B777-200 flight crew misinterped controller clearance due to language barrier and descended below in...

Attributes
ACN	636922
Time
Date	200411
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rjtg.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rjtg.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rjtg.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 107 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1480
ASRS Report	636922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	637169
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Cruising at FL370 and on a heading, we were cleared to FL330 by tokyo control. We had to reconfirm this clearance several times before accepting it due to great difficulty in understanding this particular female controller. During the descent, we believe we were given further descent to FL310 and also advised of traffic ahead at FL310. Again, we asked the controller to confirm the descent to FL310 and received confirmation. Upon descending through approximately FL320 we received a clearance to maintain FL330 and given an approximately 50 degree turn to the right. We did receive an amber TCASII 'traffic alert' at the commencement of the turn. No TCASII RA was ever announced. Upon reaching the offset heading, we asked if FL320 was ok and given a roger. We were then cleared lower after clear of traffic and given direct the organ fix. Human factors: extreme difficulty in understanding controller. Her speech is way too fast and runs her words together. We believe that she was also having trouble understanding our communications. In retrospect, we think she was acknowledging that we saw the traffic at FL310 and replied with a roger to our asking for confirmation of being cleared to FL310. Another issue was that she was having to deal with was an unusually high tailwind, 156 KTS for us and the reciprocal headwind with the traffic at FL310. We did ask the rjtg operations agent to communicate our understanding of this event with the tokyo ATC supervisor. Supplemental information from acn 637169: we were at cruise altitude with a 145 KT tailwind on our way into narita and should have begun our descent. We had requested lower from the controller. She was a little behind in allowing aircraft to descend due to the strong tailwind and when we did receive altitude changes, they were very modest -- only a couple thousand ft at a time resulting in us being extremely high. The incident occurred when she gave us an altitude change. Both myself and the captain were having great difficulty understanding her clearance (and questioned her several times about an altitude change. We both had our ear pieces in our ears).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 FLT CREW MISINTERPED CTLR CLRNC DUE TO LANGUAGE BARRIER AND DSNDED BELOW INTENDED ASSIGNED ALT. A NEW HDG WAS ISSUED TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: CRUISING AT FL370 AND ON A HDG, WE WERE CLRED TO FL330 BY TOKYO CTL. WE HAD TO RECONFIRM THIS CLRNC SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ACCEPTING IT DUE TO GREAT DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THIS PARTICULAR FEMALE CTLR. DURING THE DSCNT, WE BELIEVE WE WERE GIVEN FURTHER DSCNT TO FL310 AND ALSO ADVISED OF TFC AHEAD AT FL310. AGAIN, WE ASKED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM THE DSCNT TO FL310 AND RECEIVED CONFIRMATION. UPON DSNDING THROUGH APPROX FL320 WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN FL330 AND GIVEN AN APPROX 50 DEG TURN TO THE R. WE DID RECEIVE AN AMBER TCASII 'TFC ALERT' AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE TURN. NO TCASII RA WAS EVER ANNOUNCED. UPON REACHING THE OFFSET HDG, WE ASKED IF FL320 WAS OK AND GIVEN A ROGER. WE WERE THEN CLRED LOWER AFTER CLR OF TFC AND GIVEN DIRECT THE ORGAN FIX. HUMAN FACTORS: EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING CTLR. HER SPEECH IS WAY TOO FAST AND RUNS HER WORDS TOGETHER. WE BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS ALSO HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING OUR COMS. IN RETROSPECT, WE THINK SHE WAS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE SAW THE TFC AT FL310 AND REPLIED WITH A ROGER TO OUR ASKING FOR CONFIRMATION OF BEING CLRED TO FL310. ANOTHER ISSUE WAS THAT SHE WAS HAVING TO DEAL WITH WAS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH TAILWIND, 156 KTS FOR US AND THE RECIPROCAL HEADWIND WITH THE TFC AT FL310. WE DID ASK THE RJTG OPS AGENT TO COMMUNICATE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS EVENT WITH THE TOKYO ATC SUPVR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 637169: WE WERE AT CRUISE ALT WITH A 145 KT TAILWIND ON OUR WAY INTO NARITA AND SHOULD HAVE BEGUN OUR DSCNT. WE HAD REQUESTED LOWER FROM THE CTLR. SHE WAS A LITTLE BEHIND IN ALLOWING ACFT TO DSND DUE TO THE STRONG TAILWIND AND WHEN WE DID RECEIVE ALT CHANGES, THEY WERE VERY MODEST -- ONLY A COUPLE THOUSAND FT AT A TIME RESULTING IN US BEING EXTREMELY HIGH. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN SHE GAVE US AN ALT CHANGE. BOTH MYSELF AND THE CAPT WERE HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING HER CLRNC (AND QUESTIONED HER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT AN ALT CHANGE. WE BOTH HAD OUR EAR PIECES IN OUR EARS).

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.

B777-200 flight crew misinterped controller clearance due to language barrier and descended below intended assigned altitude. A new heading was issued to maintain separation with another aircraft.