TRACON controller frustrated with problems associated working foreign language training pilots. Othe...

Attributes
ACN	397904
Time
Date	199803
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tyr
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ggg
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 15 controller radar : 13
ASRS Report	397904
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A foreign student belongs to an international flight school in the tyler-longview, tx, area. While flying practice NDB approachs, I was forced to ask for 3-4 repeats of all xmissions. This is an ever-increasing problem. Flight school management's position is that their pilots should repeat themselves until they are understood as a method to gain practice in english. This has resulted in controllers not understanding readbacks. My only choice today was 'let him go and see what he does.' after talking to fellow controllers, I've found that this is becoming common practice. ATC should start refusing to work pilots who are unable to converse in understandable english, and some standard needs to be set prior to issuance of a student license. If this pilot had an emergency, I doubt I would have been able to understand the pilot and assist the pilot. In today's incident, I informed my supervisor of my situation and he and another controller plugged in to assist me in interping. When he had tried for the fourth time to get an approach clearance, the supervisor said 'let him go and see what he does.' callback conversation with facility specialist revealed the following information: called facility specialist to determine facility control responsibilities, report not clear. GGG TRACON provides approach control service to tyr airport/tower. Tyr has BRITE slaved off GGG approach control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR FRUSTRATED WITH PROBS ASSOCIATED WORKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING PLTS. OTHER CTLRS AND SUPVR HAVE SAME DIFFICULTIES UNDERSTANDING AND VERIFYING CTL INSTRUCTIONS ARE UNDERSTOOD.

Narrative: A FOREIGN STUDENT BELONGS TO AN INTL FLT SCHOOL IN THE TYLER-LONGVIEW, TX, AREA. WHILE FLYING PRACTICE NDB APCHS, I WAS FORCED TO ASK FOR 3-4 REPEATS OF ALL XMISSIONS. THIS IS AN EVER-INCREASING PROB. FLT SCHOOL MGMNT'S POS IS THAT THEIR PLTS SHOULD REPEAT THEMSELVES UNTIL THEY ARE UNDERSTOOD AS A METHOD TO GAIN PRACTICE IN ENGLISH. THIS HAS RESULTED IN CTLRS NOT UNDERSTANDING READBACKS. MY ONLY CHOICE TODAY WAS 'LET HIM GO AND SEE WHAT HE DOES.' AFTER TALKING TO FELLOW CTLRS, I'VE FOUND THAT THIS IS BECOMING COMMON PRACTICE. ATC SHOULD START REFUSING TO WORK PLTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO CONVERSE IN UNDERSTANDABLE ENGLISH, AND SOME STANDARD NEEDS TO BE SET PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF A STUDENT LICENSE. IF THIS PLT HAD AN EMER, I DOUBT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE PLT AND ASSIST THE PLT. IN TODAY'S INCIDENT, I INFORMED MY SUPVR OF MY SIT AND HE AND ANOTHER CTLR PLUGGED IN TO ASSIST ME IN INTERPING. WHEN HE HAD TRIED FOR THE FOURTH TIME TO GET AN APCH CLRNC, THE SUPVR SAID 'LET HIM GO AND SEE WHAT HE DOES.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FACILITY SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLED FACILITY SPECIALIST TO DETERMINE FACILITY CTL RESPONSIBILITIES, RPT NOT CLR. GGG TRACON PROVIDES APCH CTL SVC TO TYR ARPT/TWR. TYR HAS BRITE SLAVED OFF GGG APCH CTL.

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.

TRACON controller frustrated with problems associated working foreign language training pilots. Other controllers and supervisor have same difficulties understanding and verifying control instructions are understood.