<< >> NASA ASRS Report 701094, June 2006

Unable to communication with tokyo in a timely fashion; B747-400 flight crew twice utilizes emergency authority/authorized to alter course due to convective activity on their route of flight.

Attributes
ACN	701094
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 3700
ASRS Report	701094
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : wx radar other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Level cruise. Isolated cumulonimbus clouds along our route of flight. We needed to deviation right of track and requested route on cpdlc. Response was 'unable.' I typed back that we were deviating right of course and proceeded to avoid the cumulonimbus. Control responded 'unable.' we kept deviation under 10 mi and once clear resumed track. A couple of hours later in same conditions we requested route for cumulonimbus avoidance. No response from control. Made request again after few mins -- no response. I used the ATC emergency prompt for deviation and proceeded to avoid multiple cumulonimbus clouds on our track. We finally got permission after we had deviated approximately 7 mi off track. Never in 6 yrs as a -400 captain have I experienced these communication and clearance problems. Unfortunate to have ATC issues twice on 1 leg.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO COM WITH TOKYO IN A TIMELY FASHION; B747-400 FLT CREW TWICE UTILIZES EMER AUTH TO ALTER COURSE DUE TO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON THEIR RTE OF FLT.

Narrative: LEVEL CRUISE. ISOLATED CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS ALONG OUR RTE OF FLT. WE NEEDED TO DEV R OF TRACK AND REQUESTED ROUTE ON CPDLC. RESPONSE WAS 'UNABLE.' I TYPED BACK THAT WE WERE DEVIATING R OF COURSE AND PROCEEDED TO AVOID THE CUMULONIMBUS. CTL RESPONDED 'UNABLE.' WE KEPT DEV UNDER 10 MI AND ONCE CLR RESUMED TRACK. A COUPLE OF HRS LATER IN SAME CONDITIONS WE REQUESTED ROUTE FOR CUMULONIMBUS AVOIDANCE. NO RESPONSE FROM CTL. MADE REQUEST AGAIN AFTER FEW MINS -- NO RESPONSE. I USED THE ATC EMER PROMPT FOR DEV AND PROCEEDED TO AVOID MULTIPLE CUMULONIMBUS CLOUDS ON OUR TRACK. WE FINALLY GOT PERMISSION AFTER WE HAD DEVIATED APPROX 7 MI OFF TRACK. NEVER IN 6 YRS AS A -400 CAPT HAVE I EXPERIENCED THESE COM AND CLRNC PROBS. UNFORTUNATE TO HAVE ATC ISSUES TWICE ON 1 LEG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.