Narrative:

On VOR runway 6 to apc, center had cleared for the approach and had included no circle to land instructions or expectations. Wind was wnw at 4 KTS on ATIS and runway 24 was mentioned there, but no mention of the approach in use or circle to land operations. When I contacted tower and reported a mi outside the VOR inbound, I couldn't believe my ears when the controller responded in an almost unintelligible accent (foreign, I believe). He said to report VOR, which I did with no tower response (possibly blocked). I was descending through the clouds and on breaking out at 1200 ft AGL had a very close-up view of a training bonanza. I asked tower if we were cleared to land on runway 6, and he cleared me, after turning another training bonanza just departing runway 24 out of the way. Communication -- how can we have a local controller in this country who cannot speak intelligible english? Why would center clear an aircraft VOR approach runway 6 with no mention of circle to land -- no circle on ATIS mentioned, and no tower mention of circle south, report downwind, etc. I don't think he said any of that, or no mention to anyone that a citation jet would be inbound from VOR on the approach. This heavy training airport may not be safe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR C525 ON A VOR APCH TO RWY 6 AT APC BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SPOTTED A VFR BONANZA IN CLOSE PROX. THE CITATION PLT WAS UNHAPPY THAT HE WAS NOT GIVEN TFC INFO ON THE BONANZA NOR WAS HE TOLD HE MIGHT HAVE TO CIRCLE TO LAND BY THE ARTCC CTLR WHEN HE WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: ON VOR RWY 6 TO APC, CTR HAD CLRED FOR THE APCH AND HAD INCLUDED NO CIRCLE TO LAND INSTRUCTIONS OR EXPECTATIONS. WIND WAS WNW AT 4 KTS ON ATIS AND RWY 24 WAS MENTIONED THERE, BUT NO MENTION OF THE APCH IN USE OR CIRCLE TO LAND OPS. WHEN I CONTACTED TWR AND RPTED A MI OUTSIDE THE VOR INBOUND, I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EARS WHEN THE CTLR RESPONDED IN AN ALMOST UNINTELLIGIBLE ACCENT (FOREIGN, I BELIEVE). HE SAID TO RPT VOR, WHICH I DID WITH NO TWR RESPONSE (POSSIBLY BLOCKED). I WAS DSNDING THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND ON BREAKING OUT AT 1200 FT AGL HAD A VERY CLOSE-UP VIEW OF A TRAINING BONANZA. I ASKED TWR IF WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 6, AND HE CLRED ME, AFTER TURNING ANOTHER TRAINING BONANZA JUST DEPARTING RWY 24 OUT OF THE WAY. COM -- HOW CAN WE HAVE A LCL CTLR IN THIS COUNTRY WHO CANNOT SPEAK INTELLIGIBLE ENGLISH? WHY WOULD CTR CLR AN ACFT VOR APCH RWY 6 WITH NO MENTION OF CIRCLE TO LAND -- NO CIRCLE ON ATIS MENTIONED, AND NO TWR MENTION OF CIRCLE S, RPT DOWNWIND, ETC. I DON'T THINK HE SAID ANY OF THAT, OR NO MENTION TO ANYONE THAT A CITATION JET WOULD BE INBOUND FROM VOR ON THE APCH. THIS HVY TRAINING ARPT MAY NOT BE SAFE.

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.