Narrative:

I was en route from guarulhos international airport in sao paulo; brazil (sbgr) in level cruise at FL320. I was the captain and was also the PF. The flying first officer was serving as the PNF and the relief pilot was on his rest break in the first class cabin. We were in contact with curitiba center. The curitiba flight controller called us with an amendment to our route of flight. Neither I nor the flying first officer could understand what she was saying for 2 reasons: 1) her radios were garbled and partially unreadable with very loud background noise and 2) her english was very poor. We asked the curitiba flight controller to repeat the clearance several times over a 10 min period but to no avail. We tried to get another aircraft who was on the same frequency to relay the clearance for us but that did not work either. As a last resort; and with a recent midair collision in the back of my mind; I made the decision; purely for safety reasons; to invite a B747 first officer who was sitting in economy class up to the cockpit in the hopes of using his ability to speak portuguese to my advantage. My intention was to have him speak to the curitiba flight controller in her native language (portuguese) and have him translate the amendment to our route of flight to me in english. This pilot is personally known to me. He is a brazilian native who speaks perfect english and he also rode on my flight down to sbgr just 2 days earlier. Just as he entered the cockpit and sat down in the relief pilot's seat; we were switched to another controller whose english and radios were much better than the previous controller. We managed to receive our updated clearance without the use of his help after all and he left the cockpit after 5 mins and went back to his seat in economy class. The rest of the flight was uneventful and we landed without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLT CREW HAS COMS DIFFICULTIES WITH SBCW ARTCC.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM GUARULHOS INTL ARPT IN SAO PAULO; BRAZIL (SBGR) IN LEVEL CRUISE AT FL320. I WAS THE CAPT AND WAS ALSO THE PF. THE FLYING FO WAS SERVING AS THE PNF AND THE RELIEF PLT WAS ON HIS REST BREAK IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH CURITIBA CTR. THE CURITIBA FLT CTLR CALLED US WITH AN AMENDMENT TO OUR RTE OF FLT. NEITHER I NOR THE FLYING FO COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE WAS SAYING FOR 2 REASONS: 1) HER RADIOS WERE GARBLED AND PARTIALLY UNREADABLE WITH VERY LOUD BACKGROUND NOISE AND 2) HER ENGLISH WAS VERY POOR. WE ASKED THE CURITIBA FLT CTLR TO REPEAT THE CLRNC SEVERAL TIMES OVER A 10 MIN PERIOD BUT TO NO AVAIL. WE TRIED TO GET ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS ON THE SAME FREQ TO RELAY THE CLRNC FOR US BUT THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. AS A LAST RESORT; AND WITH A RECENT MIDAIR COLLISION IN THE BACK OF MY MIND; I MADE THE DECISION; PURELY FOR SAFETY REASONS; TO INVITE A B747 FO WHO WAS SITTING IN ECONOMY CLASS UP TO THE COCKPIT IN THE HOPES OF USING HIS ABILITY TO SPEAK PORTUGUESE TO MY ADVANTAGE. MY INTENTION WAS TO HAVE HIM SPEAK TO THE CURITIBA FLT CTLR IN HER NATIVE LANGUAGE (PORTUGUESE) AND HAVE HIM TRANSLATE THE AMENDMENT TO OUR RTE OF FLT TO ME IN ENGLISH. THIS PLT IS PERSONALLY KNOWN TO ME. HE IS A BRAZILIAN NATIVE WHO SPEAKS PERFECT ENGLISH AND HE ALSO RODE ON MY FLT DOWN TO SBGR JUST 2 DAYS EARLIER. JUST AS HE ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND SAT DOWN IN THE RELIEF PLT'S SEAT; WE WERE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER CTLR WHOSE ENGLISH AND RADIOS WERE MUCH BETTER THAN THE PREVIOUS CTLR. WE MANAGED TO RECEIVE OUR UPDATED CLRNC WITHOUT THE USE OF HIS HELP AFTER ALL AND HE LEFT THE COCKPIT AFTER 5 MINS AND WENT BACK TO HIS SEAT IN ECONOMY CLASS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.