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Reporter navigator for chinese flight crew was monitoring their navigation with GPS when chinese pilots asked why the center told them to make a phone call. They had failed to make a crossing altitude assignment, partly because they didn't understand the english clearance and partly because they wouldn't ask to 'save face.'
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 330170 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199603 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zoa |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific enroute airway : zoa |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 5450 |
| ASRS Report | 330170 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Aircraft (cc) was originally assigned FL330. Prior to crossing the pacific on route A331 the chinese pilots asked san francisco commercial radio for FL350. Sometime after zanng and before zefer cc was told FL350 was not available and cc should descend from FL330 to FL310 and cross zefer at FL310. Cc supposedly crossed zefer at FL330. Navigator was sitting in passenger compartment with temporarily installed GPS to ensure pilots stayed within A331 course limits. Chinese pilots came back to navigator to ask why they were told to make a 'phone call.' navigator came to cockpit and placed a phone-patch to discover the altitude crossing in question at zefer. Human performance considerations: chinese pilots would read back a clearance but many times would not understand it. Chinese pilots wanted to 'save face' therefore would not ask questions when they did not understand.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR NAVIGATOR FOR CHINESE FLC WAS MONITORING THEIR NAV WITH GPS WHEN CHINESE PLTS ASKED WHY THE CTR TOLD THEM TO MAKE A PHONE CALL. THEY HAD FAILED TO MAKE A XING ALT ASSIGNMENT, PARTLY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH CLRNC AND PARTLY BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T ASK TO 'SAVE FACE.'
Narrative: ACFT (CC) WAS ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED FL330. PRIOR TO XING THE PACIFIC ON RTE A331 THE CHINESE PLTS ASKED SAN FRANCISCO COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR FL350. SOMETIME AFTER ZANNG AND BEFORE ZEFER CC WAS TOLD FL350 WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND CC SHOULD DSND FROM FL330 TO FL310 AND CROSS ZEFER AT FL310. CC SUPPOSEDLY CROSSED ZEFER AT FL330. NAVIGATOR WAS SITTING IN PAX COMPARTMENT WITH TEMPORARILY INSTALLED GPS TO ENSURE PLTS STAYED WITHIN A331 COURSE LIMITS. CHINESE PLTS CAME BACK TO NAVIGATOR TO ASK WHY THEY WERE TOLD TO MAKE A 'PHONE CALL.' NAVIGATOR CAME TO COCKPIT AND PLACED A PHONE-PATCH TO DISCOVER THE ALT XING IN QUESTION AT ZEFER. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: CHINESE PLTS WOULD READ BACK A CLRNC BUT MANY TIMES WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT. CHINESE PLTS WANTED TO 'SAVE FACE' THEREFORE WOULD NOT ASK QUESTIONS WHEN THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND.
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.