polish pilots nearly crash plane in britain

and to think that we pay these poles english lessons dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1025911/Polish-pilots-poor-English-led-mid-air-collision-Heathrow.html - Poor English of Polish pilots

A Polish flight crew forced to rely on air traffic control directions after their navigation system shut down nearly collided with another plane over Heathrow because they had such poor English, it emerged today.

The LOT airlines Boeing 737, carrying 89 passengers to Warsaw, wandered around the skies over London for nearly half an hour as the pilots struggled to understand basic instructions.

It happened last yr, so I'd hope that they're being taught by now. It wasn't the smartest move. So, how much have you paid the PL pilots? What makes you think that you paid?

HOW MANY BRITS PILOTS HAVE CRASHED OVER THE YEARS? YEAH, I THOUGHT SO.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7449653.stm

Yup those british pilots are alot better eh?? oh then again, im sure it was the local Polish community who spiked their drinks!

Regarding the Polish pilots, A big well done on managing not to crash even when they don't speak our language. Also what happened during the battle of Britain, im sure they didn't speak English too??

Obviously because the person giving them instructions couldn't speak English ;)

lol.. wait and watch him blame a pakistani for that then. hehe

I wonder what difference it made having the locked steel door between passengers and flight crew. How many competent individuals can we suppose could have helped in this case. Also, the air stewards must have spoken both languages. And why didn't air-traffic control seek help from a pilot or individual who could translate.

I'm not sure, but i think under international law they must speak English. I remember the French pilots went on strike because they were told to speak English.

ENGLISH is the standard language of ALL pilots and air traffic controllers. You CANNOT be a pilot or an airtraffic controlles if you cannot speak english.

These two dumb polaks risked passengers lives because they could not do this. Their incompetance nearly killed hundreds.

Standard, not legally binding.


This law has not been put into force in the E.U since the French strikes.

The world is a big place my unevolved friend. I'm sorry but you cant expect everybody to speak the Queens English.

Hate to side with noimmi on this but,the international language of the air is,officially English,so,they should have had a good working knowledge to comply with licenses...


Yes,they were a feking menece until they could speak English...they were only checked out as flight fit once they had a good command of english.

you don`t have to speak fluent english to be a pilot but you do need to be able to understand the standard pilot/air traffic control jargon which is in english.

- Lufthansa (in German): Ground, what is our start clearance time?
- Ground (in English): If you want an answer you must speak in English.
- Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany . Why must I speak English?
- Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): Because you lost the bloody war!

P.S.
As incubus said fluent English isn't required, only basic messages (usually used in a very repetitive manner).