Narrative:

Being vectored by lax approach to follow an air carrier heavy for a visibility approach to the 24 complex at lax. Air carrier radio transmission was unintelligible due to the pilot's rapid speech and heavy accent. Approach changed air carrier clearance to vectors for the 24R ILS and cleared us to maintain visibility contact and cleared us for a visibility approach to 24L. Approach gave air carrier the final vector to intercept the localizer and then told us to start our base (both of us were north of lax flying right-hand patterns). At this time we were approximately 1 mi past being abeam of the LOM. We observed air carrier overshoot the left oc and continue his turn to correct back to his right. We were now in a situation where we were on a right base with air carrier on final (sort of) outside of us (approximately our 11 O'clock position). In order to maintain visibility sep we had to keep our descent profile higher than normal. Turning final our position was slightly above and 1000-1500' in-trail of the air carrier. We were monitoring the G/south for 24R, and observed that we were off-scale high. I would estimate that air carrier was also 2 dots to off-scale high on the G/south. He was also observed to be chasing the localizer somewhat. Our approach track put us on final at, or possibly just inside of, the LOM. Because of our uncertainty of what the air carrier flight was doing, we became preoccupied with maintaining our relative position to him while keeping our own approach stabilized, and failed to switch to lax tower. After landing, lax approach called and said if we were '...still on frequency...' to contact lax ground. This surprised me because I was (and am) certain we had received landing clearance (possibly a relay through approach?). I would suggest that whenever there is uncertainty as to whether an aircraft has received and understands a controller's instructions--whether due to a pilot's heavy accent or bad radio or ?--that he be given a wide berth by all concerned. Wait until everybody understands and is being understood to tighten the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: BEING VECTORED BY LAX APCH TO FOLLOW AN ACR HVY FOR A VIS APCH TO THE 24 COMPLEX AT LAX. ACR RADIO XMISSION WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE DUE TO THE PLT'S RAPID SPEECH AND HEAVY ACCENT. APCH CHANGED ACR CLRNC TO VECTORS FOR THE 24R ILS AND CLRED US TO MAINTAIN VIS CONTACT AND CLRED US FOR A VIS APCH TO 24L. APCH GAVE ACR THE FINAL VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND THEN TOLD US TO START OUR BASE (BOTH OF US WERE N OF LAX FLYING RIGHT-HAND PATTERNS). AT THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX 1 MI PAST BEING ABEAM OF THE LOM. WE OBSERVED ACR OVERSHOOT THE L OC AND CONTINUE HIS TURN TO CORRECT BACK TO HIS RIGHT. WE WERE NOW IN A SITUATION WHERE WE WERE ON A RIGHT BASE WITH ACR ON FINAL (SORT OF) OUTSIDE OF US (APPROX OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS). IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP WE HAD TO KEEP OUR DSCNT PROFILE HIGHER THAN NORMAL. TURNING FINAL OUR POS WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND 1000-1500' IN-TRAIL OF THE ACR. WE WERE MONITORING THE G/S FOR 24R, AND OBSERVED THAT WE WERE OFF-SCALE HIGH. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT ACR WAS ALSO 2 DOTS TO OFF-SCALE HIGH ON THE G/S. HE WAS ALSO OBSERVED TO BE CHASING THE LOC SOMEWHAT. OUR APCH TRACK PUT US ON FINAL AT, OR POSSIBLY JUST INSIDE OF, THE LOM. BECAUSE OF OUR UNCERTAINTY OF WHAT THE ACR FLT WAS DOING, WE BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH MAINTAINING OUR RELATIVE POS TO HIM WHILE KEEPING OUR OWN APCH STABILIZED, AND FAILED TO SWITCH TO LAX TWR. AFTER LNDG, LAX APCH CALLED AND SAID IF WE WERE '...STILL ON FREQ...' TO CONTACT LAX GND. THIS SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I WAS (AND AM) CERTAIN WE HAD RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC (POSSIBLY A RELAY THROUGH APCH?). I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WHENEVER THERE IS UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER AN ACFT HAS RECEIVED AND UNDERSTANDS A CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS--WHETHER DUE TO A PLT'S HEAVY ACCENT OR BAD RADIO OR ?--THAT HE BE GIVEN A WIDE BERTH BY ALL CONCERNED. WAIT UNTIL EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS AND IS BEING UNDERSTOOD TO TIGHTEN THE PATTERN.

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.