Narrative:

Ccs again. Once again, it's the tower controllers at svmi. After landing, I was issued a standard clearance. As I turned wbound towards the gate there was an aircraft under tow heading right towards me. This aircraft was right in front of me and between myself and my gate. I asked the controller to please reference the aircraft under tow. There was silence. I asked again and again and again questions like: 'are we to hold short and give way to the aircraft under tow?' 'are we cleared around the aircraft on the north side of the ramp?' or 'will the aircraft under tow give way to us?' I was greeted with total confusion by the controller. The controller did not have the foggiest clue what I was asking nor could the controller determine what the problem was -- despite the fact that 2 aircraft were heading towards each other, nose-to-nose -- an obvious conflict and despite that fact that one of these aircraft 'myself' were repeatedly asking for instructions on what was expected of me to avoid a conflict or collision. The controller did not have the foggiest clue what I was asking not could the controller even see a problem. Svmi is a proverbial accident waiting to happen unless the controllers there gain the competence and english skills necessary to insure a safe operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAD FOREIGN ATC TWR CTLR COM DIFFICULTY AND WAS NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND COM IN ENGLISH.

Narrative: CCS AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN, IT'S THE TWR CTLRS AT SVMI. AFTER LNDG, I WAS ISSUED A STANDARD CLRNC. AS I TURNED WBOUND TOWARDS THE GATE THERE WAS AN ACFT UNDER TOW HEADING RIGHT TOWARDS ME. THIS ACFT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND BTWN MYSELF AND MY GATE. I ASKED THE CTLR TO PLEASE REF THE ACFT UNDER TOW. THERE WAS SILENCE. I ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN QUESTIONS LIKE: 'ARE WE TO HOLD SHORT AND GIVE WAY TO THE ACFT UNDER TOW?' 'ARE WE CLRED AROUND THE ACFT ON THE N SIDE OF THE RAMP?' OR 'WILL THE ACFT UNDER TOW GIVE WAY TO US?' I WAS GREETED WITH TOTAL CONFUSION BY THE CTLR. THE CTLR DID NOT HAVE THE FOGGIEST CLUE WHAT I WAS ASKING NOR COULD THE CTLR DETERMINE WHAT THE PROB WAS -- DESPITE THE FACT THAT 2 ACFT WERE HEADING TOWARDS EACH OTHER, NOSE-TO-NOSE -- AN OBVIOUS CONFLICT AND DESPITE THAT FACT THAT ONE OF THESE ACFT 'MYSELF' WERE REPEATEDLY ASKING FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME TO AVOID A CONFLICT OR COLLISION. THE CTLR DID NOT HAVE THE FOGGIEST CLUE WHAT I WAS ASKING NOT COULD THE CTLR EVEN SEE A PROB. SVMI IS A PROVERBIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN UNLESS THE CTLRS THERE GAIN THE COMPETENCE AND ENGLISH SKILLS NECESSARY TO INSURE A SAFE OP.

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.