Narrative:

Approaching the vld area, we were switched over to vld approach. Immediately after contacting vld approach, my first officer and I commented on how difficult it was to understand the controller. His radios and ours were fine, he just didn't enunciate clearly. We repeatedly had to have him repeat his instructions to us. Level at 4000 ft MSL, he cleared us to 2000 ft MSL. It was clear to my first officer and I that he said 2000 ft MSL. We even talked about how nice it was that he spoke clearly. Descending through 3000 ft MSL, I noticed traffic on my tcasi at 12 O'clock position and 5 NM. I watched the traffic for a few seconds and once I realized it was headed for us, I clicked off the autoplt and initiated a climb. At approximately 300 ft and 1 NM, we received a TA on our tcasi. At about this time the controller asked us to 'say altitude.' we said 2500 ft MSL. He told us to climb to 3000 ft MSL. He never said anything else. After passing that traffic, we were cleared for the visual. Approach and landing were normal. My first officer and I had to question the controller the whole time we were with him, except when he cleared us to 2000 ft MSL. He said that clearly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AVERTED WHEN AN EMB120 PIC SPOTS AN INTRUDER ACFT ON HIS TCASI SYS AND STARTS AN EVASIVE CLB PRIOR TO ATC ASKING ABOUT ALTS, 10 MI W OF VLD, GA.

Narrative: APCHING THE VLD AREA, WE WERE SWITCHED OVER TO VLD APCH. IMMEDIATELY AFTER CONTACTING VLD APCH, MY FO AND I COMMENTED ON HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO UNDERSTAND THE CTLR. HIS RADIOS AND OURS WERE FINE, HE JUST DIDN'T ENUNCIATE CLEARLY. WE REPEATEDLY HAD TO HAVE HIM REPEAT HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO US. LEVEL AT 4000 FT MSL, HE CLRED US TO 2000 FT MSL. IT WAS CLEAR TO MY FO AND I THAT HE SAID 2000 FT MSL. WE EVEN TALKED ABOUT HOW NICE IT WAS THAT HE SPOKE CLEARLY. DESCENDING THROUGH 3000 FT MSL, I NOTICED TFC ON MY TCASI AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 NM. I WATCHED THE TFC FOR A FEW SECONDS AND ONCE I REALIZED IT WAS HEADED FOR US, I CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND INITIATED A CLB. AT APPROX 300 FT AND 1 NM, WE RECEIVED A TA ON OUR TCASI. AT ABOUT THIS TIME THE CTLR ASKED US TO 'SAY ALT.' WE SAID 2500 FT MSL. HE TOLD US TO CLB TO 3000 FT MSL. HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ELSE. AFTER PASSING THAT TFC, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. MY FO AND I HAD TO QUESTION THE CTLR THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE WITH HIM, EXCEPT WHEN HE CLRED US TO 2000 FT MSL. HE SAID THAT CLEARLY.

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.