Narrative:

Problems obtaining oceanic clearance. Approaching rivak to join wbound random route to mia, ACARS request for clearance had failed (we had entered the wrong departure on the request), then began the mad scramble for voice clearance. HF radios were almost unusable, and other aircraft on frequency seemed to be having trouble also. Working with french en route prior to entry point, incredibly difficult to understand, did not seem to understand what we wanted. Successfully submitted request for clearance to shanwick radio, but received no reply by oep. Therefore, attempted to coordinate holding with french ATC since shanwick does not allow entry with clearance problems. French control was speaking broken english at best. Ending up entering shanwick airspace about 15 mi before revised clearance could be coordinated with french. Actually ended up taking radar vectors back over rivak because controller could not speak good enough english to issue holding instructions. Closest thing we got was 'please make heading 350 degrees,' which in after thought, may have been attempt to say please execute 360, or holding. French seemed to understand that we did not have our clearance yet and could not continue, but simply could not communicate their instructions. After first turn back toward rivak received clearance from shanwick at FL270 (ouch) along original route. Shanwick also added comment about requesting clearance earlier. No other conflicts noted. Supplemental information from acn 597805: location: 240 NM east of rivak oceanic entry point, approximately 25 mins from rivak coordinating with shanwick oceanic for a random route crossing clearance of the north atlantic via voice contact. Shanwick was unable to respond to our request. We were in contact with a french speaking ATC controller that was very difficult to understand. As we approached sivir no clearance was received from shanwick and the ATC controller issued instructions that were not understood. Prior to sivir, he issued a right turn to a heading of 090 degrees as a delaying vector. Shanwick mins later relayed an oceanic clearance of the flight planned route, but at FL260. Our flight was cleared direct sivir and descended to FL260. Issues: the french ATC controller was very difficult to understand and shanwick added an editorial comment that we should have put in our request earlier. Flight continued to mia uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS REQUIRED TO TURN BACK FROM ATLANTIC OCEANIC ENTRY BECAUSE EGGX WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A TIMELY CLRNC. A FRENCH SPEAKING CTLR WAS NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH.

Narrative: PROBS OBTAINING OCEANIC CLRNC. APCHING RIVAK TO JOIN WBOUND RANDOM RTE TO MIA, ACARS REQUEST FOR CLRNC HAD FAILED (WE HAD ENTERED THE WRONG DEP ON THE REQUEST), THEN BEGAN THE MAD SCRAMBLE FOR VOICE CLRNC. HF RADIOS WERE ALMOST UNUSABLE, AND OTHER ACFT ON FREQ SEEMED TO BE HAVING TROUBLE ALSO. WORKING WITH FRENCH ENRTE PRIOR TO ENTRY POINT, INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANTED. SUCCESSFULLY SUBMITTED REQUEST FOR CLRNC TO SHANWICK RADIO, BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY BY OEP. THEREFORE, ATTEMPTED TO COORDINATE HOLDING WITH FRENCH ATC SINCE SHANWICK DOES NOT ALLOW ENTRY WITH CLRNC PROBS. FRENCH CTL WAS SPEAKING BROKEN ENGLISH AT BEST. ENDING UP ENTERING SHANWICK AIRSPACE ABOUT 15 MI BEFORE REVISED CLRNC COULD BE COORDINATED WITH FRENCH. ACTUALLY ENDED UP TAKING RADAR VECTORS BACK OVER RIVAK BECAUSE CTLR COULD NOT SPEAK GOOD ENOUGH ENGLISH TO ISSUE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. CLOSEST THING WE GOT WAS 'PLEASE MAKE HEADING 350 DEGS,' WHICH IN AFTER THOUGHT, MAY HAVE BEEN ATTEMPT TO SAY PLEASE EXECUTE 360, OR HOLDING. FRENCH SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DID NOT HAVE OUR CLRNC YET AND COULD NOT CONTINUE, BUT SIMPLY COULD NOT COMMUNICATE THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER FIRST TURN BACK TOWARD RIVAK RECEIVED CLRNC FROM SHANWICK AT FL270 (OUCH) ALONG ORIGINAL RTE. SHANWICK ALSO ADDED COMMENT ABOUT REQUESTING CLRNC EARLIER. NO OTHER CONFLICTS NOTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 597805: LOCATION: 240 NM E OF RIVAK OCEANIC ENTRY POINT, APPROX 25 MINS FROM RIVAK COORDINATING WITH SHANWICK OCEANIC FOR A RANDOM RTE XING CLRNC OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC VIA VOICE CONTACT. SHANWICK WAS UNABLE TO RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH A FRENCH SPEAKING ATC CTLR THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. AS WE APCHED SIVIR NO CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FROM SHANWICK AND THE ATC CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE NOT UNDERSTOOD. PRIOR TO SIVIR, HE ISSUED A R TURN TO A HEADING OF 090 DEGS AS A DELAYING VECTOR. SHANWICK MINS LATER RELAYED AN OCEANIC CLRNC OF THE FLT PLANNED RTE, BUT AT FL260. OUR FLT WAS CLRED DIRECT SIVIR AND DSNDED TO FL260. ISSUES: THE FRENCH ATC CTLR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND SHANWICK ADDED AN EDITORIAL COMMENT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PUT IN OUR REQUEST EARLIER. FLT CONTINUED TO MIA UNEVENTFULLY.

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.