Narrative:

Aircraft departed watertown VOR on arwys for cimor arrival to yow. Yow ATC gave aircraft direct to NDB to expect visibility approach to runway 7. I slowed the aircraft and configured for approach and landing. Center cleared us for a visibility approach to runway 7. I proceeded on the visibility with an ILS backup for runway 7 and was turned over to the tower to continue. Upon contacting the tower, we recognized: 1) the operator was also speaking to other aircraft in another language, we presumed to be french; 2) the english spoken to us was with an accent; and 3) the quality of radio transmission was poor and we had a difficult time understanding the controller. The tower told us to continue and said something about an small aircraft on a base leg, then continued to speak to unknown aircraft in french and english. We became confused and concerned about our relative sequence and tried to clarify our sequence several times. I slowed my rate of descent and requested information on the small aircraft on base leg and was told again to stand by. By this time we were approximately 1200' AGL (1500' MSL) and approximately 2.0 dots above G/south. With a short/wet runway, I requested a 360 degree left turn to rejoin and was told to stand by again. So I started to s-turn and was told I had broken an far. I was at this point recognized and told to return to departure which I did and subsequently landed west/O further incident. I feel I acted prudently and exercised command of my aircraft rather than continue into unknown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT CTLR USING 2 LANGUAGES AND CONFUSING ATC INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED WATERTOWN VOR ON ARWYS FOR CIMOR ARR TO YOW. YOW ATC GAVE ACFT DIRECT TO NDB TO EXPECT VIS APCH TO RWY 7. I SLOWED THE ACFT AND CONFIGURED FOR APCH AND LNDG. CENTER CLRED US FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 7. I PROCEEDED ON THE VIS WITH AN ILS BACKUP FOR RWY 7 AND WAS TURNED OVER TO THE TWR TO CONTINUE. UPON CONTACTING THE TWR, WE RECOGNIZED: 1) THE OPERATOR WAS ALSO SPEAKING TO OTHER ACFT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, WE PRESUMED TO BE FRENCH; 2) THE ENGLISH SPOKEN TO US WAS WITH AN ACCENT; AND 3) THE QUALITY OF RADIO XMISSION WAS POOR AND WE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR. THE TWR TOLD US TO CONTINUE AND SAID SOMETHING ABOUT AN SMA ON A BASE LEG, THEN CONTINUED TO SPEAK TO UNKNOWN ACFT IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH. WE BECAME CONFUSED AND CONCERNED ABOUT OUR RELATIVE SEQUENCE AND TRIED TO CLARIFY OUR SEQUENCE SEVERAL TIMES. I SLOWED MY RATE OF DSNT AND REQUESTED INFO ON THE SMA ON BASE LEG AND WAS TOLD AGAIN TO STAND BY. BY THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX 1200' AGL (1500' MSL) AND APPROX 2.0 DOTS ABOVE G/S. WITH A SHORT/WET RWY, I REQUESTED A 360 DEG LEFT TURN TO REJOIN AND WAS TOLD TO STAND BY AGAIN. SO I STARTED TO S-TURN AND WAS TOLD I HAD BROKEN AN FAR. I WAS AT THIS POINT RECOGNIZED AND TOLD TO RETURN TO DEP WHICH I DID AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I FEEL I ACTED PRUDENTLY AND EXERCISED COMMAND OF MY ACFT RATHER THAN CONTINUE INTO UNKNOWN.

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.