Flight crew of an mdt penetrated a warning area when attempting to avoid severe thunderstorms.

Attributes
ACN	311499
Time
Date	199507
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pie
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	311499
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : exited penetrated airspace none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were flying a sf-3, tpa to pns. There were a lot of thunderstorms around and our dispatch said a route up the coast or slightly off shore was best. After takeoff departure and center gave us a 340 degree heading thus taking us along the coast to out over the gulf. We were then given V97 to V521. Our radar indicated WX in that area and we asked if it would be any problem going left around it. We were led to believe this would be no problem. At about this time thunderstorms started developing rapidly to our east (near shore) and ahead. We were able to get through a small hole ahead with some turbulence and lightning. The area ahead and to our right grew extremely fast with almost continuous lightning. At this point center gave us a heading to our right directly at the most severe radar return. We said we were unable, he said we had to because we were nearing a warning area. (Our TCASII showed no aircraft from surface to 20000 ft within 40 mi in that area). After several attempts to comply with vector without flying into thunderstorms we were unable and advised that we would rather fly into a warning area than a very severe thunderstorm. We flew northwest toward pfn without incident. In all fairness, after watching the WX channel at the hotel and talking to our dispatch, the area blew up very fast and was moving southwest out over the gulf. But center should never give vectors into what had to show on their scope as very heavy WX and after our reports of the WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT PENETRATED A WARNING AREA WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AVOID SEVERE TSTMS.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A SF-3, TPA TO PNS. THERE WERE A LOT OF TSTMS AROUND AND OUR DISPATCH SAID A RTE UP THE COAST OR SLIGHTLY OFF SHORE WAS BEST. AFTER TKOF DEP AND CTR GAVE US A 340 DEG HDG THUS TAKING US ALONG THE COAST TO OUT OVER THE GULF. WE WERE THEN GIVEN V97 TO V521. OUR RADAR INDICATED WX IN THAT AREA AND WE ASKED IF IT WOULD BE ANY PROB GOING L AROUND IT. WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE NO PROB. AT ABOUT THIS TIME TSTMS STARTED DEVELOPING RAPIDLY TO OUR E (NEAR SHORE) AND AHEAD. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH A SMALL HOLE AHEAD WITH SOME TURB AND LIGHTNING. THE AREA AHEAD AND TO OUR R GREW EXTREMELY FAST WITH ALMOST CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING. AT THIS POINT CTR GAVE US A HDG TO OUR R DIRECTLY AT THE MOST SEVERE RADAR RETURN. WE SAID WE WERE UNABLE, HE SAID WE HAD TO BECAUSE WE WERE NEARING A WARNING AREA. (OUR TCASII SHOWED NO ACFT FROM SURFACE TO 20000 FT WITHIN 40 MI IN THAT AREA). AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO COMPLY WITH VECTOR WITHOUT FLYING INTO TSTMS WE WERE UNABLE AND ADVISED THAT WE WOULD RATHER FLY INTO A WARNING AREA THAN A VERY SEVERE TSTM. WE FLEW NW TOWARD PFN WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN ALL FAIRNESS, AFTER WATCHING THE WX CHANNEL AT THE HOTEL AND TALKING TO OUR DISPATCH, THE AREA BLEW UP VERY FAST AND WAS MOVING SW OUT OVER THE GULF. BUT CTR SHOULD NEVER GIVE VECTORS INTO WHAT HAD TO SHOW ON THEIR SCOPE AS VERY HVY WX AND AFTER OUR RPTS OF THE WX.

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.