2002-07 · NASA ASRS report 555604
B747-100 CREW HAD EXTREME LANGUAGE BARRIER PROBS AND CONFLICTING ATC CLRNCS WHEN DEPARTING HECA.
ON DEP; PROCEEDED AS CLRED IN OUR INITIAL CLRNC RECEIVED BY GND CTL ON TAXI OUT. LANGUAGE BARRIER FROM CAIRO GND CTL AROSE WHILE READING BACK CLRNC WITH REF TO SQUAWK CODE. AFTER READING BACK SQUAWK CODE 3 OR 4 TIMES WITH CONFIRMATION FROM GND CTL; IT WAS SELECTED INTO XPONDER. CLRED TO 'LINE UP AND HOLD' ON ACTIVE RWY. WHILE HOLDING FOR APPROX 2-3 MINS; WE NOTICED ON TCASII AN ACFT AT 700 FT BEHIND US LNDG ON SAME RWY. AS I WAS ABOUT TO EXIT OR ASK TWR FOR CLRNC TO TAKE OFF; A NEW SQUAWK CODE WAS GIVEN AND TKOF CLRNC RECEIVED. ON DEP; A TURN WAS MADE TO THE VOR AS INITIALLY CLRED. CHKING ON WITH DEP FREQ; ANOTHER SQUAWK CODE WAS GIVEN. I INFORMED HIM OF OUR R TURN. A FEW MINS LATER THE DEP CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L. WE DID. ANOTHER CTLR ASKED WHY WE TURNED R WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG. ON TKOF; I DON'T REMEMBER OUR CLRNC AS RWY HDG. ESPECIALLY WITH THE ACFT LNDG BEHIND US AND THE LANGUAGE PROB WITH THE SQUAWK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 555740: AFTER TKOF; I FLEW OUT TO THE VOR AND TURNED R ON COURSE (OUR CLRNC RECEIVED ON TAXI OUT). THE CAPT SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE IN THE TURN. WE GOT NO RESPONSE TWICE AND ON THE THIRD CALL A DIFFERENT VOICE CAME ON AND TOLD US TO TURN BACK TO A HDG. HE WAS VERY UPSET AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE TURNED. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING OUR CLRNC AND HE SAID 'WHAT ABOUT YOUR CLRNC FROM THE TWR?' THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HEARD OF AN ASSIGNED HDG FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE THE EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING SOME FOREIGN CTLRS INCREASES THE RISK BY ITSELF. IN OUR SIT; THE CTLR WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND; WE HAD AN ACFT COMING UP OUR TAIL; AND THEN WE HAD CONFUSION ABOUT THE NEW XPONDER CODE. THE CAPT AND I BOTH FELT IT WAS STRANGE TO TURN ON COURSE THAT CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND THAT IS WHY THE CAPT KEPT STATING THAT WE WERE IN THE TURN WHEN HE TRIED TO CONTACT DEP CTL. I THINK IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR EACH CREW MEMBER TO LISTEN CAREFULLY AND IF IN DOUBT -- CLARIFY. WE WERE RUSHED AND DISTR AND IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A WORSE SIT THAN IT WAS.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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