Narrative:

Departing runway 27L at lfpg on the amoga 9A RNAV SID, departure control instructed us, to the best of our understanding, to turn left to 180 degrees. The female controller's english was difficult to understand and we were in the clean-up phase of an ICAO climb profile. For that reason and for the unusual content of the clearance at that point in time, a very emphatic readback was made ('left to 180') with no correction by the controller. Additional factors that quickly entered my mind were that we were given a departure clearance several mins ahead of our slot time and this could be a delaying vector, but I couldn't believe she was about to turn us across the south complex of departures. After a short pause, I asked 'confirm you want us to turn left to 180 degrees.' after another short pause, she said in broken english, 'climb to FL180.' I read back with a renewed understanding exclamation tone of voice 'ahhh, climb to FL180!' after that exchange and since a timid turn had been started (approximately 10-15 degrees of heading change), a male controller speaking very clear english told us, 'turn immediately right to 330 degrees,' which rejoined us to the departure. The female controller was back and very chipper and polite with no further comments. Separation was not compromised, although there was traffic in the area as confirmed with TCASII. We were given the handoff to paris center. We started to make a turn based on what we thought we understood and relying on a lack of additional comments from a controller who probably didn't understand our accent anymore than we did hers. Almost as soon as I gave the initial emphatic readback, I was having common sense doubts of what it meant and should have directed the PF to maintain course until the more direct query could be made. All this underscores the importance of staying spooled up mentally and maintaining the big picture (as well as the minute details) when dealing with language barriers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS CTLR COM DIFFICULTY DUE TO FOREIGN ACCENT INFLUENCE AT LFPG.

Narrative: DEPARTING RWY 27L AT LFPG ON THE AMOGA 9A RNAV SID, DEP CTL INSTRUCTED US, TO THE BEST OF OUR UNDERSTANDING, TO TURN L TO 180 DEGS. THE FEMALE CTLR'S ENGLISH WAS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND WE WERE IN THE CLEAN-UP PHASE OF AN ICAO CLB PROFILE. FOR THAT REASON AND FOR THE UNUSUAL CONTENT OF THE CLRNC AT THAT POINT IN TIME, A VERY EMPHATIC READBACK WAS MADE ('L TO 180') WITH NO CORRECTION BY THE CTLR. ADDITIONAL FACTORS THAT QUICKLY ENTERED MY MIND WERE THAT WE WERE GIVEN A DEP CLRNC SEVERAL MINS AHEAD OF OUR SLOT TIME AND THIS COULD BE A DELAYING VECTOR, BUT I COULDN'T BELIEVE SHE WAS ABOUT TO TURN US ACROSS THE S COMPLEX OF DEPS. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE, I ASKED 'CONFIRM YOU WANT US TO TURN L TO 180 DEGS.' AFTER ANOTHER SHORT PAUSE, SHE SAID IN BROKEN ENGLISH, 'CLB TO FL180.' I READ BACK WITH A RENEWED UNDERSTANDING EXCLAMATION TONE OF VOICE 'AHHH, CLB TO FL180!' AFTER THAT EXCHANGE AND SINCE A TIMID TURN HAD BEEN STARTED (APPROX 10-15 DEGS OF HDG CHANGE), A MALE CTLR SPEAKING VERY CLR ENGLISH TOLD US, 'TURN IMMEDIATELY R TO 330 DEGS,' WHICH REJOINED US TO THE DEP. THE FEMALE CTLR WAS BACK AND VERY CHIPPER AND POLITE WITH NO FURTHER COMMENTS. SEPARATION WAS NOT COMPROMISED, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS TFC IN THE AREA AS CONFIRMED WITH TCASII. WE WERE GIVEN THE HDOF TO PARIS CTR. WE STARTED TO MAKE A TURN BASED ON WHAT WE THOUGHT WE UNDERSTOOD AND RELYING ON A LACK OF ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM A CTLR WHO PROBABLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OUR ACCENT ANYMORE THAN WE DID HERS. ALMOST AS SOON AS I GAVE THE INITIAL EMPHATIC READBACK, I WAS HAVING COMMON SENSE DOUBTS OF WHAT IT MEANT AND SHOULD HAVE DIRECTED THE PF TO MAINTAIN COURSE UNTIL THE MORE DIRECT QUERY COULD BE MADE. ALL THIS UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING SPOOLED UP MENTALLY AND MAINTAINING THE BIG PICTURE (AS WELL AS THE MINUTE DETAILS) WHEN DEALING WITH LANGUAGE BARRIERS.

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.