PLT WHOSE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH MISUNDERSTANDS TFC PATTERN DIRECTIONS. FEELS IT COULD CAUSE A NEAR MISS OR AIR COLLISION TO HAPPEN.
Synopsis
PLT WHOSE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH MISUNDERSTANDS TFC PATTERN DIRECTIONS. FEELS IT COULD CAUSE A NEAR MISS OR AIR COLLISION TO HAPPEN.
Narrative
MY ACTIONS WERE AS FOLLOWS. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 13R. I UNDERSTOOD R CLOSED TFC. I TURNED R XWIND AT 700 FT. WHEN I WAS IN THE RIGHT DOWNWIND I CALLED TWR AND STATED MY POS AND REQUESTED TOUCH AND GO RWY 13R. I UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO RWY 13R; L TFC AND READ BACK THE SAME. I THEN TURNED BY BASE LEG. LATER I WAS INFORMED THAT ACTUALLY I HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND LEG BECAUSE A DC8 WAS ALREADY ON FINAL. AS A NON-NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISH I TRY TO READ BACK EVERY CALL; PRECISELY TO AVOID THIS SORT OF INCIDENT. THE TWR CTLR ON THIS DAY WAS PARTICULARLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. HE SPOKE VERY QUIETLY; MUMBLED; AND HIS INSTRUCTIONS TRAILED OFF AT THE END. IF I DID READ BACK AN INSTRUCTION INCORRECTLY; THEN; AS FAR AS I RECALL; IT WENT UNCHKED. I AM A STUDENT PLT. IF I MADE A MISTAKE WITH ONE OF THE FIRST INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED (APPARENTLY HE TOLD ME L CLOSED TFC IN THE TKOF CLRNC) THEN SURELY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRUDENT OF HIM TO KEEP AN ESPECIALLY CLOSE EYE ON ME WHEN A HVY DC8 WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND TO HAVE MADE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT ALL HIS INSTRUCTIONS WERE UNDERSTOOD AND READ BACK CORRECTLY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.