Narrative:

Captain was on the radios, first officer was flying. Captain is new on aircraft type and international flying. In past 7 months first officer's first trip since IOE, first flying leg. Departure clearance was to fly the localizer outbound climb to 3000 ft. Immediately after takeoff and contacting departure, departure control advised 'company identify at th (VOR) turn right heading ___?' captain acknowledged and first officer began immediate turn (prior to th). I told both captain/first officer not till th. Both captain/first officer said they didn't hear that. Captain queried hong kong departure. They again stated turn right at th. We leveled at 3000 ft for remainder of occurrence. About 9 NM past th (VOR) hong kong told us we were supposed to turn at th to heading___? First officer forgot and captain didn't catch it. Both never tuned in th VOR. Hong kong began radar vectors at that point. Problems typically noted on this trip. 1) both captain/first officer new on type and international flying have very difficult time understanding non us english speaking controllers. 2) company does not issue approach plates, en route charts, or standard instrument departure procedures to so. It is very difficult at night, in a dark cockpit to look over the shoulder of either the captain/first officer to see their sids, approach plates, charts. Solution: for crew members captain/first officer new to international flying at least one of the 2 captain or first officer need to be very experienced. With both being new they easily misinterpret clearance due to language difficulties. Plus due to being also new to the type of aircraft add the unfamiliarity with aircraft systems and instrumentation. These 2 compound minor problems into very serious potentially dangerous situations. Issued sids, approach plates, en route charts to all cockpit crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TRACK HDG DEV ON A NIGHT DEP THROUGH THE GAP AT HKG.

Narrative: CAPT WAS ON THE RADIOS, FO WAS FLYING. CAPT IS NEW ON ACFT TYPE AND INTL FLYING. IN PAST 7 MONTHS FO'S FIRST TRIP SINCE IOE, FIRST FLYING LEG. DEP CLRNC WAS TO FLY THE LOC OUTBOUND CLB TO 3000 FT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND CONTACTING DEP, DEP CTL ADVISED 'COMPANY IDENT AT TH (VOR) TURN R HDG ___?' CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED AND FO BEGAN IMMEDIATE TURN (PRIOR TO TH). I TOLD BOTH CAPT/FO NOT TILL TH. BOTH CAPT/FO SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR THAT. CAPT QUERIED HONG KONG DEP. THEY AGAIN STATED TURN R AT TH. WE LEVELED AT 3000 FT FOR REMAINDER OF OCCURRENCE. ABOUT 9 NM PAST TH (VOR) HONG KONG TOLD US WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN AT TH TO HDG___? FO FORGOT AND CAPT DIDN'T CATCH IT. BOTH NEVER TUNED IN TH VOR. HONG KONG BEGAN RADAR VECTORS AT THAT POINT. PROBLEMS TYPICALLY NOTED ON THIS TRIP. 1) BOTH CAPT/FO NEW ON TYPE AND INTL FLYING HAVE VERY DIFFICULT TIME UNDERSTANDING NON U.S. ENGLISH SPEAKING CTLRS. 2) COMPANY DOES NOT ISSUE APCH PLATES, ENRTE CHARTS, OR STANDARD INST DEP PROCS TO SO. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT, IN A DARK COCKPIT TO LOOK OVER THE SHOULDER OF EITHER THE CAPT/FO TO SEE THEIR SIDS, APCH PLATES, CHARTS. SOLUTION: FOR CREW MEMBERS CAPT/FO NEW TO INTL FLYING AT LEAST ONE OF THE 2 CAPT OR FO NEED TO BE VERY EXPERIENCED. WITH BOTH BEING NEW THEY EASILY MISINTERPRET CLRNC DUE TO LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES. PLUS DUE TO BEING ALSO NEW TO THE TYPE OF ACFT ADD THE UNFAMILIARITY WITH ACFT SYSTEMS AND INSTRUMENTATION. THESE 2 COMPOUND MINOR PROBLEMS INTO VERY SERIOUS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. ISSUED SIDS, APCH PLATES, ENRTE CHARTS TO ALL COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS.

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.