Pilot reporter complains about not being able to understand what controller is saying.

Attributes
ACN	200495
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga tower : cak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time total : 18000
ASRS Report	200495
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

I am reporting this particular flight, however, for quite a while this situation has been going on. In lga tower is a controller (male) who is very difficult to understand. For this flight, he was working the tower frequency. In the past he's heard on 'ground' and (I think) clearance delivery. I don't know what his problem is, but he could be from a non-english speaking backgnd, or even have a speech impediment of a physical nature. In any case, he doesn't pronounce his words in an understandable manner. The slurred speech is obvious! But with the 'heightened sensitivity' of our culture now days, I've heard no one comment 'on the air', but rest assured, in cockpits people are having to ask each other often: 'what did he say?.' some things he says are obvious, others aren't, and therein lies the danger! Lga is busy, and a misread, misunderstood tower instruction is dangerous! Asking for a 'repeat' is difficult sometimes due to the radio traffic density, but almost every time he's working a tower position, I have to ask, always I have to ask my copilot, and that in itself, is distracting and dangerous. Being alert and timely at lga is a must for a safe operation, and this controller should not be working a voice position. I'm sure he's a fine controller, he's just hard to understand!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTR COMPLAINS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CTLR IS SAYING.

Narrative: I AM RPTING THIS PARTICULAR FLT, HOWEVER, FOR QUITE A WHILE THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN GOING ON. IN LGA TWR IS A CTLR (MALE) WHO IS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. FOR THIS FLT, HE WAS WORKING THE TWR FREQ. IN THE PAST HE'S HEARD ON 'GND' AND (I THINK) CLRNC DELIVERY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS PROBLEM IS, BUT HE COULD BE FROM A NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING BACKGND, OR EVEN HAVE A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT OF A PHYSICAL NATURE. IN ANY CASE, HE DOESN'T PRONOUNCE HIS WORDS IN AN UNDERSTANDABLE MANNER. THE SLURRED SPEECH IS OBVIOUS! BUT WITH THE 'HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY' OF OUR CULTURE NOW DAYS, I'VE HEARD NO ONE COMMENT 'ON THE AIR', BUT REST ASSURED, IN COCKPITS PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO ASK EACH OTHER OFTEN: 'WHAT DID HE SAY?.' SOME THINGS HE SAYS ARE OBVIOUS, OTHERS AREN'T, AND THEREIN LIES THE DANGER! LGA IS BUSY, AND A MISREAD, MISUNDERSTOOD TWR INSTRUCTION IS DANGEROUS! ASKING FOR A 'REPEAT' IS DIFFICULT SOMETIMES DUE TO THE RADIO TFC DENSITY, BUT ALMOST EVERY TIME HE'S WORKING A TWR POS, I HAVE TO ASK, ALWAYS I HAVE TO ASK MY COPLT, AND THAT IN ITSELF, IS DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS. BEING ALERT AND TIMELY AT LGA IS A MUST FOR A SAFE OP, AND THIS CTLR SHOULD NOT BE WORKING A VOICE POS. I'M SURE HE'S A FINE CTLR, HE'S JUST HARD TO UNDERSTAND!

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.