Narrative:

While on refueling stop at khabarovsk, russia, an airport operations agent came on board the aircraft and briefed the expected departure: 'runway 23L, maintain runway heading until climbing through 200 meters, then left turn to hi radio beacon, then direct arbit intersection.' while taxiing for takeoff, the tower controller gave an amended clearance: 'runway heading, climb to 1500 meters, no turn before 1.4 kilometers, then right turn on course to arbit.' I copied this clearance on the master flight plan and read it back to the tower, which rogered the readback. The captain and flight engineer were also monitoring the radio and understood the clearance. As PF, I took off and remained on runway heading until passing the 'uf' radio beacon (which is depicted on the commercial chart, 10-3A page as being 2 NM beyond the runway's departure end). I then started the right turn. Departure control transmitted 'fly runway heading. 'When we landed, khabarovsk had relayed that our clearance had been 'no turn before 14 kilometers,' and I turned before then. I believe the heavy russian accent of the tower controller led to the misunderstood clearance. 3 crew members understood 1.4 KM, when evidentially 14 KM was issued. As a suggestion, a clearance of 'maintain runway heading, expect radar vectors arbit' would minimize the possible language confusion. The late change of clearance while nearing the runway also increased the possibility of confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 DEP FROM KHABAROVSK, RUSSIA MAKES INCORRECT TURN.

Narrative: WHILE ON REFUELING STOP AT KHABAROVSK, RUSSIA, AN ARPT OPS AGENT CAME ON BOARD THE ACFT AND BRIEFED THE EXPECTED DEP: 'RWY 23L, MAINTAIN RWY HEADING UNTIL CLBING THROUGH 200 METERS, THEN L TURN TO HI RADIO BEACON, THEN DIRECT ARBIT INTXN.' WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF, THE TWR CTLR GAVE AN AMENDED CLRNC: 'RWY HEADING, CLB TO 1500 METERS, NO TURN BEFORE 1.4 KILOMETERS, THEN R TURN ON COURSE TO ARBIT.' I COPIED THIS CLRNC ON THE MASTER FLT PLAN AND READ IT BACK TO THE TWR, WHICH ROGERED THE READBACK. THE CAPT AND FE WERE ALSO MONITORING THE RADIO AND UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. AS PF, I TOOK OFF AND REMAINED ON RWY HEADING UNTIL PASSING THE 'UF' RADIO BEACON (WHICH IS DEPICTED ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART, 10-3A PAGE AS BEING 2 NM BEYOND THE RWY'S DEP END). I THEN STARTED THE R TURN. DEP CTL XMITTED 'FLY RWY HEADING. 'WHEN WE LANDED, KHABAROVSK HAD RELAYED THAT OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN 'NO TURN BEFORE 14 KILOMETERS,' AND I TURNED BEFORE THEN. I BELIEVE THE HVY RUSSIAN ACCENT OF THE TWR CTLR LED TO THE MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. 3 CREW MEMBERS UNDERSTOOD 1.4 KM, WHEN EVIDENTIALLY 14 KM WAS ISSUED. AS A SUGGESTION, A CLRNC OF 'MAINTAIN RWY HEADING, EXPECT RADAR VECTORS ARBIT' WOULD MINIMIZE THE POSSIBLE LANGUAGE CONFUSION. THE LATE CHANGE OF CLRNC WHILE NEARING THE RWY ALSO INCREASED THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFUSION.

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.