B767 crew was given a 'clearance limit' with their ATC airway clearance.

Attributes
ACN	454376
Time
Date	199911
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbgr.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	454376
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

Ronil clearance limit fix. Out of sao paulo lately with our normal clearance they are now giving ronil intersection as a 'clearance limit fix.' this is at the border of sao paulo center and manaus. Manaus is not always easy to get in touch with either by VHF or HF. When approaching ronil, we asked if it was indeed a clearance limit. They said for us to continue our flight. Every united states carrier asked the same question. I think that someone got the idea that they had to give a clearance limit or use the english words 'clearance limit.' if everyone held when they got to ronil and held when they couldn't get in touch with manaus, we would soon have a large backlog of flts that would screw up their timing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW WAS GIVEN A 'CLRNC LIMIT' WITH THEIR ATC AIRWAY CLRNC.

Narrative: RONIL CLRNC LIMIT FIX. OUT OF SAO PAULO LATELY WITH OUR NORMAL CLRNC THEY ARE NOW GIVING RONIL INTXN AS A 'CLRNC LIMIT FIX.' THIS IS AT THE BORDER OF SAO PAULO CTR AND MANAUS. MANAUS IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH EITHER BY VHF OR HF. WHEN APCHING RONIL, WE ASKED IF IT WAS INDEED A CLRNC LIMIT. THEY SAID FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR FLT. EVERY UNITED STATES CARRIER ASKED THE SAME QUESTION. I THINK THAT SOMEONE GOT THE IDEA THAT THEY HAD TO GIVE A CLRNC LIMIT OR USE THE ENGLISH WORDS 'CLRNC LIMIT.' IF EVERYONE HELD WHEN THEY GOT TO RONIL AND HELD WHEN THEY COULDN'T GET IN TOUCH WITH MANAUS, WE WOULD SOON HAVE A LARGE BACKLOG OF FLTS THAT WOULD SCREW UP THEIR TIMING.

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.