Narrative:

Description of approach plate: approach plate depicts a lead-in radial of 321 degrees, off of anyang VOR. After this lead-in radial it depicts a stepdown to 1350 MSL, which is GS intercept altitude. Inbound course for the ILS is 143 degrees. Approach plate is seoul kimpo international ILS runway 14R, may/93. Description of event: on arrival into kimpo international, aircraft was being vectored for ILS runway 14R, aircraft was descending through 3000 ft MSL when given a leveloff at 1800 ft MSL by approach control. Prior to reaching this altitude we were cleared for the approach and given a turn to intercept the localizer. Having crossed the lead-in radial we initiated a descent to 1350 ft MSL and were preparing for GS and localizer intercept when the controller queried us about our altitude, we responded and he said 'ok.' we do not know what he wanted, but it did cause some confusion. We were then switched to tower and landed uneventfully. The aircraft was never operated in an unsafe manner. We were not sure what his intentions were but he sounded confused by our actions, as if we had descended too early. Human factors: perhaps their idea of 'cleared for the approach' and ours are different or there is a general misunderstanding of the approach plate. The approach plate could use extra clarification as to a stepdown altitude and when it is allowed. Korea tends to be the most difficult place in asia to operate due to heavy accents and poor sentence construction (what he said and what he thought he said may be different). It can sometimes lead to confusion. Crew: fatigue was moderate, we were in the middle of an 11 day asia trip with seoul being an intermediate stop from taipei and prior to proceeding to anc, ak. Multiple time zones and lack of rest contribute to degraded performance which can affect understanding of controllers and what they want us to do. Suggestions: approach plates with more descriptive information and procedures, and more rest due to disruption of normal sleeping patterns due to long international flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB DSNDED EARLY DURING VECTOR TO THE LOC IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DESCRIPTION OF APCH PLATE: APCH PLATE DEPICTS A LEAD-IN RADIAL OF 321 DEGS, OFF OF ANYANG VOR. AFTER THIS LEAD-IN RADIAL IT DEPICTS A STEPDOWN TO 1350 MSL, WHICH IS GS INTERCEPT ALT. INBOUND COURSE FOR THE ILS IS 143 DEGS. APCH PLATE IS SEOUL KIMPO INTL ILS RWY 14R, MAY/93. DESCRIPTION OF EVENT: ON ARR INTO KIMPO INTL, ACFT WAS BEING VECTORED FOR ILS RWY 14R, ACFT WAS DSNDING THROUGH 3000 FT MSL WHEN GIVEN A LEVELOFF AT 1800 FT MSL BY APCH CTL. PRIOR TO REACHING THIS ALT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AND GIVEN A TURN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. HAVING CROSSED THE LEAD-IN RADIAL WE INITIATED A DSCNT TO 1350 FT MSL AND WERE PREPARING FOR GS AND LOC INTERCEPT WHEN THE CTLR QUERIED US ABOUT OUR ALT, WE RESPONDED AND HE SAID 'OK.' WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HE WANTED, BUT IT DID CAUSE SOME CONFUSION. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED TO TWR AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE ACFT WAS NEVER OPERATED IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. WE WERE NOT SURE WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE BUT HE SOUNDED CONFUSED BY OUR ACTIONS, AS IF WE HAD DSNDED TOO EARLY. HUMAN FACTORS: PERHAPS THEIR IDEA OF 'CLRED FOR THE APCH' AND OURS ARE DIFFERENT OR THERE IS A GENERAL MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE APCH PLATE. THE APCH PLATE COULD USE EXTRA CLARIFICATION AS TO A STEPDOWN ALT AND WHEN IT IS ALLOWED. KOREA TENDS TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT PLACE IN ASIA TO OPERATE DUE TO HVY ACCENTS AND POOR SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION (WHAT HE SAID AND WHAT HE THOUGHT HE SAID MAY BE DIFFERENT). IT CAN SOMETIMES LEAD TO CONFUSION. CREW: FATIGUE WAS MODERATE, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN 11 DAY ASIA TRIP WITH SEOUL BEING AN INTERMEDIATE STOP FROM TAIPEI AND PRIOR TO PROCEEDING TO ANC, AK. MULTIPLE TIME ZONES AND LACK OF REST CONTRIBUTE TO DEGRADED PERFORMANCE WHICH CAN AFFECT UNDERSTANDING OF CTLRS AND WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO. SUGGESTIONS: APCH PLATES WITH MORE DESCRIPTIVE INFO AND PROCS, AND MORE REST DUE TO DISRUPTION OF NORMAL SLEEPING PATTERNS DUE TO LONG INTL FLTS.

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.