2008-07 · NASA ASRS report 794148
A320 FLT CREW DEVIATING AROUND WX WAS FORCED TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO ENTER A 'HOT' MILITARY AIRSPACE WITH LIVE ARTILLERY OR TO ENCOUNTER LEVEL 3 THUNDERSTORMS.
WE WERE AT FL320 DEVIATING W AROUND WX; WITH A CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT TO VUZ WHEN CLR OF THE WX. ATC CALLED WITH A RERTE WHICH BEGAN CLRED TO ATL WHEN ABLE; THEN STANDBY ON THE READBACK. THE NEXT XMISSION TO US WAS TO TURN R TO ATL. WHEN WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE DEVIATING FOR WX; ATC RESPONDED THAT WE WERE TO TURN R TO ATL NOW OR WE WOULD BE DODGING ARTILLERY. WE ADVISED THAT WE WERE BEGINNING A SLOW R TURN TO ATL; AT WHICH POINT ATC'S RESPONSE WAS 'GOOD LUCK; SQUAWK 7700.' WE ELECTED TO TURN TO ATL RATHER THAN RISK BEING IN POTENTIAL ARTILLERY FIRE. AS A RESULT WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE FOM REQUIRED DISTANCE FROM RADAR RETURNS; BUT ENCOUNTERED NOTHING WORSE THAN LIGHT CHOP. MY CONCERN IS THAT ALTHOUGH ZJX WAS BUSY WITH MANY ACFT DIVERTING AROUND TSTMS IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE; THEY NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT A WARNING AREA BEING HOT UNTIL WE HAD APPARENTLY ENCROACHED INTO OR AT LEAST NEAR IT. NORMALLY ATC WILL ADVISE AS TO HOW FAR YOU MAY SAFELY CONTINUE ON A DEV HDG DUE TO ANY OTHER FACTORS; SUCH AS WARNING AREAS OR OTHER ACFT. FORTUNATELY; THIS EVENT PASSED WITHOUT INCIDENT; BUT IS NOT A SITUATION I WOULD CARE TO ENCOUNTER AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 794275: 'YOU WILL BE DEVIATING AROUND LIVE ORDINANCES AS YOU ARE ENTERING HOT MIL AIRSPACE.' WE THEN DECIDED TO TURN R TOWARDS ATL AND TAKE OUR CHANCES WITH LEVEL 3 TSTMS WHICH WAS A NON EVENT. THIS CTLR NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE TO US EARLIER ABOUT THE PATH OF OUR ACFT IN RELATION TO THE MIL AIRSPACE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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