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B767 flight crew has difficulty understanding clearance issued by foreign controller, receives TCASII TA during descent.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 569855 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200212 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lfff.artcc |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : lfff.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 569855 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 569854 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Due to a rough ride at FL350, we requested FL310. Controller responded with 'expect clearance to FL310 in 5 mins,' and we read back the exact clearance. After about 3-4 mins, the controller questioned when were we going to begin our descent, and we replied again that we were told to expect clearance in 5 mins. After this, the controller told us to begin descent and be level at FL310 in 4 mins. During the descent, we received a TCASII TA for opposite direction traffic at FL330. Initial rate of descent was set at 1500 FPM in order to comply with the 4 min descent restr. The first officer and I are both certain that the initial clearance was to expect the descent in 5 mins. We did readback the clearance to paris ATC. Paris ATC did not respond to this readback, and then gave a clearance that resulted in a TCASII TA. The english language abilities of the controllers in international operations obviously vary tremendously, and this controller was not paying attention.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B767 FLC HAS DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING CLRNC ISSUED BY FOREIGN CTLR, RECEIVES TCASII TA DURING DSCNT.
Narrative: DUE TO A ROUGH RIDE AT FL350, WE REQUESTED FL310. CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'EXPECT CLRNC TO FL310 IN 5 MINS,' AND WE READ BACK THE EXACT CLRNC. AFTER ABOUT 3-4 MINS, THE CTLR QUESTIONED WHEN WERE WE GOING TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT, AND WE REPLIED AGAIN THAT WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT CLRNC IN 5 MINS. AFTER THIS, THE CTLR TOLD US TO BEGIN DSCNT AND BE LEVEL AT FL310 IN 4 MINS. DURING THE DSCNT, WE RECEIVED A TCASII TA FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL330. INITIAL RATE OF DSCNT WAS SET AT 1500 FPM IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE 4 MIN DSCNT RESTR. THE FO AND I ARE BOTH CERTAIN THAT THE INITIAL CLRNC WAS TO EXPECT THE DSCNT IN 5 MINS. WE DID READBACK THE CLRNC TO PARIS ATC. PARIS ATC DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS READBACK, AND THEN GAVE A CLRNC THAT RESULTED IN A TCASII TA. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ABILITIES OF THE CTLRS IN INTL OPS OBVIOUSLY VARY TREMENDOUSLY, AND THIS CTLR WAS NOT PAYING ATTN.
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.