Narrative:

We were en route from lax to mco. In the area of northern florida there was an extensive area of thunderstorms that required a fair amount of deviations. In the vicinity of hevyn intersection, we were given a heading by ZJX. Initially the heading was acceptable, but it became apparent that a turn further to the right would be required to remain clear of a large thunderstorm cell. ATC would not allow this turn because of military airspace so I had to exercise my emergency authority/authorized to remain clear of the WX. We then penetrated warning area W470A. We were directed by the controller to squawk 7700. We continued our deviation around the area of thunderstorms and returned to our original assigned heading as quickly as possible. I would estimate that we were in warning airspace for only 2-3 mins and that we flew less than 10 mi into that airspace. The flight then continued uneventfully to orlando. It was unfortunate that this incident occurred. However, I did what I felt was necessary to ensure the safety of my flight. Entering a thunderstorm that is painting red on my radar is not an option and given the same set of circumstances I would have made the same decision again. In the future, I will be more aware of our position relative to sua. If I had realized how close we were to a warning area, I probably would not have accepted any vector from ATC taking us in that direction. Unfortunately, there were thunderstorms everywhere and the vector appeared to be the best choice. By the time we realized the vector wasn't going to work, we were in a bit of a box and our 2 options were to enter a thunderstorm or a warning area. I feel I made the right decision. Supplemental information from acn 476545: the controller had us between the warning areas of the west coast of florida and the thunderstorms over the land, but as we continued south and thunderstorm of level +4 was directly in front of us, we had to turn further toward warning area 470A. He told us to squawk 7700 and they would contact the military. The only thing I think could have prevented this was a rerte to the east coast of florida before all the vectoring started.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLC IS TOLD BY ATC TO SQUAWK 7700 WHEN THE CREW FINDS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING INTO WARNING AREA W470A VERSUS A LEVEL 4 TSTM WHEN SE OF TLH, FL.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM LAX TO MCO. IN THE AREA OF NORTHERN FLORIDA THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF TSTMS THAT REQUIRED A FAIR AMOUNT OF DEVS. IN THE VICINITY OF HEVYN INTXN, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG BY ZJX. INITIALLY THE HDG WAS ACCEPTABLE, BUT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT A TURN FURTHER TO THE R WOULD BE REQUIRED TO REMAIN CLR OF A LARGE TSTM CELL. ATC WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS TURN BECAUSE OF MIL AIRSPACE SO I HAD TO EXERCISE MY EMER AUTH TO REMAIN CLR OF THE WX. WE THEN PENETRATED WARNING AREA W470A. WE WERE DIRECTED BY THE CTLR TO SQUAWK 7700. WE CONTINUED OUR DEV AROUND THE AREA OF TSTMS AND RETURNED TO OUR ORIGINAL ASSIGNED HDG AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE IN WARNING AIRSPACE FOR ONLY 2-3 MINS AND THAT WE FLEW LESS THAN 10 MI INTO THAT AIRSPACE. THE FLT THEN CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO ORLANDO. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. HOWEVER, I DID WHAT I FELT WAS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF MY FLT. ENTERING A TSTM THAT IS PAINTING RED ON MY RADAR IS NOT AN OPTION AND GIVEN THE SAME SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD HAVE MADE THE SAME DECISION AGAIN. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE AWARE OF OUR POS RELATIVE TO SUA. IF I HAD REALIZED HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO A WARNING AREA, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED ANY VECTOR FROM ATC TAKING US IN THAT DIRECTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE TSTMS EVERYWHERE AND THE VECTOR APPEARED TO BE THE BEST CHOICE. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED THE VECTOR WASN'T GOING TO WORK, WE WERE IN A BIT OF A BOX AND OUR 2 OPTIONS WERE TO ENTER A TSTM OR A WARNING AREA. I FEEL I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476545: THE CTLR HAD US BTWN THE WARNING AREAS OF THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA AND THE TSTMS OVER THE LAND, BUT AS WE CONTINUED S AND TSTM OF LEVEL +4 WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, WE HAD TO TURN FURTHER TOWARD WARNING AREA 470A. HE TOLD US TO SQUAWK 7700 AND THEY WOULD CONTACT THE MIL. THE ONLY THING I THINK COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS WAS A RERTE TO THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA BEFORE ALL THE VECTORING STARTED.

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.