An air carrier B767 flight crew reports being cleared direct to a point in foreign airspace only to ...

Attributes
ACN	391861
Time
Date	199801
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdu
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sdu tower : sdu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 9500
ASRS Report	391861
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Clearance delivery gave us a routing of marcia 2 departure to boston, then flight planned route. After engine start, ground control issued a new clearance: after takeoff direct marcia, marcia 260 degree radial 70 DME, direct usaba. Since the marcia 2 departure had specific headings and radials inbound to marcia, I emphasized during readback that we were cleared direct marcia. Ground control rogered my readback. After takeoff we flew direct marcia. Upon arrival at marcia, departure control called us to tell us there was a published routing to marcia and proceeded to read the marcia 2 routing to us. The captain strongly emphasized that our clearance was direct marcia, not the SID. Due to language difficulties, I'm not sure he (the controller) really understood the problem. The problem, as I see it, is one of language. I am not sure the ground controller understood the significance of the word 'direct.' I am not sure he picked up on my strong emphasis on the word 'direct' in the readback. In view of the air carrier accident at cali, I feel it is important to call attention once again to controller qualifications in south america. Langauge and standard ATC procedures seem remedial in this part of the world. Final note: before flying direct marcia as cleared, we reviewed all charts to ensure safe terrain clearance was available.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B767 FLC RPTS BEING CLRED DIRECT TO A POINT IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE ONLY TO FIND THAT THE CTLR APPARENTLY MEANT FOR THEM TO PERFORM THE SID.

Narrative: CLRNC DELIVERY GAVE US A ROUTING OF MARCIA 2 DEP TO BOSTON, THEN FLT PLANNED RTE. AFTER ENG START, GND CTL ISSUED A NEW CLRNC: AFTER TKOF DIRECT MARCIA, MARCIA 260 DEG RADIAL 70 DME, DIRECT USABA. SINCE THE MARCIA 2 DEP HAD SPECIFIC HEADINGS AND RADIALS INBOUND TO MARCIA, I EMPHASIZED DURING READBACK THAT WE WERE CLRED DIRECT MARCIA. GND CTL ROGERED MY READBACK. AFTER TKOF WE FLEW DIRECT MARCIA. UPON ARR AT MARCIA, DEP CTL CALLED US TO TELL US THERE WAS A PUBLISHED ROUTING TO MARCIA AND PROCEEDED TO READ THE MARCIA 2 ROUTING TO US. THE CAPT STRONGLY EMPHASIZED THAT OUR CLRNC WAS DIRECT MARCIA, NOT THE SID. DUE TO LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES, I'M NOT SURE HE (THE CTLR) REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE PROB. THE PROB, AS I SEE IT, IS ONE OF LANGUAGE. I AM NOT SURE THE GND CTLR UNDERSTOOD THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD 'DIRECT.' I AM NOT SURE HE PICKED UP ON MY STRONG EMPHASIS ON THE WORD 'DIRECT' IN THE READBACK. IN VIEW OF THE ACR ACCIDENT AT CALI, I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO CALL ATTN ONCE AGAIN TO CTLR QUALIFICATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA. LANGAUGE AND STANDARD ATC PROCS SEEM REMEDIAL IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. FINAL NOTE: BEFORE FLYING DIRECT MARCIA AS CLRED, WE REVIEWED ALL CHARTS TO ENSURE SAFE TERRAIN CLRNC WAS AVAILABLE.

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.

An air carrier B767 flight crew reports being cleared direct to a point in foreign airspace only to find that the controller apparently meant for them to perform the SID.