Narrative:

We were cruising along at FL250 on filed route. Saw massive clouds and building cumulus in our path about 30 mi ahead, so I requested a deviation to left of course. Communication became very difficult with ATC. I could only make out a few clipped phrases out of the controller's replies. Finally, air carrier flight XXX intervened and relayed to us that ATC had cleared us to deviation, which we did and avoided the WX. I also checked our TCASII display to see if there might've been any conflicting traffic and didn't see any. Then, just as I was wondering how to resolve our communications problem, I heard our controller hand us off to another frequency and we acknowledged and made the switch. Shortly after checking in with the next controller, he asked if we were deviating and I answered yes. Then the controller said he didn't know anything about it! I explained what happened in the previous sector and how the clearance had been relayed through the air carrier flight, and the controller acknowledged the problems the previous sector was having. We were told to proceed on course when able and the remainder of the flight was routine. Later that evening I saw a news story about an earthquake of 5.2 magnitude occurring in northwest PA -- the very part of the country we were flying over, at the time of our incident! It then made sense why we had difficulties with ATC. I assume that the air carrier flight relayed a correct clearance to us, and that the next controller was unaware of our deviation only because of ATC landline problems caused by the earthquake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW WAS APCHING CONVECTIVE WX AHEAD. AT THE SAME TIME CREW LOST COM WITH CTR CTLR. CLRNC TO DEV WAS RECEIVED THROUGH RELAY FROM ANOTHER ACR.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING ALONG AT FL250 ON FILED RTE. SAW MASSIVE CLOUDS AND BUILDING CUMULUS IN OUR PATH ABOUT 30 MI AHEAD, SO I REQUESTED A DEV TO L OF COURSE. COM BECAME VERY DIFFICULT WITH ATC. I COULD ONLY MAKE OUT A FEW CLIPPED PHRASES OUT OF THE CTLR'S REPLIES. FINALLY, ACR FLT XXX INTERVENED AND RELAYED TO US THAT ATC HAD CLRED US TO DEV, WHICH WE DID AND AVOIDED THE WX. I ALSO CHKED OUR TCASII DISPLAY TO SEE IF THERE MIGHT'VE BEEN ANY CONFLICTING TFC AND DIDN'T SEE ANY. THEN, JUST AS I WAS WONDERING HOW TO RESOLVE OUR COMS PROB, I HEARD OUR CTLR HAND US OFF TO ANOTHER FREQ AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND MADE THE SWITCH. SHORTLY AFTER CHKING IN WITH THE NEXT CTLR, HE ASKED IF WE WERE DEVIATING AND I ANSWERED YES. THEN THE CTLR SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT! I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTOR AND HOW THE CLRNC HAD BEEN RELAYED THROUGH THE ACR FLT, AND THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBS THE PREVIOUS SECTOR WAS HAVING. WE WERE TOLD TO PROCEED ON COURSE WHEN ABLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS ROUTINE. LATER THAT EVENING I SAW A NEWS STORY ABOUT AN EARTHQUAKE OF 5.2 MAGNITUDE OCCURRING IN NORTHWEST PA -- THE VERY PART OF THE COUNTRY WE WERE FLYING OVER, AT THE TIME OF OUR INCIDENT! IT THEN MADE SENSE WHY WE HAD DIFFICULTIES WITH ATC. I ASSUME THAT THE ACR FLT RELAYED A CORRECT CLRNC TO US, AND THAT THE NEXT CTLR WAS UNAWARE OF OUR DEV ONLY BECAUSE OF ATC LANDLINE PROBS CAUSED BY THE EARTHQUAKE.

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.