Narrative:

Numerous thunderstorms between our position and airport. Cleared to deviate north of runway 27 localizer as necessary for WX. Cleared from 6000 to 3000'. Began descent. Approach control advised us of traffic at 2 O'clock. We advised traffic in sight. In an attempt to maintain visual with traffic and clear of WX, we slowed descent and leveled at approximately 4800' to clear a small band of clouds. At this point the controller questioned us as to whether or not we had begun our descent. We informed him we had and continued on down. He then gave us an assigned heading to clear us of traffic. By now our traffic had passed over by 500-1000' and behind and to the left by approximately 1 1/2 mi. We maintained visual contact with traffic and field and completed approach and landing west/O incident. Up to the time the controller queried us as to whether or not we had initiated our descent, we had no idea that there was a possible conflict. We had not been informed to expedite descent, turn, or vary our flight path in any way. We were under the impression that we were cleared to deviate as necessary to clear the WX. Had we been informed of a possible conflict we could, and of course would, have used any of numerous alternatives available to us to avoid a problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING DESCENT AND VECTOR TO FINAL APCH COURSE, ACT LGT MADE UNEXPECTED AND UNAUTH LEVEL OFF TO AVOID CLOUDS RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: NUMEROUS TSTMS BTWN OUR POS AND ARPT. CLRED TO DEVIATE N OF RWY 27 LOC AS NECESSARY FOR WX. CLRED FROM 6000 TO 3000'. BEGAN DSCNT. APCH CTL ADVISED US OF TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK. WE ADVISED TFC IN SIGHT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH TFC AND CLR OF WX, WE SLOWED DSCNT AND LEVELED AT APPROX 4800' TO CLR A SMALL BAND OF CLOUDS. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR QUESTIONED US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD BEGUN OUR DSCNT. WE INFORMED HIM WE HAD AND CONTINUED ON DOWN. HE THEN GAVE US AN ASSIGNED HDG TO CLR US OF TFC. BY NOW OUR TFC HAD PASSED OVER BY 500-1000' AND BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT BY APPROX 1 1/2 MI. WE MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH TFC AND FIELD AND COMPLETED APCH AND LNDG W/O INCIDENT. UP TO THE TIME THE CTLR QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD INITIATED OUR DSCNT, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. WE HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED TO EXPEDITE DSCNT, TURN, OR VARY OUR FLT PATH IN ANY WAY. WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE CLRED TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY TO CLR THE WX. HAD WE BEEN INFORMED OF A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WE COULD, AND OF COURSE WOULD, HAVE USED ANY OF NUMEROUS ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE TO US TO AVOID A PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.