Flight crew exceeds holding pattern limits due to difficulty understanding french controller.

Attributes
ACN	326807
Time
Date	199601
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : epr
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ory
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	326807
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	326803
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight was on assigned heading at FL70 when controller gave instructions. All we understood was 'clearance at 59.' controller was speaking french and english (english to us) but the accent was so prominent that it took me 3 or 4 words to begin to recognize that it was english. She had issued holding clearance for the published pattern at EPR when we were about 10 NM from the VOR. It took 3 inquiries on the very busy frequency before we fully understood the clearance. Since we were going direct to the VOR, we flew past the VOR before beginning the turn to enter holding. At 230 KIAS and flying past the VOR, I'm sure we exceeded the holding pattern limits. Understanding the controller was cause of the problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that clearance to hold came late and the instructions to hold were difficult to understand. Radio frequency was so busy they could not verify or have controller repeat instructions. He estimates that with a late turn into the holding pattern that its limits were exceeded, but no mention was made of any problem by the TRACON controller. Reporter stated the other pilot was having the same difficulty in understanding the controller. The best way they knew that controller was talking to them was to try and listen for their call sign, then decipher any other instructions given after the call sign.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXCEEDS HOLDING PATTERN LIMITS DUE TO DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING FRENCH CTLR.

Narrative: FLT WAS ON ASSIGNED HEADING AT FL70 WHEN CTLR GAVE INSTRUCTIONS. ALL WE UNDERSTOOD WAS 'CLRNC AT 59.' CTLR WAS SPEAKING FRENCH AND ENGLISH (ENGLISH TO US) BUT THE ACCENT WAS SO PROMINENT THAT IT TOOK ME 3 OR 4 WORDS TO BEGIN TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS ENGLISH. SHE HAD ISSUED HOLDING CLRNC FOR THE PUBLISHED PATTERN AT EPR WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 10 NM FROM THE VOR. IT TOOK 3 INQUIRIES ON THE VERY BUSY FREQ BEFORE WE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. SINCE WE WERE GOING DIRECT TO THE VOR, WE FLEW PAST THE VOR BEFORE BEGINNING THE TURN TO ENTER HOLDING. AT 230 KIAS AND FLYING PAST THE VOR, I'M SURE WE EXCEEDED THE HOLDING PATTERN LIMITS. UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR WAS CAUSE OF THE PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT CLRNC TO HOLD CAME LATE AND THE INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD WERE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. RADIO FREQ WAS SO BUSY THEY COULD NOT VERIFY OR HAVE CTLR REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS. HE ESTIMATES THAT WITH A LATE TURN INTO THE HOLDING PATTERN THAT ITS LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED, BUT NO MENTION WAS MADE OF ANY PROB BY THE TRACON CTLR. RPTR STATED THE OTHER PLT WAS HAVING THE SAME DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR. THE BEST WAY THEY KNEW THAT CTLR WAS TALKING TO THEM WAS TO TRY AND LISTEN FOR THEIR CALL SIGN, THEN DECIPHER ANY OTHER INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AFTER THE CALL SIGN.

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.