Foreign (chinese) controller and flight crew language barrier. Controller reported traffic at lower ...

Attributes
ACN	325605
Time
Date	199601
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sia
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : sia
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14750 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	325605
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 42000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Approach control was also the tower. The chinese controller's english was very marginal. To aggravate this situation there was a loud squeal in his transmission (this occurred each time he would transmit, it sounded like 2 transmitters on the same frequency). 4 hours later another of our company aircraft arrived and reported the same problem, the next morning it was still there. We had been stepping down to lower altitudes for our arrival, and was level at 6000 meters. The controller gave what we thought was a descent to the next level, 5700 meters. But, what he actually gave was traffic at 5700 meters in our 11 O'clock position. As is our practice, the first officer and the captain must agree on what we heard before taking action. We both heard 'descent to 5700 meters' but to be sure this was read back to the controller and that was acknowledged. Then we heard a lot of chinese on the radio and we were told to climb back to 6000 meters (we think the other airline's pilot heard our report of 'out of 6000 meters for 5700 meters'). We had a visual on the other traffic along with a TCASII return. We never got anywhere close to this airplane. If this had happened anywhere else it would have been a non-issue, just a communication mistake. But the station manager wanted to make a big deal out of it and caused me a lot of grief for the next 12 hours. He called 3 meetings and wouldn't allow me to start engines the next morning (with the ceo and other executives on board). One meeting was XA00 to XD30. Before I could leave I had to sign a page written in chinese, I'm not really sure what it said. All this clown wanted was a day off and he didn't get it. I asked to hear the ATC tapes, but that was refused.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOREIGN (CHINESE) CTLR AND FLC LANGUAGE BARRIER. CTLR RPTED TFC AT LOWER ALT, BOTH FLC THOUGHT IT WAS A CLRNC TO LOWER ALT AND DSNDED. CREATED MAJOR DIPLOMATIC PROBS FOR FLC WITH OFFICIALS.

Narrative: APCH CTL WAS ALSO THE TWR. THE CHINESE CTLR'S ENGLISH WAS VERY MARGINAL. TO AGGRAVATE THIS SIT THERE WAS A LOUD SQUEAL IN HIS XMISSION (THIS OCCURRED EACH TIME HE WOULD XMIT, IT SOUNDED LIKE 2 XMITTERS ON THE SAME FREQ). 4 HRS LATER ANOTHER OF OUR COMPANY ACFT ARRIVED AND RPTED THE SAME PROB, THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS STILL THERE. WE HAD BEEN STEPPING DOWN TO LOWER ALTS FOR OUR ARR, AND WAS LEVEL AT 6000 METERS. THE CTLR GAVE WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A DSCNT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, 5700 METERS. BUT, WHAT HE ACTUALLY GAVE WAS TFC AT 5700 METERS IN OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS. AS IS OUR PRACTICE, THE FO AND THE CAPT MUST AGREE ON WHAT WE HEARD BEFORE TAKING ACTION. WE BOTH HEARD 'DSCNT TO 5700 METERS' BUT TO BE SURE THIS WAS READ BACK TO THE CTLR AND THAT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN WE HEARD A LOT OF CHINESE ON THE RADIO AND WE WERE TOLD TO CLB BACK TO 6000 METERS (WE THINK THE OTHER AIRLINE'S PLT HEARD OUR RPT OF 'OUT OF 6000 METERS FOR 5700 METERS'). WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE OTHER TFC ALONG WITH A TCASII RETURN. WE NEVER GOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS AIRPLANE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ANYWHERE ELSE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A NON-ISSUE, JUST A COM MISTAKE. BUT THE STATION MGR WANTED TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT AND CAUSED ME A LOT OF GRIEF FOR THE NEXT 12 HRS. HE CALLED 3 MEETINGS AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO START ENGS THE NEXT MORNING (WITH THE CEO AND OTHER EXECUTIVES ON BOARD). ONE MEETING WAS XA00 TO XD30. BEFORE I COULD LEAVE I HAD TO SIGN A PAGE WRITTEN IN CHINESE, I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT IT SAID. ALL THIS CLOWN WANTED WAS A DAY OFF AND HE DIDN'T GET IT. I ASKED TO HEAR THE ATC TAPES, BUT THAT WAS REFUSED.

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.

Foreign (chinese) controller and flight crew language barrier. Controller reported traffic at lower altitude, both flight crew thought it was a clearance to lower altitude and descended. Created major diplomatic problems for flight crew with officials.