Narrative:

Student was a foreign national with an expired foreign private license. English is a second language, this is important. He has passed the FAA written examination for a private license. His pilot performance is satisfactory except for his knowledge of airspace and radio communication skills. He has a good command of technical english but aeronautical phraseology sometimes eludes him - particularly the informal 'shorthand' phrases that creep into our radio work. Approach cleared us for straight-in to runway 30, student had airport in sight and handed us over to tower. Student was performing all radio work with coaching as needed, he was also switching frequency and handling the audio panel (intercom and headsets in use). I instructed student to request 'full stop landing with taxi back, then departure on course'. Tower got the full stop part but the rest was confused. (I wanted student to act as PIC so I merely monitored his performance and told him to handle it). After landing tower directed us 'right turn on runway 24 and hold'. Right turn actually put us at the departure end of runway 06. After several conversations between student and tower, and tower and other aircraft we were 'cleared for takeoff with right turn to 090'. This is where the fan got covered with brown stuff. We took off on 24, not 30 as the tower subsequently informed us they had cleared us for. As I reviewed the event later with my student and in my own mind, I realized how I may have added to the uncertainty. I was busy pointing out airport markings, critiquing the flight to this point, etc. The priority should have been communication with the tower and adherence to standard procedure. Reading back the full understood clearance 'cleared for takeoff runway 24' instead of 'cleared for takeoff' would have caught it. Or even 'verify clearance for runway 24' would have saved us. I/we were very lucky. No other vehicles were on the runway and no other aircraft were affected. That is small consolation, however, and has impressed upon me 'communicate - don't just converse'. Concentrate on priorities. Don't attempt to inject instruction into every available second. Allow your student, and more importantly yourself, time to devote attention to critical tasks, such as understand and comply with ATC instructions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT WITH LANGUAGE PROBLEM DEPART ON WRONG RWY.

Narrative: STUDENT WAS A FOREIGN NATIONAL WITH AN EXPIRED FOREIGN PVT LICENSE. ENGLISH IS A SECOND LANGUAGE, THIS IS IMPORTANT. HE HAS PASSED THE FAA WRITTEN EXAM FOR A PRIVATE LICENSE. HIS PLT PERFORMANCE IS SATISFACTORY EXCEPT FOR HIS KNOWLEDGE OF AIRSPACE AND RADIO COM SKILLS. HE HAS A GOOD COMMAND OF TECHNICAL ENGLISH BUT AERONAUTICAL PHRASEOLOGY SOMETIMES ELUDES HIM - PARTICULARLY THE INFORMAL 'SHORTHAND' PHRASES THAT CREEP INTO OUR RADIO WORK. APCH CLRED US FOR STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 30, STUDENT HAD ARPT IN SIGHT AND HANDED US OVER TO TWR. STUDENT WAS PERFORMING ALL RADIO WORK WITH COACHING AS NEEDED, HE WAS ALSO SWITCHING FREQ AND HANDLING THE AUDIO PANEL (INTERCOM AND HEADSETS IN USE). I INSTRUCTED STUDENT TO REQUEST 'FULL STOP LNDG WITH TAXI BACK, THEN DEP ON COURSE'. TWR GOT THE FULL STOP PART BUT THE REST WAS CONFUSED. (I WANTED STUDENT TO ACT AS PIC SO I MERELY MONITORED HIS PERFORMANCE AND TOLD HIM TO HANDLE IT). AFTER LNDG TWR DIRECTED US 'RIGHT TURN ON RWY 24 AND HOLD'. RIGHT TURN ACTUALLY PUT US AT THE DEP END OF RWY 06. AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS BTWN STUDENT AND TWR, AND TWR AND OTHER ACFT WE WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF WITH RIGHT TURN TO 090'. THIS IS WHERE THE FAN GOT COVERED WITH BROWN STUFF. WE TOOK OFF ON 24, NOT 30 AS THE TWR SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED US THEY HAD CLRED US FOR. AS I REVIEWED THE EVENT LATER WITH MY STUDENT AND IN MY OWN MIND, I REALIZED HOW I MAY HAVE ADDED TO THE UNCERTAINTY. I WAS BUSY POINTING OUT ARPT MARKINGS, CRITIQUING THE FLT TO THIS POINT, ETC. THE PRIORITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COM WITH THE TWR AND ADHERENCE TO STANDARD PROC. READING BACK THE FULL UNDERSTOOD CLRNC 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 24' INSTEAD OF 'CLRED FOR TKOF' WOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT. OR EVEN 'VERIFY CLRNC FOR RWY 24' WOULD HAVE SAVED US. I/WE WERE VERY LUCKY. NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE ON THE RWY AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE AFFECTED. THAT IS SMALL CONSOLATION, HOWEVER, AND HAS IMPRESSED UPON ME 'COMMUNICATE - DON'T JUST CONVERSE'. CONCENTRATE ON PRIORITIES. DON'T ATTEMPT TO INJECT INSTRUCTION INTO EVERY AVAILABLE SECOND. ALLOW YOUR STUDENT, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY YOURSELF, TIME TO DEVOTE ATTN TO CRITICAL TASKS, SUCH AS UNDERSTAND AND COMPLY WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS.

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.