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A military C130 flight crew on a diplomatic mission was accused of not maintaining radio contact with a foreign ARTCC. The flight crew, apparently, believes that the problem was primarily one of ARTCC equipment and a language barrier.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 374139 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tas |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24700 msl bound upper : 24700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : uttt |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Hercules (C-130) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : military |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 53 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 526 |
| ASRS Report | 374139 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Military aircraft en route from lgsa to uaaa transited ubekistan airspace, uttt fir on jul/thu/97. We were in radio contact at all times with assigned controllers. We were operating under diplomatic clearance for a government project in kazakstan. On jul/fri/97, we received a teletype message from ubekistan that our C130-T transited the uttt fir without positive radio communications with tashkent control. Our crew passed position reports at all the compulsory reporting points on the airway to all the assigned controllers. We were very surprised at tashkent control's accusations since we followed all proper ICAO procedures. The united states government agency, in almaty, kazakstan, made phone calls to ubekistan and explained that we did not break any rules and, in fact, the crew was in positive radio contact with tashkent control when assigned. The return transit uaaa to ltag was uneventful on jul/sat/97. Recommend: tashkent control upgrade radio/radar capabilities on and in the vicinity of that airway in that fir. Establish an alternate radio, ie, HF frequency to communicate with aircraft, and improve their english language vocabulary/procedures. If not already in place, install a voice recorder system for playback purposes. Military: install a cockpit/ATC voice recorder flight data recorder system in all aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MIL C130 FLC ON A DIPLOMATIC MISSION WAS ACCUSED OF NOT MAINTAINING RADIO CONTACT WITH A FOREIGN ARTCC. THE FLC, APPARENTLY, BELIEVES THAT THE PROB WAS PRIMARILY ONE OF ARTCC EQUIP AND A LANGUAGE BARRIER.
Narrative: MIL ACFT ENRTE FROM LGSA TO UAAA TRANSITED UBEKISTAN AIRSPACE, UTTT FIR ON JUL/THU/97. WE WERE IN RADIO CONTACT AT ALL TIMES WITH ASSIGNED CTLRS. WE WERE OPERATING UNDER DIPLOMATIC CLRNC FOR A GOV PROJECT IN KAZAKSTAN. ON JUL/FRI/97, WE RECEIVED A TELETYPE MESSAGE FROM UBEKISTAN THAT OUR C130-T TRANSITED THE UTTT FIR WITHOUT POSITIVE RADIO COMS WITH TASHKENT CTL. OUR CREW PASSED POS RPTS AT ALL THE COMPULSORY RPTING POINTS ON THE AIRWAY TO ALL THE ASSIGNED CTLRS. WE WERE VERY SURPRISED AT TASHKENT CTL'S ACCUSATIONS SINCE WE FOLLOWED ALL PROPER ICAO PROCS. THE UNITED STATES GOV AGENCY, IN ALMATY, KAZAKSTAN, MADE PHONE CALLS TO UBEKISTAN AND EXPLAINED THAT WE DID NOT BREAK ANY RULES AND, IN FACT, THE CREW WAS IN POSITIVE RADIO CONTACT WITH TASHKENT CTL WHEN ASSIGNED. THE RETURN TRANSIT UAAA TO LTAG WAS UNEVENTFUL ON JUL/SAT/97. RECOMMEND: TASHKENT CTL UPGRADE RADIO/RADAR CAPABILITIES ON AND IN THE VICINITY OF THAT AIRWAY IN THAT FIR. ESTABLISH AN ALTERNATE RADIO, IE, HF FREQ TO COMMUNICATE WITH ACFT, AND IMPROVE THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE VOCABULARY/PROCS. IF NOT ALREADY IN PLACE, INSTALL A VOICE RECORDER SYS FOR PLAYBACK PURPOSES. MIL: INSTALL A COCKPIT/ATC VOICE RECORDER FLT DATA RECORDER SYS IN ALL ACFT.
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.