Narrative:

In cruise at FL280, after ATC handoff from maastricht control to remmes control, we checked in with remmes, reporting our flight level (FL280). Remmes acknowledged, cleared us direct to 'vmp' and asked for our requested flight level (FL310). We acknowledged the direct routing and gave our requested flight level. The controller then stated 'roger, maintain FL310.' we replied 'leaving FL280 for FL310.' climbing through FL300, the remmes controller stated '...maintain FL310,' then said we had not been cleared to FL310, but were instructed to maintain FL280. We were certain that we had been cleared to FL310 and had even read back the climb instructions to the controller. The problem seemed to have occurred due to non standard phraseology on the part of the controller, heavily french-accented english, and our acceptance of a clearance from the controller that we regarded as valid and did not challenge. In european operations, there is a variance in phraseology that means different things to controllers in each country. Combine this with a variety of accents, blocked xmissions, periodic poor transmission quality due to badly outdated equipment, and the sense that everything functions like our ATC system in the united states (ie, standardized procedures, phraseology, etc) and you have a recipe for potential errors to occur when and where they're not expected.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB CLBED IN RESPONSE TO A CLRNC GIVEN BY A FOREIGN AIRSPACE CTLR. THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NOT YET BEEN CLRED TO THE HIGHER ALT AND THAT THEY WERE TO REMAIN AT THE LOWER ALT. THE RPTING FLC WERE CONFUSED SINCE THE PHRASEOLOGY GIVEN THEM GAVE THEM TO BELIEVE THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY CLRED TO THE HIGHER ALT.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL280, AFTER ATC HDOF FROM MAASTRICHT CTL TO REMMES CTL, WE CHKED IN WITH REMMES, RPTING OUR FLT LEVEL (FL280). REMMES ACKNOWLEDGED, CLRED US DIRECT TO 'VMP' AND ASKED FOR OUR REQUESTED FLT LEVEL (FL310). WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE DIRECT ROUTING AND GAVE OUR REQUESTED FLT LEVEL. THE CTLR THEN STATED 'ROGER, MAINTAIN FL310.' WE REPLIED 'LEAVING FL280 FOR FL310.' CLBING THROUGH FL300, THE REMMES CTLR STATED '...MAINTAIN FL310,' THEN SAID WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO FL310, BUT WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN FL280. WE WERE CERTAIN THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL310 AND HAD EVEN READ BACK THE CLB INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CTLR. THE PROB SEEMED TO HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY ON THE PART OF THE CTLR, HEAVILY FRENCH-ACCENTED ENGLISH, AND OUR ACCEPTANCE OF A CLRNC FROM THE CTLR THAT WE REGARDED AS VALID AND DID NOT CHALLENGE. IN EUROPEAN OPS, THERE IS A VARIANCE IN PHRASEOLOGY THAT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO CTLRS IN EACH COUNTRY. COMBINE THIS WITH A VARIETY OF ACCENTS, BLOCKED XMISSIONS, PERIODIC POOR XMISSION QUALITY DUE TO BADLY OUTDATED EQUIP, AND THE SENSE THAT EVERYTHING FUNCTIONS LIKE OUR ATC SYS IN THE UNITED STATES (IE, STANDARDIZED PROCS, PHRASEOLOGY, ETC) AND YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR POTENTIAL ERRORS TO OCCUR WHEN AND WHERE THEY'RE NOT EXPECTED.

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.