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A citation 650 crew reported that, during descent into laredo, tx, monterrey (mexican) approach was hard to understand. Because of their inability to understand each other, TRACON may have diverted an aircraft around the rptrs.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 466801 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mmty.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation III, VI, VII |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mmty.tracon |
| Make Model Name | Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 240 |
| ASRS Report | 466801 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 15600 flight time type : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 466800 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 60000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
On descent into laredo, tx, we were cleared to descend to 9000 ft. I was the PF. We were in contact with monterrey approach. The controller then started asking us numerous questions about DME from a certain VOR. We were unable to understand which VOR they were talking about. The communications were hard to understand and garbled. We were then told to (we believe) descend down to 8000 ft. We then read back 8000 ft, set it in the altitude preselect and descended to 8000 ft, as is our procedure. The controller again asked our DME 4 or 5 times. He could not understand us and we could not understand him. He then told us that we should be at 9000 ft. We climbed up to 9000 ft. Supposedly they diverted a hawker or sabreliner to avoid us. I did see a jet ahead of us climbing and turning to the east (approximately 10 mi ahead of us). The problem was the poor english of the controller with what seemed poor communications equipment. What would solve the problem would be data linking clrncs to crews so they can read it in the cockpit.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CITATION 650 CREW RPTED THAT, DURING DSCNT INTO LAREDO, TX, MONTERREY (MEXICAN) APCH WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE OF THEIR INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER, TRACON MAY HAVE DIVERTED AN ACFT AROUND THE RPTRS.
Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO LAREDO, TX, WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 9000 FT. I WAS THE PF. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH MONTERREY APCH. THE CTLR THEN STARTED ASKING US NUMEROUS QUESTIONS ABOUT DME FROM A CERTAIN VOR. WE WERE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHICH VOR THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. THE COMS WERE HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND GARBLED. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO (WE BELIEVE) DSND DOWN TO 8000 FT. WE THEN READ BACK 8000 FT, SET IT IN THE ALT PRESELECT AND DSNDED TO 8000 FT, AS IS OUR PROC. THE CTLR AGAIN ASKED OUR DME 4 OR 5 TIMES. HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND US AND WE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HIM. HE THEN TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD BE AT 9000 FT. WE CLBED UP TO 9000 FT. SUPPOSEDLY THEY DIVERTED A HAWKER OR SABRELINER TO AVOID US. I DID SEE A JET AHEAD OF US CLBING AND TURNING TO THE E (APPROX 10 MI AHEAD OF US). THE PROB WAS THE POOR ENGLISH OF THE CTLR WITH WHAT SEEMED POOR COMS EQUIP. WHAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROB WOULD BE DATA LINKING CLRNCS TO CREWS SO THEY CAN READ IT IN THE COCKPIT.
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.