Narrative:

Planned runway 14 departure per ATIS. Had horrible timer trying to copy ATC clearance due to extremely poor english. Were given 7000' MSL as initial assigned altitude. Changed runways just as we started to taxi to runway 32 departure and said cleared to FL330. After takeoff we were to track the 323 degree right of kimpo VOR to 5 NM or 2300' MSL, turn left and fly heading of 220 degrees to intercept and track inbound on the anyang VOR 300 degree right. I asked the first officer to check with departure control on initial contact that we were cleared unrestricted to FL330. After takeoff at the kimpo VOR 323 degree right, 5.0 DME fix, I turned to 220 degree heading and asked the first officer to put my VOR on anyang VOR frequency and set 120 degrees in my obs window. At this same time we were trying to ascertain from departure control that we were cleared to climb unrestricted to FL330. The departure controller's command of english was so poor we had to ask 3 times before we could understand our altitude clearance. I had noticed 120 degrees in my obs earlier and was too busy flying and trying to make sure the initial 7000' assigned altitude had been deleted to notice that my VOR had not been changed to anyang's frequency. Seoul departure gave us a vector of 180 degree heading and vectored us to the filed arwy. I feel that this incident would not have happened if the departure controller could have spoken understandable english. I have been flying international routes for 23 yrs and this man (as well as the clearance del man) was not understandable. I also feel that had we been in IMC conditions it would not have happened. We were looking outside to remain clear of VFR military traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE DURING DEP FROM FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: PLANNED RWY 14 DEP PER ATIS. HAD HORRIBLE TIMER TRYING TO COPY ATC CLRNC DUE TO EXTREMELY POOR ENGLISH. WERE GIVEN 7000' MSL AS INITIAL ASSIGNED ALT. CHANGED RWYS JUST AS WE STARTED TO TAXI TO RWY 32 DEP AND SAID CLRED TO FL330. AFTER TKOF WE WERE TO TRACK THE 323 DEG R OF KIMPO VOR TO 5 NM OR 2300' MSL, TURN LEFT AND FLY HDG OF 220 DEGS TO INTERCEPT AND TRACK INBND ON THE ANYANG VOR 300 DEG R. I ASKED THE F/O TO CHK WITH DEP CTL ON INITIAL CONTACT THAT WE WERE CLRED UNRESTRICTED TO FL330. AFTER TKOF AT THE KIMPO VOR 323 DEG R, 5.0 DME FIX, I TURNED TO 220 DEG HDG AND ASKED THE F/O TO PUT MY VOR ON ANYANG VOR FREQ AND SET 120 DEGS IN MY OBS WINDOW. AT THIS SAME TIME WE WERE TRYING TO ASCERTAIN FROM DEP CTL THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CLB UNRESTRICTED TO FL330. THE DEP CTLR'S COMMAND OF ENGLISH WAS SO POOR WE HAD TO ASK 3 TIMES BEFORE WE COULD UNDERSTAND OUR ALT CLRNC. I HAD NOTICED 120 DEGS IN MY OBS EARLIER AND WAS TOO BUSY FLYING AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE INITIAL 7000' ASSIGNED ALT HAD BEEN DELETED TO NOTICE THAT MY VOR HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED TO ANYANG'S FREQ. SEOUL DEP GAVE US A VECTOR OF 180 DEG HDG AND VECTORED US TO THE FILED ARWY. I FEEL THAT THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE DEP CTLR COULD HAVE SPOKEN UNDERSTANDABLE ENGLISH. I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTL ROUTES FOR 23 YRS AND THIS MAN (AS WELL AS THE CLRNC DEL MAN) WAS NOT UNDERSTANDABLE. I ALSO FEEL THAT HAD WE BEEN IN IMC CONDITIONS IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. WE WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE TO REMAIN CLR OF VFR MIL TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.