Narrative:

I have flown in south america for a long time. The radio xmissions were the worst I have heard. The english used by the controllers was terrible. There was not 1 transmission that I could understand without asking them to repeat. Even ground control could not explain the taxi instructions. I finally gave up and taxied my own way. Most of the problem came in one or the other form. It was the radio was unintelligible or the controller was. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has flown to south america and columbia for 8 yrs. He finds that communication abilities of the ATC controllers is worse than in the past. He reports that it is a combination of poor equipment in use at some facilities as well as nonstandard terminology on the part of the controller and a lack of understanding of air crew xmissions and aviation english. This all results in multiple requests for repeated xmissions and untimely execution of clrncs because they are not understood. Reporter said he has been told that there is a move to privatize the ATC in columbia.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW HAS COM PROBS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Narrative: I HAVE FLOWN IN SOUTH AMERICA FOR A LONG TIME. THE RADIO XMISSIONS WERE THE WORST I HAVE HEARD. THE ENGLISH USED BY THE CTLRS WAS TERRIBLE. THERE WAS NOT 1 XMISSION THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND WITHOUT ASKING THEM TO REPEAT. EVEN GND CTL COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I FINALLY GAVE UP AND TAXIED MY OWN WAY. MOST OF THE PROB CAME IN ONE OR THE OTHER FORM. IT WAS THE RADIO WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE OR THE CTLR WAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS FLOWN TO SOUTH AMERICA AND COLUMBIA FOR 8 YRS. HE FINDS THAT COM ABILITIES OF THE ATC CTLRS IS WORSE THAN IN THE PAST. HE RPTS THAT IT IS A COMBINATION OF POOR EQUIP IN USE AT SOME FACILITIES AS WELL AS NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY ON THE PART OF THE CTLR AND A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF AIR CREW XMISSIONS AND AVIATION ENGLISH. THIS ALL RESULTS IN MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR REPEATED XMISSIONS AND UNTIMELY EXECUTION OF CLRNCS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT UNDERSTOOD. RPTR SAID HE HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS A MOVE TO PRIVATIZE THE ATC IN COLUMBIA.

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.