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A B757 crew, while taxiing for takeoff at tjsj, overheard the ground controller conversing with another aircraft in the local language, leaving them out of the loop.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 556016 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sju.airport |
| State Reference | PR |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sju.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 556016 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : capt y 3 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airport Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
While waiting to get permission to taxi, there was a prolonged conversation between ground and another aircraft in spanish. This is not acceptable. The language of aviation is english. When you have an ATC facility using spanish, you create a very, very dangerous situation. You have to endure the inability of not knowing what is going on in a foreign country because they have their own rules. However, here in the united states, this is an extremely dangerous practice. I cannot highlight how dangerous. Please do something before there is an accident caused by a casual conversation in nonstandard aviation english. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the conversation between the ground controller and the other aircraft appeared to be of a general nature. As expressed in his report, the reporter feels strongly about all conversations being conducted in english so the remaining aircraft on frequency will be aware of what was said and act accordingly.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757 CREW, WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT TJSJ, OVERHEARD THE GND CTLR CONVERSING WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN THE LCL LANGUAGE, LEAVING THEM OUT OF THE LOOP.
Narrative: WHILE WAITING TO GET PERMISSION TO TAXI, THERE WAS A PROLONGED CONVERSATION BTWN GND AND ANOTHER ACFT IN SPANISH. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE LANGUAGE OF AVIATION IS ENGLISH. WHEN YOU HAVE AN ATC FACILITY USING SPANISH, YOU CREATE A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS SIT. YOU HAVE TO ENDURE THE INABILITY OF NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN RULES. HOWEVER, HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PRACTICE. I CANNOT HIGHLIGHT HOW DANGEROUS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A CASUAL CONVERSATION IN NONSTANDARD AVIATION ENGLISH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CONVERSATION BTWN THE GND CTLR AND THE OTHER ACFT APPEARED TO BE OF A GENERAL NATURE. AS EXPRESSED IN HIS RPT, THE RPTR FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT ALL CONVERSATIONS BEING CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH SO THE REMAINING ACFT ON FREQ WILL BE AWARE OF WHAT WAS SAID AND ACT ACCORDINGLY.
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.