Narrative:

Extremely difficult to copy clearance because of poor english of controller and no spanish by pilots. Finally had to get handling agent to ask for clearance in spanish. He translated to english for us, then read it back in spanish, then the first officer read it back in english. Cleared darpa 27 SID and then our filed route. Darpa 27 states climb and maintain 4000 ft. Clearance was to FL250. We asked clearance in spanish (handler) and in english (first officer) 'verify altitude is FL250' which they acknowledged. On taxi out we asked ground about the altitude. This was worthless. He, we think, cleared us across an active runway. We stopped before the runway when we saw landing traffic. He said something with FL250. First officer also asked tower to verify FL250. Tower answered FL250. We did not ever ask 'verify that 4000 ft does not apply.' we should have. Once we were in contact with departure we reported climbing to FL250. Out of plus or minus 11000 ft the first controller we had spoken to, which spoke fluent english, came on and said, 'sir...you are kindly reminded that the initial altitude on the dappa 27 SID is 4000 ft.' !*?!* I stated that 'we had asked clearance, ground, and tower about FL250 and had checked on climbing to FL250. We were be glad to descend to 4000 ft.' we were instructed to maintain 15000 ft and were later cleared to our filed altitude of FL350, by a different controller speaking very poor english! First officer, handler and I all felt that the SID had been amended to FL250 and 4000 ft had been deleted. We should have specifically asked if 4000 ft was deleted, but we didn't. None of us thought it was unusual to be assigned a higher altitude. Our home (united states) airport's SID is 2000 ft. It isn't unusual to be cleared to 16000 ft in off-peak hours, so off to FL250 we go -- wrong! This was our first flight to this destination. We learned a whole lot. It really seems as if the controllers spoke english as little as possible. We were overnight in this city and the hotel staff spoke better english!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CPR JET OVERSHOT SID ALT RESTR DURING CLB BECAUSE OF MISUNDERSTANDING. CLRNC INTERP ACKNOWLEDGED READBACK.

Narrative: EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO COPY CLRNC BECAUSE OF POOR ENGLISH OF CTLR AND NO SPANISH BY PLTS. FINALLY HAD TO GET HANDLING AGENT TO ASK FOR CLRNC IN SPANISH. HE TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH FOR US, THEN READ IT BACK IN SPANISH, THEN THE FO READ IT BACK IN ENGLISH. CLRED DARPA 27 SID AND THEN OUR FILED RTE. DARPA 27 STATES CLB AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. CLRNC WAS TO FL250. WE ASKED CLRNC IN SPANISH (HANDLER) AND IN ENGLISH (FO) 'VERIFY ALT IS FL250' WHICH THEY ACKNOWLEDGED. ON TAXI OUT WE ASKED GND ABOUT THE ALT. THIS WAS WORTHLESS. HE, WE THINK, CLRED US ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY. WE STOPPED BEFORE THE RWY WHEN WE SAW LNDG TFC. HE SAID SOMETHING WITH FL250. FO ALSO ASKED TWR TO VERIFY FL250. TWR ANSWERED FL250. WE DID NOT EVER ASK 'VERIFY THAT 4000 FT DOES NOT APPLY.' WE SHOULD HAVE. ONCE WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH DEP WE RPTED CLBING TO FL250. OUT OF PLUS OR MINUS 11000 FT THE FIRST CTLR WE HAD SPOKEN TO, WHICH SPOKE FLUENT ENGLISH, CAME ON AND SAID, 'SIR...YOU ARE KINDLY REMINDED THAT THE INITIAL ALT ON THE DAPPA 27 SID IS 4000 FT.' !*?!* I STATED THAT 'WE HAD ASKED CLRNC, GND, AND TWR ABOUT FL250 AND HAD CHKED ON CLBING TO FL250. WE WERE BE GLAD TO DSND TO 4000 FT.' WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 15000 FT AND WERE LATER CLRED TO OUR FILED ALT OF FL350, BY A DIFFERENT CTLR SPEAKING VERY POOR ENGLISH! FO, HANDLER AND I ALL FELT THAT THE SID HAD BEEN AMENDED TO FL250 AND 4000 FT HAD BEEN DELETED. WE SHOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF 4000 FT WAS DELETED, BUT WE DIDN'T. NONE OF US THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL TO BE ASSIGNED A HIGHER ALT. OUR HOME (UNITED STATES) ARPT'S SID IS 2000 FT. IT ISN'T UNUSUAL TO BE CLRED TO 16000 FT IN OFF-PEAK HRS, SO OFF TO FL250 WE GO -- WRONG! THIS WAS OUR FIRST FLT TO THIS DEST. WE LEARNED A WHOLE LOT. IT REALLY SEEMS AS IF THE CTLRS SPOKE ENGLISH AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE OVERNIGHT IN THIS CITY AND THE HOTEL STAFF SPOKE BETTER ENGLISH!

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.