Narrative:

First officer acknowledged and read back left'aigle 8G departure runway 9 from degaulle clearance. Captain heard conversation and understood same. On departure, began initial SID turn at 8.2 cgn DME to intercept cgn 057 degree radial (chart 20-3N). 1/2 way through turn, departure cleared us direct to amoga, which was not on the SID or flight plan. When asked, departure said we were cleared via amoga 8G SID. Mix-up was due entirely to french/english language problem. Amoga would be pronounced left'amoga (the amoga) in french -- similar to left'aigle. Of all the european airports, france definitely has the biggest language/phraseology problem. Not uncommon for us to ask for clarification of a clearance 2-3 times before a controller will phonetically spell a fix. On this occasion, no altdevs occurred and no other traffic was involved. A written pre departure clearance would be a big help in foreign countries. Also, on another topic, there is a painful lack of taxiway markings and signs at cdg. Caused a mix-up on taxi out for this flight as well. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter called after returning from cdg where the exact scenario was potentially repeated with the similar sounding departures and some lack of desire to repeat the clearance again until the flight crew was completely sure of what the clearance actually was. The experience that caused the original report made the crew slow down long enough to insist upon clarity of intent rather than voting on what everyone thought they heard.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-30 AT CDG FLEW WRONG SID.

Narrative: FO ACKNOWLEDGED AND READ BACK L'AIGLE 8G DEP RWY 9 FROM DEGAULLE CLRNC. CAPT HEARD CONVERSATION AND UNDERSTOOD SAME. ON DEP, BEGAN INITIAL SID TURN AT 8.2 CGN DME TO INTERCEPT CGN 057 DEG RADIAL (CHART 20-3N). 1/2 WAY THROUGH TURN, DEP CLRED US DIRECT TO AMOGA, WHICH WAS NOT ON THE SID OR FLT PLAN. WHEN ASKED, DEP SAID WE WERE CLRED VIA AMOGA 8G SID. MIX-UP WAS DUE ENTIRELY TO FRENCH/ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROB. AMOGA WOULD BE PRONOUNCED L'AMOGA (THE AMOGA) IN FRENCH -- SIMILAR TO L'AIGLE. OF ALL THE EUROPEAN ARPTS, FRANCE DEFINITELY HAS THE BIGGEST LANGUAGE/PHRASEOLOGY PROB. NOT UNCOMMON FOR US TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION OF A CLRNC 2-3 TIMES BEFORE A CTLR WILL PHONETICALLY SPELL A FIX. ON THIS OCCASION, NO ALTDEVS OCCURRED AND NO OTHER TFC WAS INVOLVED. A WRITTEN PDC WOULD BE A BIG HELP IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ALSO, ON ANOTHER TOPIC, THERE IS A PAINFUL LACK OF TXWY MARKINGS AND SIGNS AT CDG. CAUSED A MIX-UP ON TAXI OUT FOR THIS FLT AS WELL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR CALLED AFTER RETURNING FROM CDG WHERE THE EXACT SCENARIO WAS POTENTIALLY REPEATED WITH THE SIMILAR SOUNDING DEPS AND SOME LACK OF DESIRE TO REPEAT THE CLRNC AGAIN UNTIL THE FLC WAS COMPLETELY SURE OF WHAT THE CLRNC ACTUALLY WAS. THE EXPERIENCE THAT CAUSED THE ORIGINAL RPT MADE THE CREW SLOW DOWN LONG ENOUGH TO INSIST UPON CLARITY OF INTENT RATHER THAN VOTING ON WHAT EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY HEARD.

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.