Narrative:

We did not have a limited overwater aircraft and were thus filed over the typical land route, lal-szw-cew-mcb-aex. There was a line of thunderstorms stretching from rdu southwestward out over the gulf. Somewhere north of ocala we were cleared direct cew. We were flying about 25-30 NM offshore. We were painting the storm cells in a line ahead of us and discussing the best way to avoid them. We were unable to go straight or turn right so I obtained deviation clearance from ATC and I exercised captain's emergency authority/authorized and ordered the copilot to go beyond the 50 NM restr. We were able to turn back north between 2 large cells and back on track somewhere south of cew. By my best guess, we were about 100 NM offshore.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD SUPER 80 CAPT EXERCISED CAPT'S AUTH BY DEVIATING AROUND WX STORMS OUT OVER THE OCEAN 100 MI WITHOUT THE ACFT EQUIPPED WITH REQUIRED OVERWATER EMER EQUIP.

Narrative: WE DID NOT HAVE A LIMITED OVERWATER ACFT AND WERE THUS FILED OVER THE TYPICAL LAND RTE, LAL-SZW-CEW-MCB-AEX. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS STRETCHING FROM RDU SOUTHWESTWARD OUT OVER THE GULF. SOMEWHERE N OF OCALA WE WERE CLRED DIRECT CEW. WE WERE FLYING ABOUT 25-30 NM OFFSHORE. WE WERE PAINTING THE STORM CELLS IN A LINE AHEAD OF US AND DISCUSSING THE BEST WAY TO AVOID THEM. WE WERE UNABLE TO GO STRAIGHT OR TURN R SO I OBTAINED DEV CLRNC FROM ATC AND I EXERCISED CAPT'S EMER AUTH AND ORDERED THE COPLT TO GO BEYOND THE 50 NM RESTR. WE WERE ABLE TO TURN BACK N BTWN 2 LARGE CELLS AND BACK ON TRACK SOMEWHERE S OF CEW. BY MY BEST GUESS, WE WERE ABOUT 100 NM OFFSHORE.

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.