Large transport flight crew unable to understand foreign center controller giving amended route. Hea...

Attributes
ACN	252780
Time
Date	199310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tij
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : mmzt
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	252780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	253105
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Over tijuana VOR had great difficulty understanding mazatlan center sector 1 controller. We could not understand requests for position reports, and after 3 attempts at understanding a long communication, we figured it was a confirmation of our flight planned routing which we confirmed also. About 15 mins later, TCASII warned of traffic conflict. We got an RA and visually acquired target passing well to the left, an medium large transport 2 plus mi away, opposite direction, descending through our altitude. The next controller asked us if we had been cleared an alternate route, which we denied. He said we had been told 3 times about the alternate route. We explained we had not understood the instructions. Rest of flight was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 253105: the clearance was given to us 3 times but our acknowledgement was for cleared as filed. The next center sector asked us to confirm our position. When we did he informed us of our rerte. This was the first that we were aware of the change.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FLC UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND FOREIGN CTR CTLR GIVING AMENDED RTE. HDG DEV.

Narrative: OVER TIJUANA VOR HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING MAZATLAN CTR SECTOR 1 CTLR. WE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND REQUESTS FOR POS RPTS, AND AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS AT UNDERSTANDING A LONG COM, WE FIGURED IT WAS A CONFIRMATION OF OUR FLT PLANNED ROUTING WHICH WE CONFIRMED ALSO. ABOUT 15 MINS LATER, TCASII WARNED OF TFC CONFLICT. WE GOT AN RA AND VISUALLY ACQUIRED TARGET PASSING WELL TO THE L, AN MLG 2 PLUS MI AWAY, OPPOSITE DIRECTION, DSNDING THROUGH OUR ALT. THE NEXT CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED AN ALTERNATE RTE, WHICH WE DENIED. HE SAID WE HAD BEEN TOLD 3 TIMES ABOUT THE ALTERNATE RTE. WE EXPLAINED WE HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTIONS. REST OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 253105: THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO US 3 TIMES BUT OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WAS FOR CLRED AS FILED. THE NEXT CTR SECTOR ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR POS. WHEN WE DID HE INFORMED US OF OUR RERTE. THIS WAS THE FIRST THAT WE WERE AWARE OF THE CHANGE.

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.

Large transport flight crew unable to understand foreign center controller giving amended route. Heading deviation.