Narrative:

Initial clearance was given as follows: naha north departure with a china sea transition. However, it was very difficult to understand the japanese gentleman issuing the clearance. Our flight plan followed the chinese one departure so we questioned the gentleman issuing the clearance. We then were given the chinese one departure with a cherry transition, maintain 370. As it states in the chinese one 'maintain 1000' or specified altitude', we interpret this to mean we were cleared to 370! On issuing takeoff clearance the tower gave us an initial heading of 340 degree, no altitude restriction. After takeoff we were told to maintain 1000' and proceed to mercury intersection. As we had the chinese one departure plate out we were at a loss to where mercury was. We questioned this clearance. We were then switched to departure control and given both a UHF and VHF frequency on contacting departure we talked alternately with an american woman and a japanese man. We were questioned on what departure we had been given etc and what we wanted. We requested direct onc and climb to 370. We were given radar vectors and climb to 370.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW GIVEN CLRNC ON GND AT OKA NOT CONFORMING TO THEIR FILED PLAN FLT CREW QUESTIONED AND WERE GIVEN DEP CONFORMING TO FILED PLAN. AFTER TKOF TWR GAVE A HEADING THAT WOULD CONFORM TO CLRNC FIRST GIVEN. AMERICAN CTLR CAME ON TO CLEAR UP THE CONFUSION GIVING THE FLT A VECTOR AND ALT.

Narrative: INITIAL CLRNC WAS GIVEN AS FOLLOWS: NAHA N DEP WITH A CHINA SEA TRANSITION. HOWEVER, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THE JAPANESE GENTLEMAN ISSUING THE CLRNC. OUR FLT PLAN FOLLOWED THE CHINESE ONE DEP SO WE QUESTIONED THE GENTLEMAN ISSUING THE CLRNC. WE THEN WERE GIVEN THE CHINESE ONE DEP WITH A CHERRY TRANSITION, MAINTAIN 370. AS IT STATES IN THE CHINESE ONE 'MAINTAIN 1000' OR SPECIFIED ALT', WE INTERPRET THIS TO MEAN WE WERE CLRED TO 370! ON ISSUING TKOF CLRNC THE TWR GAVE US AN INITIAL HDG OF 340 DEG, NO ALT RESTRICTION. AFTER TKOF WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 1000' AND PROCEED TO MERCURY INTXN. AS WE HAD THE CHINESE ONE DEP PLATE OUT WE WERE AT A LOSS TO WHERE MERCURY WAS. WE QUESTIONED THIS CLRNC. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND GIVEN BOTH A UHF AND VHF FREQ ON CONTACTING DEP WE TALKED ALTERNATELY WITH AN AMERICAN WOMAN AND A JAPANESE MAN. WE WERE QUESTIONED ON WHAT DEP WE HAD BEEN GIVEN ETC AND WHAT WE WANTED. WE REQUESTED DIRECT ONC AND CLB TO 370. WE WERE GIVEN RADAR VECTORS AND CLB TO 370.

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.