Departure and weather deviations

Captain Steeeve opens by saying JetBlue recently declared an emergency to avoid severe weather. He identifies JetBlue 1971 as a departure from Fort Lauderdale and notes that thunderstorms are common in South Florida, especially in summer. He says crews often have to pick their way around storms and do not fly through them, try to fly over them, or try to outrun them. He refers to a recent Lear 60 incident as one with many question marks and says the JetBlue case has a different outcome. He explains that controllers may give headings to avoid weather and that crews may try to shoot a gap, also called a sucker hole. He says thunderstorms can build and connect quickly, and he describes going around the end of a storm line as the usual method.

Denied heading and closing gap

Captain Steeeve returns to the recording. He says JetBlue 1971 is given a heading of 300 to avoid weather and is told to maintain 13,000 feet and heading 300 through a gap. He says the controller is trying to move aircraft up the coast and that the Severe Weather Avoidance Program can keep aircraft on the ground. He says the crew sees red weather ahead and says they cannot do that. He says the controller later gives heading 320 to another aircraft and heading 330 to another aircraft, while JetBlue 1971 remains on the 300 heading. He says the controller sees a space on her scope, but the crew may not see the same picture in the aircraft. He says he depends on what is in front of him and on experience with how storms build and move.

Emergency declaration and handoff

Captain Steeeve says JetBlue 1971 tells air traffic control that the gap is no longer there and requests a hard right turn immediately. He says the controller responds with 'Unable', says JetBlue 1971 is to go 270 through a gap, and cites traffic. He says the crew then asks for about 240, and the controller again says unable. He says the crew asks whether they are being made to go through a severe thunderstorm, and the controller says she is showing light precipitation. He says the crew declares an emergency and makes a left turn heading 260 for severe weather avoidance. He says the controller replies to JetBlue 1971 with 'roger' and says she copied the emergency. He says the controller tells the supervisor, and the crew says they must do what they must do. He says a ground stop is put on aircraft departing Fort Lauderdale and probably Miami, and that the corridor is gone. He says the crew continues past the storm, receives a 320 heading for traffic opposite direction at 10,000, and accepts a right turn heading 330. He says the controller says centre cannot take the handoff, gives JetBlue 1971 left heading 210, then says centre accepts heading 330 and tells JetBlue 1971 to contact centre on 13245. He says the aircraft leaves the area and he has not declared an emergency for weather in his career.