER-EQUIPPED AND 2) THERE ARE MIL RESTR AREAS OFFSHORE OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE VECTOR WAS IN THE ORDER OF 130 DEGS AND IN MY PERCEPTION WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME NEAR APALACHICOLA, FL, AN AREA I AM FAMILIAR WITH. THIS, OF COURSE, WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SOME OVER WATER FLT SE OF APALACHICOLA, BUT NEVER MORE THAN 50 MI OFFSHORE. SOON AFTER XING THE SHORELINE, I OBSERVED A GRADUALLY BUILDING RADAR PICTURE OF SEVERE WX TO THE E AND SE OF MY TRACK. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WX, TURNED SLIGHTLY TO THE S AND CLRED THE LINE OF TSTMS. I ALSO DSNDED SO AS TO AVOID OVERHANGS, AND GOT A SMOOTH RIDE ONCE I LEFT THE HIGHER CRUISING ALT. SUDDENLY, JAX CENTER ASKED ME TO SQUAWK CODE 7700. I QUESTIONED THIS, AND THE REPLY WAS, 'WE CAN'T GET AHOLD OF FORT WALTON (ELGIN) TO COORDINATE THE RESTR AREA AND (SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF...) THIS WILL GET THEIR ATTN.' I COMPLIED. WE SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 4 MINS. I BELIEVE I ENDED UP ON THE COMMON BORDER OF W 470C AND W 470D WHEN I FINALLY CLRED THE WX AND HEADED TO ST PETERSBURG. MY FINAL POS WHEN WE STOPPED SQUAWKING 7700 WAS PANAMA CITY 139 DEGS/108 HM. MY DECISION TO AVOID FLYING INTO SEVERE WX RESULTED IN BEING, FOR A FEW MINS, A LITTLE FARTHER OFF SHORE THAN 50 MI. THE INABILITY OF ARTCC TO COORDINATE WITH EGLIN IN A TIMELY FASHION RESULTED IN A 7700 SQUAWK WHEN NO SORT OF EMER EXISTED, AND IN MY OPINION THIS SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

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