Narrative:

Approaching houston hobby, houston approach initially gave us direct hou, then given a 180 degree heading 30 NM out of hobby. No reason given why. Approaching WX cell ahead, asked to deviate and told him we had field in sight. Asked for left deviation and we heard 'right.' first officer said he heard direct. Started left turn direct and later controller asked about 'turn right' and we stopped left turn and turned right. With controller using non standard calls, and us not verifying the call, miscom occurred. No incident other than initial wrong turn occurred. No reason given to our 90 degree turn when on a heading towards the airport for straight in approach. I assume it was traffic, asking for a deviation due to WX, proper terminology of direction of turn to a heading. A short brief 'right' was misinterpreted by one pilot as direct, which was a left turn. The call should have been verified and the controller should have advised us why we're vectored away from the airport into a WX cell. I believe this was a miscom and the left turn was made. We were given a heading for runway 12R at hobby and landed safely. Supplemental information from acn 406560: I told the captain to ask for a left deviation. The captain asked houston approach for a deviation for build-ups. Approach said 'which way.' my captain said we would like to deviate to the left toward the airport. Approach responded quickly without stating a call sign, 'go right.' the problem was attributed to the following factors: congested airspace, thunderstorms in the vicinity causing deviations, houston approach not using a call sign on all of his transmission when he was talking to the same aircraft, houston approach not giving assigned headings to deviate to, and the flight crew not verifying the confusion of the deviation clearance received. In the future I will be sure to verify all communications that cause doubt between ATC and flight crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 CREW MISINTERPRETED CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AFTER REQUESTED WX DEV.

Narrative: APCHING HOUSTON HOBBY, HOUSTON APCH INITIALLY GAVE US DIRECT HOU, THEN GIVEN A 180 DEG HDG 30 NM OUT OF HOBBY. NO REASON GIVEN WHY. APCHING WX CELL AHEAD, ASKED TO DEVIATE AND TOLD HIM WE HAD FIELD IN SIGHT. ASKED FOR L DEV AND WE HEARD 'R.' FO SAID HE HEARD DIRECT. STARTED L TURN DIRECT AND LATER CTLR ASKED ABOUT 'TURN R' AND WE STOPPED L TURN AND TURNED R. WITH CTLR USING NON STANDARD CALLS, AND US NOT VERIFYING THE CALL, MISCOM OCCURRED. NO INCIDENT OTHER THAN INITIAL WRONG TURN OCCURRED. NO REASON GIVEN TO OUR 90 DEG TURN WHEN ON A HEADING TOWARDS THE ARPT FOR STRAIGHT IN APCH. I ASSUME IT WAS TFC, ASKING FOR A DEV DUE TO WX, PROPER TERMINOLOGY OF DIRECTION OF TURN TO A HEADING. A SHORT BRIEF 'R' WAS MISINTERPRETED BY ONE PLT AS DIRECT, WHICH WAS A L TURN. THE CALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERIFIED AND THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE ADVISED US WHY WE'RE VECTORED AWAY FROM THE ARPT INTO A WX CELL. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A MISCOM AND THE L TURN WAS MADE. WE WERE GIVEN A HEADING FOR RWY 12R AT HOBBY AND LANDED SAFELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 406560: I TOLD THE CAPT TO ASK FOR A L DEV. THE CAPT ASKED HOUSTON APCH FOR A DEV FOR BUILD-UPS. APCH SAID 'WHICH WAY.' MY CAPT SAID WE WOULD LIKE TO DEVIATE TO THE L TOWARD THE ARPT. APCH RESPONDED QUICKLY WITHOUT STATING A CALL SIGN, 'GO R.' THE PROB WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: CONGESTED AIRSPACE, TSTMS IN THE VICINITY CAUSING DEVS, HOUSTON APCH NOT USING A CALL SIGN ON ALL OF HIS XMISSION WHEN HE WAS TALKING TO THE SAME ACFT, HOUSTON APCH NOT GIVING ASSIGNED HEADINGS TO DEVIATE TO, AND THE FLC NOT VERIFYING THE CONFUSION OF THE DEV CLRNC RECEIVED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE SURE TO VERIFY ALL COMS THAT CAUSE DOUBT BTWN ATC AND FLC MEMBERS.

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.