Air carrier B737 flight crew encounter WX and deviate. Approach controller trying to maintain traffi...

Attributes
ACN	408478
Time
Date	199807
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hou
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000
ASRS Report	408478
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 15100 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	408480
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

While doing the struk 8 arrival into houston hobby, we deviated, with ATC approval, west of the runway 12R localizer. We were avoiding a severe thunderstorm. The controller was very busy. Several aircraft were trying to ask for WX deviations when the controller stated I have a lot of aircraft on frequency 'if you are calling for WX deviations just fly through it.' on jul/wed/98, hou approach controller advised us to turn to a heading of 110 degrees and intercept the hobby runway 12R localizer. This heading would have forced us to fly through the heart of a large thunderstorm that we were on a heading to avoid. We advised unable. We would take lower, right turn or whatever the controller needed, but we were unable 110 degrees. The controller advised traffic was on our right, turn left to heading 110 degrees now or declare an emergency. We declared an emergency to avoid the severe thunderstorm and protect the safety of the flight. Supplemental information from acn 408480: the next controller was very busy and told all aircraft that were asking for deviation around WX to just fly through it. We were already deviating around the WX but I asked for lower to avoid being just below the cloud bases. The controller replied 'unable.' shortly thereafter this controller instructed us to fly a 110 degree heading and join the localizer. This would have put us into the heart of the cell we had been avoiding by the deviation. He advised that we had traffic on our right and that we could either fly a 110 degree heading to join the localizer or declare an emergency. I responded with 'ok, I am declaring an emergency.' he responded with 'contact approach on...' we held our heading and contacted the final approach controller. I told him we were deviating for WX. This controller instructed us to hurry down to 2000 ft and join the localizer when able. We called the airport in sight and got a visual approach to avoid rain near the marker.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B737 FLC ENCOUNTER WX AND DEVIATE. APCH CTLR TRYING TO MAINTAIN TFC FLOW CHALLENGES PLT AND TELLS HIM TO 'FLY THROUGH IT' OR DECLARE AN EMER. PLT DECLARES EMER, DSNDS AROUND WX, CHANGES FREQ TO FINAL CTLR, AVOIDS OTHER TFC AND LANDS.

Narrative: WHILE DOING THE STRUK 8 ARR INTO HOUSTON HOBBY, WE DEVIATED, WITH ATC APPROVAL, W OF THE RWY 12R LOC. WE WERE AVOIDING A SEVERE TSTM. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY. SEVERAL ACFT WERE TRYING TO ASK FOR WX DEVS WHEN THE CTLR STATED I HAVE A LOT OF ACFT ON FREQ 'IF YOU ARE CALLING FOR WX DEVS JUST FLY THROUGH IT.' ON JUL/WED/98, HOU APCH CTLR ADVISED US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 110 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE HOBBY RWY 12R LOC. THIS HEADING WOULD HAVE FORCED US TO FLY THROUGH THE HEART OF A LARGE TSTM THAT WE WERE ON A HEADING TO AVOID. WE ADVISED UNABLE. WE WOULD TAKE LOWER, R TURN OR WHATEVER THE CTLR NEEDED, BUT WE WERE UNABLE 110 DEGS. THE CTLR ADVISED TFC WAS ON OUR R, TURN L TO HDG 110 DEGS NOW OR DECLARE AN EMER. WE DECLARED AN EMER TO AVOID THE SEVERE TSTM AND PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408480: THE NEXT CTLR WAS VERY BUSY AND TOLD ALL ACFT THAT WERE ASKING FOR DEV AROUND WX TO JUST FLY THROUGH IT. WE WERE ALREADY DEVIATING AROUND THE WX BUT I ASKED FOR LOWER TO AVOID BEING JUST BELOW THE CLOUD BASES. THE CTLR REPLIED 'UNABLE.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER THIS CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO FLY A 110 DEG HDG AND JOIN THE LOC. THIS WOULD HAVE PUT US INTO THE HEART OF THE CELL WE HAD BEEN AVOIDING BY THE DEV. HE ADVISED THAT WE HAD TFC ON OUR R AND THAT WE COULD EITHER FLY A 110 DEG HDG TO JOIN THE LOC OR DECLARE AN EMER. I RESPONDED WITH 'OK, I AM DECLARING AN EMER.' HE RESPONDED WITH 'CONTACT APCH ON...' WE HELD OUR HEADING AND CONTACTED THE FINAL APCH CTLR. I TOLD HIM WE WERE DEVIATING FOR WX. THIS CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO HURRY DOWN TO 2000 FT AND JOIN THE LOC WHEN ABLE. WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND GOT A VISUAL APCH TO AVOID RAIN NEAR THE MARKER.

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.

Air carrier B737 flight crew encounter WX and deviate. Approach controller trying to maintain traffic flow challenges pilot and tells him to 'fly through it' or declare an emergency. Pilot declares emergency, descends around WX, changes frequency to final controller, avoids other traffic and lands.