Narrative:

Phl ramp control was being operated by a person who not only seemed overwhelmed by the task; but also could not speak fluent; understandable english. This led to several near-incidents on the ramp; miscom with phl ground control; and at least 1 go around. Reporting flight was unable to completely clear runway 27R at taxiway T because a B757 that had landed in front of flight was stopped at spot X; attempting to make contact with ramp control. As a result; the next arriving aircraft on runway 27R had to go around. Ramp then took several mins to figure out the reporting flight's position. (Flight had turned eastbound onto taxiway K to at least clear runway 27R.) after sitting several mins at spot Y; flight was repeatedly cleared into gate; even though an embraer jet was still on spot Y; attempting to contact ground. Ramp kept telling departing aircraft to contact ground on 121.65; when ground repeatedly called ramp on the phone; telling him to send aircraft to 121.9. After the embraer jet had taxied clear of spot Y; ramp again cleared reporting flight into the gate. Flight crew then noticed another embraer jet being pushed into the alley; which went unnoticed by ramp; setting up a potential nose-to-nose situation in the alley. This person working ramp was clearly not qualified to do so. The ramp was in shambles; and the phl ground controller was having a conniption. Flight; other flts; repeatedly attempted to contact ramp; and then had to ask him several times to repeat his xmissions; which were unintelligible. In the company's zeal to do everything as cheaply as possible; they allowed an inexperienced (and undoubtedly low-paid) individual to perform safety critical tasks for which he was clearly unqualified. Hire qualified people and train them properly; especially for safety critical position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 PLT REPORTS CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING CLEARANCES FROM COMPANY'S RAMP CONTROL.

Narrative: PHL RAMP CTL WAS BEING OPERATED BY A PERSON WHO NOT ONLY SEEMED OVERWHELMED BY THE TASK; BUT ALSO COULD NOT SPEAK FLUENT; UNDERSTANDABLE ENGLISH. THIS LED TO SEVERAL NEAR-INCIDENTS ON THE RAMP; MISCOM WITH PHL GND CTL; AND AT LEAST 1 GAR. RPTING FLT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY CLR RWY 27R AT TXWY T BECAUSE A B757 THAT HAD LANDED IN FRONT OF FLT WAS STOPPED AT SPOT X; ATTEMPTING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH RAMP CTL. AS A RESULT; THE NEXT ARRIVING ACFT ON RWY 27R HAD TO GO AROUND. RAMP THEN TOOK SEVERAL MINS TO FIGURE OUT THE RPTING FLT'S POS. (FLT HAD TURNED EBOUND ONTO TXWY K TO AT LEAST CLR RWY 27R.) AFTER SITTING SEVERAL MINS AT SPOT Y; FLT WAS REPEATEDLY CLRED INTO GATE; EVEN THOUGH AN EMBRAER JET WAS STILL ON SPOT Y; ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT GND. RAMP KEPT TELLING DEPARTING ACFT TO CONTACT GND ON 121.65; WHEN GND REPEATEDLY CALLED RAMP ON THE PHONE; TELLING HIM TO SEND ACFT TO 121.9. AFTER THE EMBRAER JET HAD TAXIED CLR OF SPOT Y; RAMP AGAIN CLRED RPTING FLT INTO THE GATE. FLT CREW THEN NOTICED ANOTHER EMBRAER JET BEING PUSHED INTO THE ALLEY; WHICH WENT UNNOTICED BY RAMP; SETTING UP A POTENTIAL NOSE-TO-NOSE SITUATION IN THE ALLEY. THIS PERSON WORKING RAMP WAS CLRLY NOT QUALIFIED TO DO SO. THE RAMP WAS IN SHAMBLES; AND THE PHL GND CTLR WAS HAVING A CONNIPTION. FLT; OTHER FLTS; REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT RAMP; AND THEN HAD TO ASK HIM SEVERAL TIMES TO REPEAT HIS XMISSIONS; WHICH WERE UNINTELLIGIBLE. IN THE COMPANY'S ZEAL TO DO EVERYTHING AS CHEAPLY AS POSSIBLE; THEY ALLOWED AN INEXPERIENCED (AND UNDOUBTEDLY LOW-PAID) INDIVIDUAL TO PERFORM SAFETY CRITICAL TASKS FOR WHICH HE WAS CLRLY UNQUALIFIED. HIRE QUALIFIED PEOPLE AND TRAIN THEM PROPERLY; ESPECIALLY FOR SAFETY CRITICAL POS.

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.