Air carrier large transport unauthorized landing at foreign airport. Claim language barrier a factor...

Attributes
ACN	157122
Time
Date	199009
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gdl
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gdl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	157122
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending into gdl learned no ATIS xmissions. We anticipated conditions to be as forcasted (approximately 600 overcast, variable broken 3 mi in fog with thunderstorms in area). Approach controller was somewhat hard to understand with heavy accent. It took alot of concentration to understand. We received several vectors to ILS final, were cleared for the approach and finally told to switch to gdl tower. We broke out at approximately 600' AGL, completed checklists and finally acquired runway at approximately 2-3 mi due to fog. Runway was cleared and the landing was uneventful. Upon switching to ground control we were informed that we had not received landing clearance. Factors. Controllers difficult to understand. There is always room for interpretation among 3 man crew as to what was said by controllers. I was completing final checks and remember hearing a controller speaking and giving the wind direction. I assumed this to be our landing clearance as I strained to understand the transmission. We were occupied trying to sight runway in fog. I know we were on tower frequency as I saw first officer dial it in. Runway was clear and no other traffic was in area. Conclusion. In hind sight I do not recall 'cleared to land.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT UNAUTH LNDG AT FOREIGN ARPT. CLAIM LANGUAGE BARRIER A FACTOR.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO GDL LEARNED NO ATIS XMISSIONS. WE ANTICIPATED CONDITIONS TO BE AS FORCASTED (APPROX 600 OVCST, VARIABLE BROKEN 3 MI IN FOG WITH TSTMS IN AREA). APCH CTLR WAS SOMEWHAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WITH HVY ACCENT. IT TOOK ALOT OF CONCENTRATION TO UNDERSTAND. WE RECEIVED SEVERAL VECTORS TO ILS FINAL, WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND FINALLY TOLD TO SWITCH TO GDL TWR. WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 600' AGL, COMPLETED CHKLISTS AND FINALLY ACQUIRED RWY AT APPROX 2-3 MI DUE TO FOG. RWY WAS CLRED AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON SWITCHING TO GND CTL WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC. FACTORS. CTLRS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION AMONG 3 MAN CREW AS TO WHAT WAS SAID BY CTLRS. I WAS COMPLETING FINAL CHKS AND REMEMBER HEARING A CTLR SPEAKING AND GIVING THE WIND DIRECTION. I ASSUMED THIS TO BE OUR LNDG CLRNC AS I STRAINED TO UNDERSTAND THE XMISSION. WE WERE OCCUPIED TRYING TO SIGHT RWY IN FOG. I KNOW WE WERE ON TWR FREQ AS I SAW F/O DIAL IT IN. RWY WAS CLR AND NO OTHER TFC WAS IN AREA. CONCLUSION. IN HIND SIGHT I DO NOT RECALL 'CLRED TO LAND.'

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.