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Radiotelephony

Why standard phraseology?

Use of standard phraseology
Hong Kong ATC

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Why standard phraseology?

July 6th 2007 Air China flight at New York JFK

Criticism on crew English standards
Blame fair?
Tenerife Disaster highest no. of death 581
27th March 1977

Why standard phraseology?

KLM FO Wait a minute, we don't have an ATC clearance.

KLM Captain No, I know that, go ahead, ask.
KLM FO The KLM four eight zero five is now ready for take-off and we are
waiting for our ATC clearance.
Tenerife Tower KLM eight seven zero five [sic] you are cleared to the Papa
Beacon, climb to and maintain flight level nine zero, right turn after take-off,
proceed with heading four zero until intercepting the three two five radial from
Las Palmas VOR.
KLM FO Ah roger, sir, we are cleared to the Papa Beacon flight level nine zero
until intercepting the three two five. We are now at take-off
[KLM brakes released.]
Tenerife Tower OK.... Stand by for take-off, I will call you. [Only the start of this
message was heard by the KLM crew]
PAN AM No... uh. [This message was not heard by the KLM crew]
PAN AM And we're still taxiing down the runway, the clipper one seven three six.
[This message was not heard completely by the KLM crew]
Tenerife Tower Ah, papa alpha one seven three six report the runway clear.
PAN AM OK, will report when we're clear.

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Why standard phraseology?

Lesson learnt:
Always listen before transmit
Use of standard phraseology
Follow radio discipline (short, precise and concise)

Use of Standard Phraseology

ICAO Annex 10 Vol II Communication Procedures

Chapter 5
Alphabet
Letter
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

Pronunciat
ion
Alfa
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India

Letter
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R

Pronunciat
ion
Juliett
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo

Letter
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Pronunciat
ion
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whisky
X-ray
Yankee
Zulu

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Use of Standard Phraseology

Number
Use of number (digit)

Aircraft call sign

Flight levels

Flight Level Too Ait Zero (FL280)

Heading

Air China Too Tree Ait (CCA238)

Turn left heading Wun Ait Zero (H180)

Wind

Wind Too Fife Zero degree Seven knots

Number
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Decimal

ZE-RO
WUN
TOO
TREE
FOW-er
FIFE
SIX
SEV-en
AIT
NIN-er
DAY-SEE-MAL

(Wind 250 degree 7 knots)

Runway

Runway Zero Seven Left (07L)

Time 0920 Zero Niner Two Zero

Use of Standard Phraseology

Use of number (full number)

Altitude

Visibility

Ten kilometers (10km)

Cloud height

Fife thousand feet (5000 ft)

Too thousand too hundred feet (2200ft)

Instruction

Refer to supplementary sheet

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Use of Standard Phraseology

Call sign
Airline
Cathay Pacific
Dragonair
China Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines
Hong Kong Express
South African Airways
Uni Air
British Airways
Qatar Airways
Tiger Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways

Call sign
Cathay
Dragon
Dynasty
Bauhinia
Hong Kong Shuttle
Springboard
Glory
Speedbird
Qatari
Gocat
Virgin

Use of Standard Phraseology

Discipline

Addressee
Your call sign
Message (usually start with verb)
If clearance, require Read back

CPA005: Hong Kong Radar, Cathay Zero Zero Five, request

descend [due turbulence]
Radar: Cathay Zero Zero Five, Hong Kong Radar, descend FL300,
report on reaching
CPA005: Descend FL300, wilco, Cathay Zero Zero Five

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Hong Kong ATC

HKATC

Frequency

Approach

119.1

Departure

123.8

Director

119.5

Tower (North/South)

118.2 / 118.4

Ground (North/South)

121.6 / 122.55

Zone

120.6

Information

122.4

En-route Radar East

118.925 / 121.3

En-route Radar South

128.75

En-route Radar West

127.1

Terminal Radar East

126.5

Terminal Radar South

126.3

Terminal Radar West

122.95

Hong Kong ATC

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Bibliography

AIP Hong Kong, http://www.hkatc.gov.hk/

ICAO Annex 10 Aeronautical Communications, Vol II
Communication Procedures, October 2001.

END