Originally Posted by DozyWannabe
OK, we're off-topic here, so I don't want to get too much into the subject, but from what I understand (based on what I've read and the portions of the report I've translated), the controller offered radar vectors to the ANDLO beacon (from which the VOR-DME approach could be made), but turned them slightly too early, and then used non-standard language when asked to confirm their position. This is in everything I've ever read on the subject.
Off-topic indeed, but this might be a good opportunity to mention that that accident (and Bangalore, too, btw.) is featured on the FAA "lessons learned" web site. They have an animation of the flight path and even an English translation of the full report (from which I'd recommend section 21.5, "Reconstruction of the most probable scenario").
Lessons Learned
Air Inter Flight 148 Flight Path Animation
http://lessonslearned.faa.gov/AirInt...Report_Eng.pdf