Narrative:

From northwest of jst VOR we were cleared direct jst, J152 harrisburg, mdt, FL230. 34 DME northwest of jst we were cleared direct har, which put us on the arrival 310 inbound. We were then cleared from FL230 to 13000'. We had turned about 5 degree left of a direct course to har to avoid WX (trw's) along the route. At 40 DME northwest of ahr on descent through FL190 the controller asked us where we were going in a very angry tone of voice, at which time the HSI CDI indicated about 1/2 DOT to the right of center. At 34 DME the controller gave another aircraft a turn, and made the comment that we had deviated west/O permission and on our own. When the controller made this comment we turned right direct to har. The right turn was less than 10 degree heading change. Rest of flight uneventful. It is my opinion that a heading change of less than 10 degree should not have caused a possible conflict. If a heading change of less than 10 degree were to cause a possible conflict, we either should not have been cleared direct har or should not have been cleared to descend from FL230 to 13000' with a possible conflict at FL190.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FLT CREW DEVIATES FROM COURSE FOR WX WITHOUT PERMISSION, CTLR MOVES TO PREVENT A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: FROM NW OF JST VOR WE WERE CLRED DIRECT JST, J152 HARRISBURG, MDT, FL230. 34 DME NW OF JST WE WERE CLRED DIRECT HAR, WHICH PUT US ON THE ARR 310 INBND. WE WERE THEN CLRED FROM FL230 TO 13000'. WE HAD TURNED ABOUT 5 DEG L OF A DIRECT COURSE TO HAR TO AVOID WX (TRW'S) ALONG THE RTE. AT 40 DME NW OF AHR ON DSNT THROUGH FL190 THE CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING IN A VERY ANGRY TONE OF VOICE, AT WHICH TIME THE HSI CDI INDICATED ABOUT 1/2 DOT TO THE R OF CTR. AT 34 DME THE CTLR GAVE ANOTHER ACFT A TURN, AND MADE THE COMMENT THAT WE HAD DEVIATED W/O PERMISSION AND ON OUR OWN. WHEN THE CTLR MADE THIS COMMENT WE TURNED R DIRECT TO HAR. THE R TURN WAS LESS THAN 10 DEG HDG CHANGE. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. IT IS MY OPINION THAT A HDG CHANGE OF LESS THAN 10 DEG SHOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. IF A HDG CHANGE OF LESS THAN 10 DEG WERE TO CAUSE A POSSIBLE CONFLICT, WE EITHER SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLRED DIRECT HAR OR SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLRED TO DSND FROM FL230 TO 13000' WITH A POSSIBLE CONFLICT AT FL190.

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.