<< >> NASA ASRS Report 632920, October 2004

A B757-200 crew had a track deviation, in order to avoid a thunderstorm. The crew was not able to contact the approach controller because of frequency congestion.

Attributes
ACN	632920
Time
Date	200410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	632920
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	632918
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Being vectored into fll, we were given a heading toward a WX buildup (cell). We asked to deviate and were approved to deviate north so as to stay out of miami's airspace. We passed that cell to the northeast and were given a turn to heading 290 degrees when clear of the cell. We turned through 290 degrees to about 270 degrees due to another cell that was now visible as we cleared the first cell. As we came around the second cell to the south, the controller asked us what our heading was. I responded that it was 290 degrees, with deviations. He told us to turn to 310 degrees and this time follow his instructions. We did. A few seconds later, I heard the controller comment rhetorically on the radio 'unbelievable!' neither a visual scan of the area nor TCASII indicated that there was any conflict, but the controller's exasperation seemed to indicate a problem, perhaps with airspace divisions (although we were north of fll airport). Vectors followed to a non-eventful visual approach and landing at fll.

Related reports:

• Heading track deviation around thunderstorm activity. Report...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW HAD A TRACK DEV, IN ORDER TO AVOID A TSTM. THE CREW WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTACT THE APCH CTLR BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION.

Narrative: BEING VECTORED INTO FLL, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TOWARD A WX BUILDUP (CELL). WE ASKED TO DEVIATE AND WERE APPROVED TO DEVIATE N SO AS TO STAY OUT OF MIAMI'S AIRSPACE. WE PASSED THAT CELL TO THE NE AND WERE GIVEN A TURN TO HDG 290 DEGS WHEN CLR OF THE CELL. WE TURNED THROUGH 290 DEGS TO ABOUT 270 DEGS DUE TO ANOTHER CELL THAT WAS NOW VISIBLE AS WE CLRED THE FIRST CELL. AS WE CAME AROUND THE SECOND CELL TO THE S, THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS. I RESPONDED THAT IT WAS 290 DEGS, WITH DEVS. HE TOLD US TO TURN TO 310 DEGS AND THIS TIME FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS. WE DID. A FEW SECONDS LATER, I HEARD THE CTLR COMMENT RHETORICALLY ON THE RADIO 'UNBELIEVABLE!' NEITHER A VISUAL SCAN OF THE AREA NOR TCASII INDICATED THAT THERE WAS ANY CONFLICT, BUT THE CTLR'S EXASPERATION SEEMED TO INDICATE A PROB, PERHAPS WITH AIRSPACE DIVISIONS (ALTHOUGH WE WERE N OF FLL ARPT). VECTORS FOLLOWED TO A NON-EVENTFUL VISUAL APCH AND LNDG AT FLL.

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.