Narrative:

Air carrier X at charles de gaulle airport departing for our destination in the united states. As we approached the runway I noticed an aircraft in front of us had just departed, and it seemed no one was on final and so I called tower and said 'air carrier X is approaching the runway, ready for takeoff.' the tower controller stated 'line up runway 9.' I responded, 'taxi into position and hold runway 9,' upon which we taxied onto the active runway and held in position. We waited for 1 or 2 mins and it was very quiet. The next thing we heard a male controller say to us 'you've taxied onto the runway?' we responded, 'affirmative, we were cleared to and responded appropriately -- you can check the tapes!' simultaneously, an airbus aircraft (on a go around) passed several thousand ft above us, having gone around from at least 1- 2 mi away. We were then 'cleared for takeoff' and were told 'not to worry, no problem' (when we again confirmed we had been cleared onto runway). Comment: I have been flying international since 1980 and there needs to be standardization of phraseology used for 'hold short' and 'on to hold.' in europe, it is 'hold short' and 'taxi onto and line up.' supplemental information from acn 301203: air carrier X cleared to runway 9. After a short stop on the taxiway at the end of the runway, a female controller cleared us 'into position runway 9, hold.' the 'english' spoken by the controller was heavily accented and difficult to understand. The first officer responded, 'cleared into position runway 9, hold.' there was no response and no other conversation on the frequency as we taxied into position and stopped. After some time a male voice came on the frequency and said 'you're on the runway.' I said 'yes, the female controller cleared us into position.' about that time an airbus passed over us at 500-1000 ft. The male controller told us to stay in position and a short time later we were cleared for takeoff by the male controller, who said they would check the tapes to see what was said. The communication between the french controllers and english speaking pilots has been poor for some time, and is getting worse. The problem is twofold. The heavy accent, particularly among the new controllers makes understanding them very difficult. If you ask them to repeat the message there is a long pause and occasionally a terse response. Secondly, controllers speak 'english' to english speaking pilots and french to the local pilots. This makes a 'situation orientation' impossible, when 1/2 of the communication is blocked out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANGUAGE BARRIER ACR X POSSIBLE RWY INCURSION CAUSED AIRBUS GAR.

Narrative: ACR X AT CHARLES DE GAULLE ARPT DEPARTING FOR OUR DEST IN THE UNITED STATES. AS WE APCHED THE RWY I NOTICED AN ACFT IN FRONT OF US HAD JUST DEPARTED, AND IT SEEMED NO ONE WAS ON FINAL AND SO I CALLED TWR AND SAID 'ACR X IS APCHING THE RWY, READY FOR TKOF.' THE TWR CTLR STATED 'LINE UP RWY 9.' I RESPONDED, 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 9,' UPON WHICH WE TAXIED ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AND HELD IN POS. WE WAITED FOR 1 OR 2 MINS AND IT WAS VERY QUIET. THE NEXT THING WE HEARD A MALE CTLR SAY TO US 'YOU'VE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY?' WE RESPONDED, 'AFFIRMATIVE, WE WERE CLRED TO AND RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY -- YOU CAN CHK THE TAPES!' SIMULTANEOUSLY, AN AIRBUS ACFT (ON A GAR) PASSED SEVERAL THOUSAND FT ABOVE US, HAVING GONE AROUND FROM AT LEAST 1- 2 MI AWAY. WE WERE THEN 'CLRED FOR TKOF' AND WERE TOLD 'NOT TO WORRY, NO PROB' (WHEN WE AGAIN CONFIRMED WE HAD BEEN CLRED ONTO RWY). COMMENT: I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTL SINCE 1980 AND THERE NEEDS TO BE STANDARDIZATION OF PHRASEOLOGY USED FOR 'HOLD SHORT' AND 'ON TO HOLD.' IN EUROPE, IT IS 'HOLD SHORT' AND 'TAXI ONTO AND LINE UP.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 301203: ACR X CLRED TO RWY 9. AFTER A SHORT STOP ON THE TXWY AT THE END OF THE RWY, A FEMALE CTLR CLRED US 'INTO POS RWY 9, HOLD.' THE 'ENGLISH' SPOKEN BY THE CTLR WAS HEAVILY ACCENTED AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THE FO RESPONDED, 'CLRED INTO POS RWY 9, HOLD.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND NO OTHER CONVERSATION ON THE FREQ AS WE TAXIED INTO POS AND STOPPED. AFTER SOME TIME A MALE VOICE CAME ON THE FREQ AND SAID 'YOU'RE ON THE RWY.' I SAID 'YES, THE FEMALE CTLR CLRED US INTO POS.' ABOUT THAT TIME AN AIRBUS PASSED OVER US AT 500-1000 FT. THE MALE CTLR TOLD US TO STAY IN POS AND A SHORT TIME LATER WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF BY THE MALE CTLR, WHO SAID THEY WOULD CHK THE TAPES TO SEE WHAT WAS SAID. THE COM BTWN THE FRENCH CTLRS AND ENGLISH SPEAKING PLTS HAS BEEN POOR FOR SOME TIME, AND IS GETTING WORSE. THE PROB IS TWOFOLD. THE HVY ACCENT, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE NEW CTLRS MAKES UNDERSTANDING THEM VERY DIFFICULT. IF YOU ASK THEM TO REPEAT THE MESSAGE THERE IS A LONG PAUSE AND OCCASIONALLY A TERSE RESPONSE. SECONDLY, CTLRS SPEAK 'ENGLISH' TO ENGLISH SPEAKING PLTS AND FRENCH TO THE LCL PLTS. THIS MAKES A 'SIT ORIENTATION' IMPOSSIBLE, WHEN 1/2 OF THE COM IS BLOCKED OUT.

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.