Narrative:

This was a transatlantic flight from ZZZ, us, to fco (rome, italy) in an airbus A330-300 aircraft. The event/situation took place upon arriving into approach control airspace in fco. I was flying this leg, we were on autoplt with FMC engaged. We were told to proceed direct valma direct taq (tarquina), taq being a VOR approximately 32 NM nne of fco. 'Normally' the approach control will tell you either to hold at taq or give a heading. Although a holding pattern is depicted on the area chart at taq, it is not noted as a clearance limit fix. No further clearance was received and the aircraft, now at 6000 ft, 230 KTS, turned right inbound towards fco. The ATC controller told us he had not issued us a clearance to turn and now issued a heading left to 30 degrees. Next, we received the following: 'turn right to 130 degrees ILS 16R.' I complied and engaged localizer capture/intercept switch. When aircraft started to capture the localizer the captain asked if we had received clearance for the ILS runway 16R. He told me to go back to heading mode while he confirmed clearance with approach controller. The aircraft rolled out and started to turn back to 130 degrees. Approach control told us, yes we were cleared for approach runway 16R and to turn right to intercept, as we were heading for runway 16C. I disconnected autoplt, turned aircraft to new heading and manually flew the ILS runway 16R visually and landed without further incident. After discussing the event(south) on the ground, we concluded that we cannot assume anything in europe -- especially in fco, and that language barrier and unclr, non standard to us, clrncs given led us into this situation. The WX was VFR sunny, no conflict with other aircraft occurred. Supplemental information from acn 547217: on arrival to rome/fuimichino we had difficulty following clearance limit directions. We understood we were okay to proceed in to intercept runway 16R localizer, and approach said our clearance limit had been taq VOR. The accent/language is difficult to understand. Clearance limits should be made more explicitly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A330 CREW HAD LANGUAGE BARRIER AND CLRNC INTERP PROBS ON ARR AT LIRF.

Narrative: THIS WAS A TRANSATLANTIC FLT FROM ZZZ, US, TO FCO (ROME, ITALY) IN AN AIRBUS A330-300 ACFT. THE EVENT/SIT TOOK PLACE UPON ARRIVING INTO APCH CTL AIRSPACE IN FCO. I WAS FLYING THIS LEG, WE WERE ON AUTOPLT WITH FMC ENGAGED. WE WERE TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT VALMA DIRECT TAQ (TARQUINA), TAQ BEING A VOR APPROX 32 NM NNE OF FCO. 'NORMALLY' THE APCH CTL WILL TELL YOU EITHER TO HOLD AT TAQ OR GIVE A HDG. ALTHOUGH A HOLDING PATTERN IS DEPICTED ON THE AREA CHART AT TAQ, IT IS NOT NOTED AS A CLRNC LIMIT FIX. NO FURTHER CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND THE ACFT, NOW AT 6000 FT, 230 KTS, TURNED R INBOUND TOWARDS FCO. THE ATC CTLR TOLD US HE HAD NOT ISSUED US A CLRNC TO TURN AND NOW ISSUED A HDG L TO 30 DEGS. NEXT, WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING: 'TURN R TO 130 DEGS ILS 16R.' I COMPLIED AND ENGAGED LOC CAPTURE/INTERCEPT SWITCH. WHEN ACFT STARTED TO CAPTURE THE LOC THE CAPT ASKED IF WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC FOR THE ILS RWY 16R. HE TOLD ME TO GO BACK TO HDG MODE WHILE HE CONFIRMED CLRNC WITH APCH CTLR. THE ACFT ROLLED OUT AND STARTED TO TURN BACK TO 130 DEGS. APCH CTL TOLD US, YES WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH RWY 16R AND TO TURN R TO INTERCEPT, AS WE WERE HDG FOR RWY 16C. I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT, TURNED ACFT TO NEW HEADING AND MANUALLY FLEW THE ILS RWY 16R VISUALLY AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER DISCUSSING THE EVENT(S) ON THE GND, WE CONCLUDED THAT WE CANNOT ASSUME ANYTHING IN EUROPE -- ESPECIALLY IN FCO, AND THAT LANGUAGE BARRIER AND UNCLR, NON STANDARD TO US, CLRNCS GIVEN LED US INTO THIS SIT. THE WX WAS VFR SUNNY, NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 547217: ON ARR TO ROME/FUIMICHINO WE HAD DIFFICULTY FOLLOWING CLRNC LIMIT DIRECTIONS. WE UNDERSTOOD WE WERE OKAY TO PROCEED IN TO INTERCEPT RWY 16R LOC, AND APCH SAID OUR CLRNC LIMIT HAD BEEN TAQ VOR. THE ACCENT/LANGUAGE IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. CLRNC LIMITS SHOULD BE MADE MORE EXPLICITLY.

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.