Narrative:

We were upwind on vectors for ILS 27 at vabb. I was PF and first officer was PNF. While the WX on the ground wasn't that bad; there was 'towering Q' all quadrants and thunderstorms requiring deviation both northeast; southeast and west of the airport. The radios were absolute garbage. Controller was attempting to vector aircraft to final while airborne aircraft were asking for deviations; altitude changes and/or announcing what they were going to do as nobody could get a word in edgewise as there is no radio discipline in this part of the world. I've seen it here many times and it's no surprise as nobody waits for the second half of a transmission to complete the sequence of communications -- when they have something to say; they just talk. Xmissions were blocked at least 1/2 the time. When there is WX here; it's going to be a mess. Anyway; as we are upwind we hear controller tell us to turn left to 090 degrees which would have put us back on a downwind; after the 090 degree descend and maintain 7000 ft. Controller moves on to other traffic. I begin the left turn to 090 degrees and ask the first officer to verify that we're cleared to 7000 ft as I don't have that warm fuzzy since the middle of the transmission was blocked. He can't get a word in edgewise and through about 30 degrees of the turn I begin the descent as the controller has begun giving instructions to other aircraft. The first officer finally gets through to verify altitude and his verbiage is something like verify left to 090 degrees down to 7000 ft for air carrier X. Controller responds with turn right to 090 degrees. I begin turn back to the right to 090 degrees and first officer again asks to verify 7000 ft and response is turn right to 090 degrees. He asks again and this time controller responds with I said nothing about altitude. At this point we were at about 11300 ft; so I kick the autoplt off and hold altitude while the first officer asks twice what altitude he wants us at. He finally comes back with descend to 11000 ft; which we do. We're both confident that the original clearance was left turn to 090 degrees and descend and maintain 7000 ft; but while the transmission was blocked we can't be sure. I'm confident of the initial left turn although the 7000 ft may be in question due to the blockage. I suppose it could have been for someone else although it would have to have been given without waiting for a response. As far as beginning the descent without the warm fuzzy I felt between a rock and a hard place; it made sense and it was in a sequence that would have been right for us. If I descend without being sure; am I creating a conflict? If I don't descend when I think it was for us; am I creating a conflict? We can't get a word in; so I chose to turn in the direction we were confident of and begin a very slow descent. Couple the language barrier; some WX and the worst radio discipline I've ever seen; and this is a set-up. I'm not sure what we could have done differently given the circumstances.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD11 ON VECTORS FOR APCH AT VABB DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT. THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING CLRNCS BECAUSE OF POOR ATC XMITTER QUALITY AND LACK OF RADIO DISCIPLINE.

Narrative: WE WERE UPWIND ON VECTORS FOR ILS 27 AT VABB. I WAS PF AND FO WAS PNF. WHILE THE WX ON THE GND WASN'T THAT BAD; THERE WAS 'TOWERING Q' ALL QUADRANTS AND TSTMS REQUIRING DEV BOTH NE; SE AND W OF THE ARPT. THE RADIOS WERE ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. CTLR WAS ATTEMPTING TO VECTOR ACFT TO FINAL WHILE AIRBORNE ACFT WERE ASKING FOR DEVS; ALT CHANGES AND/OR ANNOUNCING WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO AS NOBODY COULD GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE AS THERE IS NO RADIO DISCIPLINE IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. I'VE SEEN IT HERE MANY TIMES AND IT'S NO SURPRISE AS NOBODY WAITS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF A XMISSION TO COMPLETE THE SEQUENCE OF COMS -- WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY; THEY JUST TALK. XMISSIONS WERE BLOCKED AT LEAST 1/2 THE TIME. WHEN THERE IS WX HERE; IT'S GOING TO BE A MESS. ANYWAY; AS WE ARE UPWIND WE HEAR CTLR TELL US TO TURN L TO 090 DEGS WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT US BACK ON A DOWNWIND; AFTER THE 090 DEG DSND AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT. CTLR MOVES ON TO OTHER TFC. I BEGIN THE L TURN TO 090 DEGS AND ASK THE FO TO VERIFY THAT WE'RE CLRED TO 7000 FT AS I DON'T HAVE THAT WARM FUZZY SINCE THE MIDDLE OF THE XMISSION WAS BLOCKED. HE CAN'T GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE AND THROUGH ABOUT 30 DEGS OF THE TURN I BEGIN THE DSCNT AS THE CTLR HAS BEGUN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT. THE FO FINALLY GETS THROUGH TO VERIFY ALT AND HIS VERBIAGE IS SOMETHING LIKE VERIFY L TO 090 DEGS DOWN TO 7000 FT FOR ACR X. CTLR RESPONDS WITH TURN R TO 090 DEGS. I BEGIN TURN BACK TO THE R TO 090 DEGS AND FO AGAIN ASKS TO VERIFY 7000 FT AND RESPONSE IS TURN R TO 090 DEGS. HE ASKS AGAIN AND THIS TIME CTLR RESPONDS WITH I SAID NOTHING ABOUT ALT. AT THIS POINT WE WERE AT ABOUT 11300 FT; SO I KICK THE AUTOPLT OFF AND HOLD ALT WHILE THE FO ASKS TWICE WHAT ALT HE WANTS US AT. HE FINALLY COMES BACK WITH DSND TO 11000 FT; WHICH WE DO. WE'RE BOTH CONFIDENT THAT THE ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS L TURN TO 090 DEGS AND DSND AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT; BUT WHILE THE XMISSION WAS BLOCKED WE CAN'T BE SURE. I'M CONFIDENT OF THE INITIAL L TURN ALTHOUGH THE 7000 FT MAY BE IN QUESTION DUE TO THE BLOCKAGE. I SUPPOSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN FOR SOMEONE ELSE ALTHOUGH IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN WITHOUT WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. AS FAR AS BEGINNING THE DSCNT WITHOUT THE WARM FUZZY I FELT BTWN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE; IT MADE SENSE AND IT WAS IN A SEQUENCE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT FOR US. IF I DSND WITHOUT BEING SURE; AM I CREATING A CONFLICT? IF I DON'T DSND WHEN I THINK IT WAS FOR US; AM I CREATING A CONFLICT? WE CAN'T GET A WORD IN; SO I CHOSE TO TURN IN THE DIRECTION WE WERE CONFIDENT OF AND BEGIN A VERY SLOW DSCNT. COUPLE THE LANGUAGE BARRIER; SOME WX AND THE WORST RADIO DISCIPLINE I'VE EVER SEEN; AND THIS IS A SET-UP. I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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.