Narrative:

On taxi out of sdq, first officer requested clearance to mia. Tower gave clearance 'air carrier X, cleared to mia via flight planned route, climb and maintain FL350, squawk wxyz.' first officer read back same except, 'air carrier X requested FL260 as final.' tower acknowledged and cleared air carrier X to climb to and maintain FL260. Filed clearance was kodix 2 kodix A554 pta etc. Approaching departure end of runway, first officer advised tower we were not ready for departure, awaiting closeout information and needed 2-3 mins. Tower then said 'air carrier X, cleared for takeoff runway 17' and gave departure instructions. First officer said 'negative, negative, we do not have closeout information and need 2 mins.' tower advised ok and to call back when ready. First officer did not read back or acknowledge any departure instructions. 2-3 mins later, told tower 'ready for departure' and tower said 'air carrier X, cleared to takeoff runway 17.' no other instructions were given or acknowledged except 'air carrier X cleared to takeoff runway 17.' captain (PF) turned left at 500-600 ft to heading 351 degrees as per kodix 2. First officer called departure. Sdq center advised 'air carrier X, turn right to heading 330 degrees.' first officer questioned the direction of turn since we were in a 30 degree left bank through 120 degrees, sdq then said to roll out 090 degrees and questioned why we did not follow departure instructions to climb runway heading to 3000 ft. First officer advised our only clearance was cleared as filed and cleared to takeoff runway 17. A moment later he said sdq tower claimed they gave us runway heading to 3000 ft and we read that clearance back. We never heard nor acknowledged that clearance. Tower confused by refused takeoff clearance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this happened on the reporter's second trip into sdq, so he cannot say if this treatment is common. He believes that this is more than a language barrier problem. He believes that the controllers have a set 'spiel,' and that if interrupted as in this case, they lose sight of where they were in their spiel. The reporter interrupted the controller when the controller may have been giving 'runway heading to 3000 ft.' all 3 crew persons were on the radio, and no one heard, 'runway heading to 3000 ft.' the reporter has heard nothing further on this. The WX was VMC. There was no other traffic in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LANGUAGE BARRIER MAY HAVE CAUSED A B727 CREW TO DEVIATE FROM ITS DEP CLRNC. THE CAPT MAY HAVE INTERRUPTED THE ATCT LCL CTLR IN HIS DEP CLRNC 'SPIEL.'

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT OF SDQ, FO REQUESTED CLRNC TO MIA. TWR GAVE CLRNC 'ACR X, CLRED TO MIA VIA FLT PLANNED RTE, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL350, SQUAWK WXYZ.' FO READ BACK SAME EXCEPT, 'ACR X REQUESTED FL260 AS FINAL.' TWR ACKNOWLEDGED AND CLRED ACR X TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL260. FILED CLRNC WAS KODIX 2 KODIX A554 PTA ETC. APCHING DEP END OF RWY, FO ADVISED TWR WE WERE NOT READY FOR DEP, AWAITING CLOSEOUT INFO AND NEEDED 2-3 MINS. TWR THEN SAID 'ACR X, CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 17' AND GAVE DEP INSTRUCTIONS. FO SAID 'NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE, WE DO NOT HAVE CLOSEOUT INFO AND NEED 2 MINS.' TWR ADVISED OK AND TO CALL BACK WHEN READY. FO DID NOT READ BACK OR ACKNOWLEDGE ANY DEP INSTRUCTIONS. 2-3 MINS LATER, TOLD TWR 'READY FOR DEP' AND TWR SAID 'ACR X, CLRED TO TKOF RWY 17.' NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN OR ACKNOWLEDGED EXCEPT 'ACR X CLRED TO TKOF RWY 17.' CAPT (PF) TURNED L AT 500-600 FT TO HDG 351 DEGS AS PER KODIX 2. FO CALLED DEP. SDQ CTR ADVISED 'ACR X, TURN R TO HDG 330 DEGS.' FO QUESTIONED THE DIRECTION OF TURN SINCE WE WERE IN A 30 DEG L BANK THROUGH 120 DEGS, SDQ THEN SAID TO ROLL OUT 090 DEGS AND QUESTIONED WHY WE DID NOT FOLLOW DEP INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB RWY HDG TO 3000 FT. FO ADVISED OUR ONLY CLRNC WAS CLRED AS FILED AND CLRED TO TKOF RWY 17. A MOMENT LATER HE SAID SDQ TWR CLAIMED THEY GAVE US RWY HDG TO 3000 FT AND WE READ THAT CLRNC BACK. WE NEVER HEARD NOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT CLRNC. TWR CONFUSED BY REFUSED TKOF CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS HAPPENED ON THE RPTR'S SECOND TRIP INTO SDQ, SO HE CANNOT SAY IF THIS TREATMENT IS COMMON. HE BELIEVES THAT THIS IS MORE THAN A LANGUAGE BARRIER PROB. HE BELIEVES THAT THE CTLRS HAVE A SET 'SPIEL,' AND THAT IF INTERRUPTED AS IN THIS CASE, THEY LOSE SIGHT OF WHERE THEY WERE IN THEIR SPIEL. THE RPTR INTERRUPTED THE CTLR WHEN THE CTLR MAY HAVE BEEN GIVING 'RWY HDG TO 3000 FT.' ALL 3 CREW PERSONS WERE ON THE RADIO, AND NO ONE HEARD, 'RWY HDG TO 3000 FT.' THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER ON THIS. THE WX WAS VMC. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA.

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.