A foreign controller's language translation, may have caused an air carrier flight crew, and possibl...

Attributes
ACN	298292
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bog
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15700 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : bog
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 19400 flight time type : 1240
ASRS Report	298292
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Established in holding pattern at bog-NDB at 16000 ft. Started holding at FL230 and worked down to 16000 ft transitioning through FL190 down to 17000 ft, approach gave us the altimeter of 30.00 inches, which the copilot read back as 30.00 inches, reset altimeters. The crew observed other traffic visually and on the TCASII. An airliner was at 14000 ft, indicating 2000 ft below, on TCASII, and a united states registered bizjet at 13000 ft, indicating 3100 ft below, and occasionally 3000 ft below on our TCASII. Coming out of a turn, inbound to bog NDB fix, we picked up a TA 700-800 ft below us, entering the holding fix. We questioned the controller about this traffic. The subject aircraft, and controller had a long exchange on frequency in spanish. Shortly thereafter, the previous controller was replaced by whom, I assumed, was a supervisor, with a more professional manner of handling the traffic (better english too!) we finally worked our way down to 12000 ft and approach cleared us for ILS runway 13, with 2 aircraft on final, ahead of our flight. Crossing the LOM on GS, I noticed the altimeter crossing altitude about 200 ft low. Then, on landing, noted our 3 altimeters about 240 ft below field elevation of 8355 ft. Parked at ramp set field elevation and barometer, came up with 30.30. The controller's broken/accented, 3 times 3 quality xmissions lead to our hearing 30.00 inches when possibly, the controller said 30.30 inches. Our readback of 30.00 inches was not caught. Not unheard of, in all the ATC system around the world. What puzzles me is that the 2 united states aircraft with english speaking crews were at exact altitudes below, and the closest columbia airliner was 200-300 ft closer to us, (700-800 ft below on TCASII). Possibly, the 3 sets of united states crews misheard the altimeter in initial contact with bog approach control, (or I hope they didn't reset their altimeters based on hearing our readback), or the controller gave us all the wrong setting of 30.00 inches by mistake.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOREIGN CTLR'S LANGUAGE TRANSLATION, MAY HAVE CAUSED AN ACR FLC, AND POSSIBLY, OTHER UNITED STATES FLC'S, TO OPERATE WITH AN INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING. THE INCORRECT ALTIMETER SETTING PLACED ACFT AT 200-300 FT LOWER THAN FIELD ELEVATION.

Narrative: ESTABLISHED IN HOLDING PATTERN AT BOG-NDB AT 16000 FT. STARTED HOLDING AT FL230 AND WORKED DOWN TO 16000 FT TRANSITIONING THROUGH FL190 DOWN TO 17000 FT, APCH GAVE US THE ALTIMETER OF 30.00 INCHES, WHICH THE COPLT READ BACK AS 30.00 INCHES, RESET ALTIMETERS. THE CREW OBSERVED OTHER TFC VISUALLY AND ON THE TCASII. AN AIRLINER WAS AT 14000 FT, INDICATING 2000 FT BELOW, ON TCASII, AND A UNITED STATES REGISTERED BIZJET AT 13000 FT, INDICATING 3100 FT BELOW, AND OCCASIONALLY 3000 FT BELOW ON OUR TCASII. COMING OUT OF A TURN, INBOUND TO BOG NDB FIX, WE PICKED UP A TA 700-800 FT BELOW US, ENTERING THE HOLDING FIX. WE QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT THIS TFC. THE SUBJECT ACFT, AND CTLR HAD A LONG EXCHANGE ON FREQ IN SPANISH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PREVIOUS CTLR WAS REPLACED BY WHOM, I ASSUMED, WAS A SUPVR, WITH A MORE PROFESSIONAL MANNER OF HANDLING THE TFC (BETTER ENGLISH TOO!) WE FINALLY WORKED OUR WAY DOWN TO 12000 FT AND APCH CLRED US FOR ILS RWY 13, WITH 2 ACFT ON FINAL, AHEAD OF OUR FLT. XING THE LOM ON GS, I NOTICED THE ALTIMETER XING ALT ABOUT 200 FT LOW. THEN, ON LNDG, NOTED OUR 3 ALTIMETERS ABOUT 240 FT BELOW FIELD ELEVATION OF 8355 FT. PARKED AT RAMP SET FIELD ELEVATION AND BAROMETER, CAME UP WITH 30.30. THE CTLR'S BROKEN/ACCENTED, 3 TIMES 3 QUALITY XMISSIONS LEAD TO OUR HEARING 30.00 INCHES WHEN POSSIBLY, THE CTLR SAID 30.30 INCHES. OUR READBACK OF 30.00 INCHES WAS NOT CAUGHT. NOT UNHEARD OF, IN ALL THE ATC SYS AROUND THE WORLD. WHAT PUZZLES ME IS THAT THE 2 UNITED STATES ACFT WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING CREWS WERE AT EXACT ALTS BELOW, AND THE CLOSEST COLUMBIA AIRLINER WAS 200-300 FT CLOSER TO US, (700-800 FT BELOW ON TCASII). POSSIBLY, THE 3 SETS OF UNITED STATES CREWS MISHEARD THE ALTIMETER IN INITIAL CONTACT WITH BOG APCH CTL, (OR I HOPE THEY DIDN'T RESET THEIR ALTIMETERS BASED ON HEARING OUR READBACK), OR THE CTLR GAVE US ALL THE WRONG SETTING OF 30.00 INCHES BY MISTAKE.

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.

A foreign controller's language translation, may have caused an air carrier flight crew, and possibly, other united states flight crew's, to operate with an incorrect altimeter setting. The incorrect altimeter setting placed aircraft at 200-300 ft lower than field elevation.