Narrative:

Received following clearance 'air carrier X cleared radar vectors pomas, G581, saban, fpr, maintain FL370, departure frequency 126.5, squawk XXXX.' when cleared for takeoff by naha tower, tower gave clearance 'air carrier X cleared for takeoff maintain 2000 ft until 17 mi on runway heading. Departure controller 126.5.' I was flying, captain was handling communication. Takeoff normal leveled at 2000 ft on runway heading. After checking in on departure control, we were given the following clearance, 'turn left direct kinen, pacific transition.' (it took 3 attempts to understand this as it was read very fast and unintelligibly). After numerous transmissions, we finally determined that it was on the chinen 1 departure. The controller said 'none of you want to fly the clearance given.' captain stated that our clearance was 'rv to pomas, G581, saban.' the controller said 'no one comes out of naha without a definite departure clearance.' again we stated ours was a radar vector and we would like a radar vector to alc. We were told to stand by and so maintained our 040 heading. We would have been happy to fly any clearance or SID but it is not safe digging through departure plates trying to find kinen or a transition when no SID was given originally or by the controller. There needs to be better coordination by clearance delivery, tower, and departure control. Supplemental information from acn 214367: if we were given a specific departure out of naha, finding an intersection is not a problem. Being given a direct clearance to an undefined intersection that is not easily recognizable is very difficult. The intersection was not on any of the charts, only on the SID, which we were not assigned. We were given a clearance to alc then flight plan route, and the rest of the flight went smoothly. In summary: either a) we were not given a chinen 1 departure pacific transition, or B) if clearance delivery did, in fact, issue a chinen 1 departure pacific transition, the 3 of us did not hear this and when the copilot read back the clearance, as we understood it, the controller did not correct the readback.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LANGUAGE BARRIER PROBLEM WITH FOREIGN CTLR POSSIBLE RTE DEV. FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: RECEIVED FOLLOWING CLRNC 'ACR X CLRED RADAR VECTORS POMAS, G581, SABAN, FPR, MAINTAIN FL370, DEP FREQ 126.5, SQUAWK XXXX.' WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF BY NAHA TWR, TWR GAVE CLRNC 'ACR X CLRED FOR TKOF MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL 17 MI ON RWY HDG. DEP CTLR 126.5.' I WAS FLYING, CAPT WAS HANDLING COM. TKOF NORMAL LEVELED AT 2000 FT ON RWY HDG. AFTER CHKING IN ON DEP CTL, WE WERE GIVEN THE FOLLOWING CLRNC, 'TURN L DIRECT KINEN, PACIFIC TRANSITION.' (IT TOOK 3 ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND THIS AS IT WAS READ VERY FAST AND UNINTELLIGIBLY). AFTER NUMEROUS TRANSMISSIONS, WE FINALLY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS ON THE CHINEN 1 DEP. THE CTLR SAID 'NONE OF YOU WANT TO FLY THE CLRNC GIVEN.' CAPT STATED THAT OUR CLRNC WAS 'RV TO POMAS, G581, SABAN.' THE CTLR SAID 'NO ONE COMES OUT OF NAHA WITHOUT A DEFINITE DEP CLRNC.' AGAIN WE STATED OURS WAS A RADAR VECTOR AND WE WOULD LIKE A RADAR VECTOR TO ALC. WE WERE TOLD TO STAND BY AND SO MAINTAINED OUR 040 HDG. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO FLY ANY CLRNC OR SID BUT IT IS NOT SAFE DIGGING THROUGH DEP PLATES TRYING TO FIND KINEN OR A TRANSITION WHEN NO SID WAS GIVEN ORIGINALLY OR BY THE CTLR. THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COORD BY CLRNC DELIVERY, TWR, AND DEP CTL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 214367: IF WE WERE GIVEN A SPECIFIC DEP OUT OF NAHA, FINDING AN INTXN IS NOT A PROBLEM. BEING GIVEN A DIRECT CLRNC TO AN UNDEFINED INTXN THAT IS NOT EASILY RECOGNIZABLE IS VERY DIFFICULT. THE INTXN WAS NOT ON ANY OF THE CHARTS, ONLY ON THE SID, WHICH WE WERE NOT ASSIGNED. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO ALC THEN FLT PLAN RTE, AND THE REST OF THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY. IN SUMMARY: EITHER A) WE WERE NOT GIVEN A CHINEN 1 DEP PACIFIC TRANSITION, OR B) IF CLRNC DELIVERY DID, IN FACT, ISSUE A CHINEN 1 DEP PACIFIC TRANSITION, THE 3 OF US DID NOT HEAR THIS AND WHEN THE COPLT READ BACK THE CLRNC, AS WE UNDERSTOOD IT, THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT THE READBACK.

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.