Narrative:

I was on a flight from tkx to jso at FL180. At the time I was still northeast of little rock. There was some WX building south of little rock that extended across my route of flight and down into louisiana. I was attempting to deviate around it to the north and had been cleared to deviate to the right of my course, when eventually I was able to resume own navigation to my destination. The ZME controller asked me how much further I needed to deviate. Not quite sure of how far, I told him about another 50 mi. The WX was still out in front of me and I was unsure of exactly how far I was going to have to deviate. But that was my best guess. Shortly after, he told me to contact ZME on the next frequency and to tell them how much further I would be needing to deviate. I switched frequencys and made my report with the new controller. I told her that I was at FL180 and was deviating right of course for WX. I failed to tell her how much further I would need to deviate. Looking back, I should have told the controller when I checked in that I was unsure of how far I would have to deviate, but that I thought it would be at least another 50 mi. That would have been doing as I was instructed and would have left no room for any possible confusion. In the future, I need to do as instructed to ensure effective communication and improve safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C421C PLT WORRIED THAT, WHILE DEVIATING, HE NEVER CLRLY STATED HOW MUCH FURTHER HE NEEDED TO GO.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM TKX TO JSO AT FL180. AT THE TIME I WAS STILL NE OF LITTLE ROCK. THERE WAS SOME WX BUILDING S OF LITTLE ROCK THAT EXTENDED ACROSS MY RTE OF FLT AND DOWN INTO LOUISIANA. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DEVIATE AROUND IT TO THE N AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO DEVIATE TO THE R OF MY COURSE, WHEN EVENTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO RESUME OWN NAV TO MY DEST. THE ZME CTLR ASKED ME HOW MUCH FURTHER I NEEDED TO DEVIATE. NOT QUITE SURE OF HOW FAR, I TOLD HIM ABOUT ANOTHER 50 MI. THE WX WAS STILL OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND I WAS UNSURE OF EXACTLY HOW FAR I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO DEVIATE. BUT THAT WAS MY BEST GUESS. SHORTLY AFTER, HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZME ON THE NEXT FREQ AND TO TELL THEM HOW MUCH FURTHER I WOULD BE NEEDING TO DEVIATE. I SWITCHED FREQS AND MADE MY RPT WITH THE NEW CTLR. I TOLD HER THAT I WAS AT FL180 AND WAS DEVIATING R OF COURSE FOR WX. I FAILED TO TELL HER HOW MUCH FURTHER I WOULD NEED TO DEVIATE. LOOKING BACK, I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE CTLR WHEN I CHKED IN THAT I WAS UNSURE OF HOW FAR I WOULD HAVE TO DEVIATE, BUT THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AT LEAST ANOTHER 50 MI. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING AS I WAS INSTRUCTED AND WOULD HAVE LEFT NO ROOM FOR ANY POSSIBLE CONFUSION. IN THE FUTURE, I NEED TO DO AS INSTRUCTED TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE COM AND IMPROVE SAFETY.

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.