In-flight WX encounter in foreign airspace. Flight crew unable to obtain deviation clearance from controller. Reporter first officer says that the controller was baffled as to what to do with them, that anything out of the usual throws them. So, flight crew declared emergency and deviated on their own. When they had cleared WX area they returned on course and contacted the next controller.

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Attributes
ACN	344782
Time
Date	199608
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rorg
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 38000 msl bound upper : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rorg artcc : zme
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 : pacific enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	344782
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Approaching boney intersection en route hkg requests to deviate 40 mi right of course for a level 4 thunderstorm. A timely response from naha was not received. Naha control did not respond to continual requests. In fact, either we lost contact or they were baffled as to what they should do with us. This is very typical out here. Anything beyond 'on course' throws them for a loop. Once back on course, communication was reestablished and they acted like nothing had happened. We followed our fom rtes P-4 procedure to the letter. We declared a WX related emergency, broadcast in the blind on 121.5, set code 7700, descended 1000 ft after 10 mi off route, monitored TCASII, turned on all exterior lights and flew 50 mi north of boney to circumnav the storm. Once clear, we proceeded direct to hnc (southern tip of taiwan), reacquired tpe control and climbed back to FL390.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT WX ENCOUNTER IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE. FLC UNABLE TO OBTAIN DEV CLRNC FROM CTLR. RPTR FO SAYS THAT THE CTLR WAS BAFFLED AS TO WHAT TO DO WITH THEM, THAT ANYTHING OUT OF THE USUAL THROWS THEM. SO, FLC DECLARED EMER AND DEVIATED ON THEIR OWN. WHEN THEY HAD CLRED WX AREA THEY RETURNED ON COURSE AND CONTACTED THE NEXT CTLR.

Narrative: APCHING BONEY INTXN ENRTE HKG REQUESTS TO DEVIATE 40 MI R OF COURSE FOR A LEVEL 4 TSTM. A TIMELY RESPONSE FROM NAHA WAS NOT RECEIVED. NAHA CTL DID NOT RESPOND TO CONTINUAL REQUESTS. IN FACT, EITHER WE LOST CONTACT OR THEY WERE BAFFLED AS TO WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WITH US. THIS IS VERY TYPICAL OUT HERE. ANYTHING BEYOND 'ON COURSE' THROWS THEM FOR A LOOP. ONCE BACK ON COURSE, COM WAS REESTABLISHED AND THEY ACTED LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. WE FOLLOWED OUR FOM RTES P-4 PROC TO THE LETTER. WE DECLARED A WX RELATED EMER, BROADCAST IN THE BLIND ON 121.5, SET CODE 7700, DSNDED 1000 FT AFTER 10 MI OFF RTE, MONITORED TCASII, TURNED ON ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS AND FLEW 50 MI N OF BONEY TO CIRCUMNAV THE STORM. ONCE CLR, WE PROCEEDED DIRECT TO HNC (SOUTHERN TIP OF TAIWAN), REACQUIRED TPE CTL AND CLBED BACK TO FL390.

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.