The ICAO English Language Proficiency Rating Scale Applied to Enroute Voice Communication of U.S. and Foreign Pilots

This is the third and final report in a series that examined communications between pilots and air traffic controllers during en route operations. The first report examined message complexity and message length as factors associated with communication problems e.g., readback errors RBEs, requests for repeats RfR, and breakdowns in communication BIC. The second report examined these same communication problems by differentiating between pilots flying U.S. - and foreign-registry aircraft. Aircraft call signs were used to classify transmissions by aircraft registry U.S.-English, Foreign-English, Foreign-Other. Language proficiency was identified as a factor for 6690 73 communication problems among foreign aircraft and for 56191 29 involving U.S. aircraft. However, there was no mention of the level of proficiency among these pilots. This report examined the language proficiency among these controllers and pilots by applying the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO language proficiency scales to the messages of pilots flying U.S. - and foreign-registry aircraft. The previously identified communication problems were re-examined and rated according to ICAOs six dimensions of language proficiency pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, interaction by a certified rater. Each dimension receives a grade ranging from 1 Pre-Elementary through 6 Expert. Approximately 94 of the pilots received an overall language proficiency rating LPR of 5 Extended because one or more of their utterances was graded Extended. The remaining 13 pilots LPR was 4 Operational, 12 of whom flew Foreign-Other registry aircraft. Among U.S. English communication problems, 50 were RBEs, and 33 were RfR. Foreign-Other communication problems were 57 RfR, 44 of which were made by pilots with an overall rating of Extended.