Narrative:

Approaching the runway for takeoff we were told to hold for a 5 min hold. I didn't know why as there was not a plane in the sky; and no other movement on the ground. 5 mins later I found out why we had to wait. The fleet was about to be recovered. Planes were coming out of everywhere. Well except from the south as the terrain prevents that. After watching 5 planes land (they came in from as far away as 15 mi) we were instructed to taxi onto the runway after the next plane landed. While taxiing I noticed an MD80 on a mi final. Being a tad sensitive to the sound of metal to metal contact I elected to stop. 30 seconds later the tower seemed to be in agreement with me as that told us to hold position as well. 5 more airplanes landed while we held our position. There were several 'airliners' (planes with airline logos that had jt-8 engines) that did not show up on TCAS. I am of the understanding there are several south american flight crew that do not agree with the use of TCAS. A few mins (15) we were instructed to line up and wait after the next plane landed. The next plane was an islander at 100 ft. There was an MD80 4 mi behind the islander. I had the first officer ask the tower if we were supposed to line up after the islander. The first officer said the tower would not understand the question. Amazingly enough the first officer was right as the answer to our query was to taxi onto the runway after the next plane landed. We did. I selected maximum power for a short roll and waited. The islander made the nicest short field landing I had seen in a long time. Right on the 500 ft mark. The first turn off from there is after is a ways away. It turns out it is about a 40 seconds at islander taxi speed. I noticed the MD80 on TCAS in a climb. Looking out my window I saw him in a turn to the north. We departed. I am not sure if the MD80 would have attempted to land over us if the islander was not on the runway. The flight attendant; after telling her the story at cruise said it happened to them in svmi in the past. I am rather concerned as to what would have happened if it were IFR. Our fun was not yet over. There was some confusion on departure frequency. An aircraft was being instructed to climb to FL340 and contact center. It was about the time we should have been handed off and our filed altitude was FL340. The call sign; however; was blocked. Several attempts were made to verify if it was for us. The phrase: 'who was that last transmission for?' was answered 'climb to 340; contact center.' still no call sign. The phrase: 'was that last transmission for air carrier X' resulted in the same response. The forth attempt was the charm as the controller used our call sign. I defer to my previous comment on the as soon as possible earlier. The controllers may speak english but they do not seem to understand english. Their application of standardization and procedures has a bit of room for improvement. One would think; in this current day and age; you should not have to feel like magellan every time you enter vz airspace. But as my father used to say 'there you go thinking again.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300-600 CAPTAIN RELATES INCIDENTS WITH TOWER CONTROLLERS AT SVMI CITING LANGUAGE BARRIER; LAX COMPLIANCE WITH THE USE OF FLT IDENTIFICATION AND QUESTIONABLE SEPARATION BETWEEN DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS.

Narrative: APCHING THE RWY FOR TKOF WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD FOR A 5 MIN HOLD. I DIDN'T KNOW WHY AS THERE WAS NOT A PLANE IN THE SKY; AND NO OTHER MOVEMENT ON THE GND. 5 MINS LATER I FOUND OUT WHY WE HAD TO WAIT. THE FLEET WAS ABOUT TO BE RECOVERED. PLANES WERE COMING OUT OF EVERYWHERE. WELL EXCEPT FROM THE S AS THE TERRAIN PREVENTS THAT. AFTER WATCHING 5 PLANES LAND (THEY CAME IN FROM AS FAR AWAY AS 15 MI) WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AFTER THE NEXT PLANE LANDED. WHILE TAXIING I NOTICED AN MD80 ON A MI FINAL. BEING A TAD SENSITIVE TO THE SOUND OF METAL TO METAL CONTACT I ELECTED TO STOP. 30 SECONDS LATER THE TWR SEEMED TO BE IN AGREEMENT WITH ME AS THAT TOLD US TO HOLD POS AS WELL. 5 MORE AIRPLANES LANDED WHILE WE HELD OUR POS. THERE WERE SEVERAL 'AIRLINERS' (PLANES WITH AIRLINE LOGOS THAT HAD JT-8 ENGS) THAT DID NOT SHOW UP ON TCAS. I AM OF THE UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE SEVERAL SOUTH AMERICAN FLT CREW THAT DO NOT AGREE WITH THE USE OF TCAS. A FEW MINS (15) WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO LINE UP AND WAIT AFTER THE NEXT PLANE LANDED. THE NEXT PLANE WAS AN ISLANDER AT 100 FT. THERE WAS AN MD80 4 MI BEHIND THE ISLANDER. I HAD THE FO ASK THE TWR IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LINE UP AFTER THE ISLANDER. THE FO SAID THE TWR WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION. AMAZINGLY ENOUGH THE FO WAS RIGHT AS THE ANSWER TO OUR QUERY WAS TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AFTER THE NEXT PLANE LANDED. WE DID. I SELECTED MAX PWR FOR A SHORT ROLL AND WAITED. THE ISLANDER MADE THE NICEST SHORT FIELD LNDG I HAD SEEN IN A LONG TIME. RIGHT ON THE 500 FT MARK. THE FIRST TURN OFF FROM THERE IS AFTER IS A WAYS AWAY. IT TURNS OUT IT IS ABOUT A 40 SECONDS AT ISLANDER TAXI SPD. I NOTICED THE MD80 ON TCAS IN A CLB. LOOKING OUT MY WINDOW I SAW HIM IN A TURN TO THE N. WE DEPARTED. I AM NOT SURE IF THE MD80 WOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO LAND OVER US IF THE ISLANDER WAS NOT ON THE RWY. THE FLT ATTENDANT; AFTER TELLING HER THE STORY AT CRUISE SAID IT HAPPENED TO THEM IN SVMI IN THE PAST. I AM RATHER CONCERNED AS TO WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WERE IFR. OUR FUN WAS NOT YET OVER. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON DEP FREQ. AN ACFT WAS BEING INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO FL340 AND CONTACT CTR. IT WAS ABOUT THE TIME WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDED OFF AND OUR FILED ALT WAS FL340. THE CALL SIGN; HOWEVER; WAS BLOCKED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO VERIFY IF IT WAS FOR US. THE PHRASE: 'WHO WAS THAT LAST TRANSMISSION FOR?' WAS ANSWERED 'CLB TO 340; CONTACT CTR.' STILL NO CALL SIGN. THE PHRASE: 'WAS THAT LAST TRANSMISSION FOR ACR X' RESULTED IN THE SAME RESPONSE. THE FORTH ATTEMPT WAS THE CHARM AS THE CTLR USED OUR CALL SIGN. I DEFER TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT ON THE ASAP EARLIER. THE CTLRS MAY SPEAK ENGLISH BUT THEY DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND ENGLISH. THEIR APPLICATION OF STANDARDIZATION AND PROCS HAS A BIT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. ONE WOULD THINK; IN THIS CURRENT DAY AND AGE; YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FEEL LIKE MAGELLAN EVERY TIME YOU ENTER VZ AIRSPACE. BUT AS MY FATHER USED TO SAY 'THERE YOU GO THINKING AGAIN.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.