Narrative:

In sum: a government small transport aircraft flew into mggt, guatemala city, with a forecast of VMC with thunderstorms to the southwest. On descent, there was moderate turbulence, heavy rain, and lightning. The first officer had difficulty with the 'foreign english' that was being spoken and could not understand the controller's spanish. After clearance for the VOR 19 approach to mggt was received, precipitation static blanked out communication and the VOR apparently went off the air or was made useless by p-static. 'The first officer was just sitting in his seat, unable to perform any functions due to fear and confusion about loss of communication and navigation.' the GPS was unable to accept 'motagua' intersection as there were 7 letters. The captain leveled the aircraft at 11000 ft and used GPS to fly to aur to begin the approach. P-static dissipated and aur was used to complete an approach. The first officer is no longer assigned to operations using other than english. He refuses to take a spanish course. Other problems: poor WX forecast (1000 ft overcast, 2 mi, thunderstorms vice VMC forecast). Poor english, imprecise instructions -- intersection names that do not conform to the 5 letter ICAO standard. Incompetent first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GOV ACFT FLEW INTO VERY BAD WX AT GUATEMALA CITY. THE FO BECAME INCAPACITATED WITH FEAR AND CONFUSION. LANGUAGE BARRIER. NIGHT OP. DESIGNATED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WX FACTORS TURB, TSTMS AND LIGHTNING THAT PRODUCED PRECIP STATIC.

Narrative: IN SUM: A GOV SMT ACFT FLEW INTO MGGT, GUATEMALA CITY, WITH A FORECAST OF VMC WITH TSTMS TO THE SW. ON DSCNT, THERE WAS MODERATE TURB, HVY RAIN, AND LIGHTNING. THE FO HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THE 'FOREIGN ENGLISH' THAT WAS BEING SPOKEN AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE CTLR'S SPANISH. AFTER CLRNC FOR THE VOR 19 APCH TO MGGT WAS RECEIVED, PRECIP STATIC BLANKED OUT COM AND THE VOR APPARENTLY WENT OFF THE AIR OR WAS MADE USELESS BY P-STATIC. 'THE FO WAS JUST SITTING IN HIS SEAT, UNABLE TO PERFORM ANY FUNCTIONS DUE TO FEAR AND CONFUSION ABOUT LOSS OF COM AND NAV.' THE GPS WAS UNABLE TO ACCEPT 'MOTAGUA' INTXN AS THERE WERE 7 LETTERS. THE CAPT LEVELED THE ACFT AT 11000 FT AND USED GPS TO FLY TO AUR TO BEGIN THE APCH. P-STATIC DISSIPATED AND AUR WAS USED TO COMPLETE AN APCH. THE FO IS NO LONGER ASSIGNED TO OPS USING OTHER THAN ENGLISH. HE REFUSES TO TAKE A SPANISH COURSE. OTHER PROBS: POOR WX FORECAST (1000 FT OVCST, 2 MI, TSTMS VICE VMC FORECAST). POOR ENGLISH, IMPRECISE INSTRUCTIONS -- INTXN NAMES THAT DO NOT CONFORM TO THE 5 LETTER ICAO STANDARD. INCOMPETENT FO.

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.