Narrative:

Departing simon bolivar international airport in caracas, venezuela, on the 2 darpa 08-09 departure, level at 4000 ft having just intercepted the miq 023 degree radial en route to darpa, maiquetia approach pointed out traffic at 2 O'clock 7000 ft. We acknowledged the traffic, and he cleared us to 6000 ft. We read back and confirmed twice the clearance to 6000 ft. We passed the reported traffic which was climbing through 5000 ft and got a TCASII TA as we passed him about 2 mi to our right in VMC. The controller had possibly forgotten that the traffic was climbing to 7000 ft and had not yet reached 7000 ft. When he realized his mistake, he told us to descend back to 4000 ft. But by this time we were level at 6000 ft and the other traffic was well below us. We informed him of this fact, he spoke spanish to the other aircraft, and we observed him descend on our TCASII display. The controller could hardly speak english. We had trouble understanding him and he had trouble understanding us. He had clearly made a mistake and then spent a lot of time demanding to know my name and certificate number as if I had been the one at fault. He left us at 6000 ft for quite some time over the ocean as all this went on instead of issuing us a clearance for higher. He stopped demanding my name and number when I demanded his name and certificate number. Maiquetia ATC is most assuredly below the ICAO standard for english speaking controllers. Not only was this controller's communication skill bad, but also his competency and attitude were certainly below what they should have been. In addition, the radio equipment is very hard to hear. There is more static than voice in their xmissions. This is not an isolated occurrence. It is well known among pilots who fly to south america that this quality of controling and radio equipment is more often than not the norm for maiquetia ATC, both en route and terminal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a B757-200 on a departure from caracas when this event occurred. The controller apparently thought that the traffic climbing to 7000 ft would be clear of him. This was not the case and when the reporter brought this to the controller's attention he became agitated and his english further deteriorated. The reporter has not changed his mind about the problems with ATC in this area, but he has continued to operate there over the past several months. He said that the radio equipment always has static and often fails or is difficult to understand and the poor english skills of the controllers in this area make routine operations difficult. The reporter promises to send more reports to ASRS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANGUAGE BARRIER -- ACR SEES ANOTHER ACR CLBING TOWARD IT AND REALIZES THAT THE CTLR THINKS THAT IT IS ALREADY AT A HIGHER ALT. WHEN THIS IS POINTED OUT THE CTLR BECOMES ABUSIVE AND REFUSES TO GIVE THE RPTR A NORMAL ENRTE CLB.

Narrative: DEPARTING SIMON BOLIVAR INTL ARPT IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA, ON THE 2 DARPA 08-09 DEP, LEVEL AT 4000 FT HAVING JUST INTERCEPTED THE MIQ 023 DEG RADIAL ENRTE TO DARPA, MAIQUETIA APCH POINTED OUT TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK 7000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC, AND HE CLRED US TO 6000 FT. WE READ BACK AND CONFIRMED TWICE THE CLRNC TO 6000 FT. WE PASSED THE RPTED TFC WHICH WAS CLBING THROUGH 5000 FT AND GOT A TCASII TA AS WE PASSED HIM ABOUT 2 MI TO OUR R IN VMC. THE CTLR HAD POSSIBLY FORGOTTEN THAT THE TFC WAS CLBING TO 7000 FT AND HAD NOT YET REACHED 7000 FT. WHEN HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE, HE TOLD US TO DSND BACK TO 4000 FT. BUT BY THIS TIME WE WERE LEVEL AT 6000 FT AND THE OTHER TFC WAS WELL BELOW US. WE INFORMED HIM OF THIS FACT, HE SPOKE SPANISH TO THE OTHER ACFT, AND WE OBSERVED HIM DSND ON OUR TCASII DISPLAY. THE CTLR COULD HARDLY SPEAK ENGLISH. WE HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING HIM AND HE HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING US. HE HAD CLRLY MADE A MISTAKE AND THEN SPENT A LOT OF TIME DEMANDING TO KNOW MY NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER AS IF I HAD BEEN THE ONE AT FAULT. HE LEFT US AT 6000 FT FOR QUITE SOME TIME OVER THE OCEAN AS ALL THIS WENT ON INSTEAD OF ISSUING US A CLRNC FOR HIGHER. HE STOPPED DEMANDING MY NAME AND NUMBER WHEN I DEMANDED HIS NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. MAIQUETIA ATC IS MOST ASSUREDLY BELOW THE ICAO STANDARD FOR ENGLISH SPEAKING CTLRS. NOT ONLY WAS THIS CTLR'S COM SKILL BAD, BUT ALSO HIS COMPETENCY AND ATTITUDE WERE CERTAINLY BELOW WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. IN ADDITION, THE RADIO EQUIP IS VERY HARD TO HEAR. THERE IS MORE STATIC THAN VOICE IN THEIR XMISSIONS. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE. IT IS WELL KNOWN AMONG PLTS WHO FLY TO S AMERICA THAT THIS QUALITY OF CTLING AND RADIO EQUIP IS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THE NORM FOR MAIQUETIA ATC, BOTH ENRTE AND TERMINAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B757-200 ON A DEP FROM CARACAS WHEN THIS EVENT OCCURRED. THE CTLR APPARENTLY THOUGHT THAT THE TFC CLBING TO 7000 FT WOULD BE CLR OF HIM. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AND WHEN THE RPTR BROUGHT THIS TO THE CTLR'S ATTN HE BECAME AGITATED AND HIS ENGLISH FURTHER DETERIORATED. THE RPTR HAS NOT CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT THE PROBS WITH ATC IN THIS AREA, BUT HE HAS CONTINUED TO OPERATE THERE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. HE SAID THAT THE RADIO EQUIP ALWAYS HAS STATIC AND OFTEN FAILS OR IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND THE POOR ENGLISH SKILLS OF THE CTLRS IN THIS AREA MAKE ROUTINE OPS DIFFICULT. THE RPTR PROMISES TO SEND MORE RPTS TO ASRS.

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.