Narrative:

Scheduled air carrier from mbj to kingston, jamaica. The radio communication from ground control and tower at mbj were of poor quality and difficult to read. Inbound on previous flight we as a crew had difficulty understanding what the clrncs were. A factor of nonstandard terminology and a heavy jamaican accent was making all in the cockpit not quite sure what was being said, we asked a number of times for repeats. Before taxi we called ground on 121.7 and asked what the departure SID was. We expected a kenta 4. The ground control asked us if we were going to mia. We replied no, we were going to kingston. All 3 of us in the cockpit agreed that we understood the SID would be the putul 4. This didn't make sense and we asked for a repeat. Again we heard puxtul 4. We felt that after takeoff we would be vectored en route to kin. We pushed back and started and asked for our ATC clearance. We were told that we would 'get it' on the runway. On the runway we were given what we (all 3 agreed) was a puxtul 4 SID. Again we asked for clarification. With annoyance again (the tower operator with the annoyance) we (all 3 of us agreed) heard puxtul 4. We took off and turned left to a puxtul 4 SID. After being in the air the tower 120.8 asked us 'why we were turning north are you going to mia'. We replied, 'no, to kin'. He said, 'level off at 6000 and turn to the right and intercept the radial to kingston'. All 3 of us feel after debriefing with ourselves that we did hear puxtul 4 on the clearance. 2 things could have caused this miscue: 1) the quality of the radio and the heavy, fast jamaican accent made kenta 4 and puxtul 4 sound very much alike so that we didn't understand. We did read back puxtul 4 to the tower 4 times. Perhaps he did not understand us. 2) the tower thought we were going to mia where the puxtul 4 SID is used.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ISSUED WRONG SID. QUESTIONS CLRNC BUT GIVEN SAME WRONG SID AGAIN.

Narrative: SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER FROM MBJ TO KINGSTON, JAMAICA. THE RADIO COM FROM GND CTL AND TWR AT MBJ WERE OF POOR QUALITY AND DIFFICULT TO READ. INBOUND ON PREVIOUS FLT WE AS A CREW HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CLRNCS WERE. A FACTOR OF NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY AND A HVY JAMAICAN ACCENT WAS MAKING ALL IN THE COCKPIT NOT QUITE SURE WHAT WAS BEING SAID, WE ASKED A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR REPEATS. BEFORE TAXI WE CALLED GND ON 121.7 AND ASKED WHAT THE DEP SID WAS. WE EXPECTED A KENTA 4. THE GND CTL ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING TO MIA. WE REPLIED NO, WE WERE GOING TO KINGSTON. ALL 3 OF US IN THE COCKPIT AGREED THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE SID WOULD BE THE PUTUL 4. THIS DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AND WE ASKED FOR A REPEAT. AGAIN WE HEARD PUXTUL 4. WE FELT THAT AFTER TKOF WE WOULD BE VECTORED ENRTE TO KIN. WE PUSHED BACK AND STARTED AND ASKED FOR OUR ATC CLRNC. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD 'GET IT' ON THE RWY. ON THE RWY WE WERE GIVEN WHAT WE (ALL 3 AGREED) WAS A PUXTUL 4 SID. AGAIN WE ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION. WITH ANNOYANCE AGAIN (THE TWR OPERATOR WITH THE ANNOYANCE) WE (ALL 3 OF US AGREED) HEARD PUXTUL 4. WE TOOK OFF AND TURNED L TO A PUXTUL 4 SID. AFTER BEING IN THE AIR THE TWR 120.8 ASKED US 'WHY WE WERE TURNING N ARE YOU GOING TO MIA'. WE REPLIED, 'NO, TO KIN'. HE SAID, 'LEVEL OFF AT 6000 AND TURN TO THE R AND INTERCEPT THE RADIAL TO KINGSTON'. ALL 3 OF US FEEL AFTER DEBRIEFING WITH OURSELVES THAT WE DID HEAR PUXTUL 4 ON THE CLRNC. 2 THINGS COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS MISCUE: 1) THE QUALITY OF THE RADIO AND THE HVY, FAST JAMAICAN ACCENT MADE KENTA 4 AND PUXTUL 4 SOUND VERY MUCH ALIKE SO THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. WE DID READ BACK PUXTUL 4 TO THE TWR 4 TIMES. PERHAPS HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND US. 2) THE TWR THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO MIA WHERE THE PUXTUL 4 SID IS USED.

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.