Narrative:

We were on an IOE flight from vhhh to vabb. This was the student's pre-line check with a company check airman on board also; whom was sitting on the jump seat during approach. We had been given several vectors; which by ICAO standards were weird. One was 'orbit to the right.' which we tried to clarify whether to hold or what. No response from ATC; so I stated on the radio we were doing a right 360 degree turn to realign ourselves with our route in the terminal area. We were then vectored from a heading of 220 degrees to turn right to 180 degree across the localizer again. The next vector was right again to an easterly direction; once again across the localizer. We were then assigned a heading to turn left to 200 degrees and join the localizer. That heading would not get us on an intercept; however; a 300 degree would. I asked again about the heading and we ended up intercepting the localizer and then given 'descend to 2700 ft; cleared for the approach to runway 27.' we were already below the GS and leveled off at 2700 ft to intercept the GS. Very shortly afterwards; another ATC voice yelled at us telling us to climb up to 3700 ft as we were too low. I took the aircraft and disconnected the autoplt; added maximum thrust and climbed up to 3700 ft. The rest of the approach was uneventful. We (the whole crew) heard the heading of 200 degrees and 2700 ft; which was read back to ATC. I personally think the controller has the 2's and 3's mixed up. I was the one in the terrain mode and saw no conflict with terrain; however; I did think 2700 ft was too low for where we were; however; questioning mumbai ATC only results in a faster more misunderstood reply in english in which we are then yelled at by ATC. The moral of the story; beware going into mumbai and have all available eyes and ears in the cockpit to help out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 CREW EXPERIENCES LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES WITH VABB APCH WHICH RESULTS IN DSCNT BELOW MSA.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IOE FLT FROM VHHH TO VABB. THIS WAS THE STUDENT'S PRE-LINE CHK WITH A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN ON BOARD ALSO; WHOM WAS SITTING ON THE JUMP SEAT DURING APCH. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL VECTORS; WHICH BY ICAO STANDARDS WERE WEIRD. ONE WAS 'ORBIT TO THE R.' WHICH WE TRIED TO CLARIFY WHETHER TO HOLD OR WHAT. NO RESPONSE FROM ATC; SO I STATED ON THE RADIO WE WERE DOING A R 360 DEG TURN TO REALIGN OURSELVES WITH OUR RTE IN THE TERMINAL AREA. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FROM A HDG OF 220 DEGS TO TURN R TO 180 DEG ACROSS THE LOC AGAIN. THE NEXT VECTOR WAS R AGAIN TO AN EASTERLY DIRECTION; ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE LOC. WE WERE THEN ASSIGNED A HDG TO TURN L TO 200 DEGS AND JOIN THE LOC. THAT HDG WOULD NOT GET US ON AN INTERCEPT; HOWEVER; A 300 DEG WOULD. I ASKED AGAIN ABOUT THE HDG AND WE ENDED UP INTERCEPTING THE LOC AND THEN GIVEN 'DSND TO 2700 FT; CLRED FOR THE APCH TO RWY 27.' WE WERE ALREADY BELOW THE GS AND LEVELED OFF AT 2700 FT TO INTERCEPT THE GS. VERY SHORTLY AFTERWARDS; ANOTHER ATC VOICE YELLED AT US TELLING US TO CLB UP TO 3700 FT AS WE WERE TOO LOW. I TOOK THE ACFT AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT; ADDED MAX THRUST AND CLBED UP TO 3700 FT. THE REST OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE (THE WHOLE CREW) HEARD THE HDG OF 200 DEGS AND 2700 FT; WHICH WAS READ BACK TO ATC. I PERSONALLY THINK THE CTLR HAS THE 2'S AND 3'S MIXED UP. I WAS THE ONE IN THE TERRAIN MODE AND SAW NO CONFLICT WITH TERRAIN; HOWEVER; I DID THINK 2700 FT WAS TOO LOW FOR WHERE WE WERE; HOWEVER; QUESTIONING MUMBAI ATC ONLY RESULTS IN A FASTER MORE MISUNDERSTOOD REPLY IN ENGLISH IN WHICH WE ARE THEN YELLED AT BY ATC. THE MORAL OF THE STORY; BEWARE GOING INTO MUMBAI AND HAVE ALL AVAILABLE EYES AND EARS IN THE COCKPIT TO HELP OUT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.