Flight crew of an medium large transport declared an emergency due to deviation from assigned headin...

Attributes
ACN	301294
Time
Date	199504
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfp
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : zma
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	301294
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

At cruise FL330, flying a 180 degree heading for WX, center assigned a 140 degree heading. We advised we could only fly it for a very short time and center acknowledged. When we told center we needed to turn back south, center said a right turn was not available and that we could turn east. That option was not available to us due to severe WX east through south. We were rapidly approaching the edge of a level G cell in the line of WX and I had no choice but to declare an emergency and inform center that we were turned to a 220 degree heading to avoid the WX. ZMA told us of traffic in that direction. We had the traffic on TCASII and it passed well off our right by 12-15 mi. Didn't seem to be much of a problem to us. After we declared the emergency, center seemed relieved and said that there was a lot of traffic deviation here because of the severe WX. This all arose because I didn't clearly state how short of a distance we could fly by accepting a clearance that I should not have accepted in the first place and because of ATC's fear of setting off the snitch system and discipline that it will bring if 2 airplanes are anywhere near each other.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO DEV FROM ASSIGNED HDG FOR SEVERE WX.

Narrative: AT CRUISE FL330, FLYING A 180 DEG HDG FOR WX, CTR ASSIGNED A 140 DEG HDG. WE ADVISED WE COULD ONLY FLY IT FOR A VERY SHORT TIME AND CTR ACKNOWLEDGED. WHEN WE TOLD CTR WE NEEDED TO TURN BACK S, CTR SAID A R TURN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT WE COULD TURN E. THAT OPTION WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO US DUE TO SEVERE WX E THROUGH S. WE WERE RAPIDLY APCHING THE EDGE OF A LEVEL G CELL IN THE LINE OF WX AND I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DECLARE AN EMER AND INFORM CTR THAT WE WERE TURNED TO A 220 DEG HDG TO AVOID THE WX. ZMA TOLD US OF TFC IN THAT DIRECTION. WE HAD THE TFC ON TCASII AND IT PASSED WELL OFF OUR R BY 12-15 MI. DIDN'T SEEM TO BE MUCH OF A PROB TO US. AFTER WE DECLARED THE EMER, CTR SEEMED RELIEVED AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC DEV HERE BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE WX. THIS ALL AROSE BECAUSE I DIDN'T CLRLY STATE HOW SHORT OF A DISTANCE WE COULD FLY BY ACCEPTING A CLRNC THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED IN THE FIRST PLACE AND BECAUSE OF ATC'S FEAR OF SETTING OFF THE SNITCH SYS AND DISCIPLINE THAT IT WILL BRING IF 2 AIRPLANES ARE ANYWHERE NEAR EACH OTHER.

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.

Flight crew of an medium large transport declared an emergency due to deviation from assigned heading for severe WX.