With language clarity and accent difficulty an issue in a foreign operation. A crew notes that after...

Attributes
ACN	527040
Time
Date	200110
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : alloc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27500
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Route In Use	departure sid : deenaz
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9150 flight time type : 4080
ASRS Report	527040
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Climbing out of sydney on the deena 2 departure with a radar transition, the syd departure controller cleared us to turn left to 060 degree heading and climb to FL280. The departure controller's communications were sufficiently loud but lacked adequate clarity. All 4 pilots agree that we were cleared to FL280 and FL280 was installed in the MCP altitude window. Syd departure switched our flight to brisbane control. Upon contact with brisbane control, we were given a change of route clearance from alloc to kebab to andie -- fpr. Again, this controller was sufficiently loud but difficult to understand. We finally understood the clearance route through phonetic spelling and complied with the rerte. All 4 pilots heard nothing about altitude in this rerte clearance or the subsequent clarification. In the vicinity of alloc (fix) at approximately FL275, the brisbane controller questioned our climb through FL270. After we told him we were climbing to FL280, he informed us that our clearance was to FL270. We were then told to descend back down to FL270. We complied with this request and leveled at FL270 without further incident. Our maximum altitude during the climb was FL275. Contributing factors were language accent and diction, 2 controling agencies.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH LANGUAGE CLARITY AND ACCENT DIFFICULTY AN ISSUE IN A FOREIGN OP. A CREW NOTES THAT AFTER A HDOF THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF SYDNEY ON THE DEENA 2 DEP WITH A RADAR TRANSITION, THE SYD DEP CTLR CLRED US TO TURN L TO 060 DEG HDG AND CLB TO FL280. THE DEP CTLR'S COMS WERE SUFFICIENTLY LOUD BUT LACKED ADEQUATE CLARITY. ALL 4 PLTS AGREE THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL280 AND FL280 WAS INSTALLED IN THE MCP ALT WINDOW. SYD DEP SWITCHED OUR FLT TO BRISBANE CTL. UPON CONTACT WITH BRISBANE CTL, WE WERE GIVEN A CHANGE OF RTE CLRNC FROM ALLOC TO KEBAB TO ANDIE -- FPR. AGAIN, THIS CTLR WAS SUFFICIENTLY LOUD BUT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. WE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC RTE THROUGH PHONETIC SPELLING AND COMPLIED WITH THE RERTE. ALL 4 PLTS HEARD NOTHING ABOUT ALT IN THIS RERTE CLRNC OR THE SUBSEQUENT CLARIFICATION. IN THE VICINITY OF ALLOC (FIX) AT APPROX FL275, THE BRISBANE CTLR QUESTIONED OUR CLB THROUGH FL270. AFTER WE TOLD HIM WE WERE CLBING TO FL280, HE INFORMED US THAT OUR CLRNC WAS TO FL270. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO DSND BACK DOWN TO FL270. WE COMPLIED WITH THIS REQUEST AND LEVELED AT FL270 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. OUR MAX ALT DURING THE CLB WAS FL275. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LANGUAGE ACCENT AND DICTION, 2 CTLING AGENCIES.

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.

With language clarity and accent difficulty an issue in a foreign operation. A crew notes that after a handoff there is a question about their assigned altitude.