Language barrier -- an air carrier made an approach to a foreign airport as cleared, but apparently ...

Attributes
ACN	308630
Time
Date	199504
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : qit airport : uio
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : uio tower : abq
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8F
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 19500 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	308630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On june/fri/95 quito approach cleared my flight for a VOR, ILS approach to runway 35 at sequ. Approach control requested we report inbound. We did so and was advised to contact the tower over the VOR inbound, which we did and we were cleared to land on runway 35. During our holding and the approach we were VFR. While on the approach we observed another aircraft on a sbound course, well east of our position. After landing ground control advised us to contact the approach controller. I called the approach controller on the telephone and he advised me that we were cleared #2 for the approach. I advised him that we never heard him say that we were #2, but all we heard him say was we were cleared for the approach, report inbound. I feel that the main problem in this misunderstanding was the approach controller was talking to my flight in english and the other flight in spanish. Not understanding spanish my crew and I didn't even understand that the other aircraft was landing at sequ. We never heard the controller clear the other aircraft for approach or clear us #2 for approach. This situation could have been avoided if the controller was speaking english to both flts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was holding south of the qit VOR when he first saw the other air carrier. He thought that the air carrier was just passing through the area and did not hear the controller instruct it to make an approach to the airport. The reporter speaks some spanish, but does not consider himself to be fluent. The controller's instructions to the reporter's air carrier were quite clear, in his mind, that he was to make the approach for landing. On final, while talking to the tower, they were surprised to be advised to clear the runway as soon as possible after landing for the air carrier on short final. The air carrier on short final was the same air carrier they saw while holding at qit. The 'short final' was 3 NM in trail.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANGUAGE BARRIER -- AN ACR MADE AN APCH TO A FOREIGN ARPT AS CLRED, BUT APPARENTLY SOONER THAN EXPECTED. ANOTHER ACR WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIRST.

Narrative: ON JUNE/FRI/95 QUITO APCH CLRED MY FLT FOR A VOR, ILS APCH TO RWY 35 AT SEQU. APCH CTL REQUESTED WE RPT INBOUND. WE DID SO AND WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT THE TWR OVER THE VOR INBOUND, WHICH WE DID AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35. DURING OUR HOLDING AND THE APCH WE WERE VFR. WHILE ON THE APCH WE OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT ON A SBOUND COURSE, WELL E OF OUR POS. AFTER LNDG GND CTL ADVISED US TO CONTACT THE APCH CTLR. I CALLED THE APCH CTLR ON THE TELEPHONE AND HE ADVISED ME THAT WE WERE CLRED #2 FOR THE APCH. I ADVISED HIM THAT WE NEVER HEARD HIM SAY THAT WE WERE #2, BUT ALL WE HEARD HIM SAY WAS WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH, RPT INBOUND. I FEEL THAT THE MAIN PROB IN THIS MISUNDERSTANDING WAS THE APCH CTLR WAS TALKING TO MY FLT IN ENGLISH AND THE OTHER FLT IN SPANISH. NOT UNDERSTANDING SPANISH MY CREW AND I DIDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS LNDG AT SEQU. WE NEVER HEARD THE CTLR CLR THE OTHER ACFT FOR APCH OR CLR US #2 FOR APCH. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLR WAS SPEAKING ENGLISH TO BOTH FLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS HOLDING S OF THE QIT VOR WHEN HE FIRST SAW THE OTHER ACR. HE THOUGHT THAT THE ACR WAS JUST PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AND DID NOT HEAR THE CTLR INSTRUCT IT TO MAKE AN APCH TO THE ARPT. THE RPTR SPEAKS SOME SPANISH, BUT DOES NOT CONSIDER HIMSELF TO BE FLUENT. THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RPTR'S ACR WERE QUITE CLR, IN HIS MIND, THAT HE WAS TO MAKE THE APCH FOR LNDG. ON FINAL, WHILE TALKING TO THE TWR, THEY WERE SURPRISED TO BE ADVISED TO CLR THE RWY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER LNDG FOR THE ACR ON SHORT FINAL. THE ACR ON SHORT FINAL WAS THE SAME ACR THEY SAW WHILE HOLDING AT QIT. THE 'SHORT FINAL' WAS 3 NM IN TRAIL.

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.

Language barrier -- an air carrier made an approach to a foreign airport as cleared, but apparently sooner than expected. Another air carrier was supposed to be first.