B737 crew had mtpp approach controller that was unable to understand or communication in english.

Attributes
ACN	533027
Time
Date	200112
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pap.vortac
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7300 msl bound upper : 8000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mtpp.tracon tower : eug.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Route In Use	arrival star : mtpp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	533027
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were cleared the arrival into port au prince. The arrival shows a descent to 7300 ft after vetmo until avoli. We descended to 7300 ft. Around the pap/311 radial the port au prince controller said to report 8000 ft. We were already at 7300 ft. The controller couldn't understand us when we said we were at 7300 ft. We asked if he wanted us to climb up to 8000 ft and he still couldn't understand us. By this time we were at avoli. We reported avoli as instructed and the controller cleared us to 4000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW HAD MTPP APCH CTLR THAT WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND OR COM IN ENGLISH.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED THE ARR INTO PORT AU PRINCE. THE ARR SHOWS A DSCNT TO 7300 FT AFTER VETMO UNTIL AVOLI. WE DSNDED TO 7300 FT. AROUND THE PAP/311 RADIAL THE PORT AU PRINCE CTLR SAID TO RPT 8000 FT. WE WERE ALREADY AT 7300 FT. THE CTLR COULDN'T UNDERSTAND US WHEN WE SAID WE WERE AT 7300 FT. WE ASKED IF HE WANTED US TO CLB UP TO 8000 FT AND HE STILL COULDN'T UNDERSTAND US. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT AVOLI. WE RPTED AVOLI AS INSTRUCTED AND THE CTLR CLRED US TO 4000 FT.

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.