Narrative:

While taxiing to runway 12 at cancun, mexico we received our ATC clearance that was copied and read back as: 'cleared to ord, A26E to parra, A26 to gni, direct msy, as filed , maintain 240, report the cancun VOR 360 degree radial, cleared for takeoff, left turn on course'. We made our takeoff on runway 12 with a left turn on course, we reported the 360 degree radial of cancun VOR and proceeded up A26E. ATC called and ask what radial we were on, and we replied that we were on the 329 degree radial of cancun. They informed us that we should have flown the cancun 360 degree radial because of inbound traffic on A26E. We were able to proceed on course because of altitude sep. I think the problem arose due to a wrong ATC clearance. This was the first trip to cancun for the entire crew and I am a newly qualified heavy transport captain, so while en route to cancun a briefing was given concerning language problems and all things different to the operation and destination. To say that the three of us were 'on our toes' is an understatement. I think the most contributing factor to this problem is the poor quality of english used by the controller who delivered the ATC clearance and his ability to understand our readback. Having flown into most all the stations in the pacific for 2 yrs, the quality of english at cancun was the worst I have ever experienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW DEPARTING CANCUN, MEXICO THOUGHT THEY WERE CLRED VIA A26E. CUN CTLR THEN TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE 360 DEG RADIAL FROM CUN, AS OPPOSED TO THE 329 DEG RADIAL CORRESPONDING TO A26E.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 12 AT CANCUN, MEXICO WE RECEIVED OUR ATC CLRNC THAT WAS COPIED AND READ BACK AS: 'CLRED TO ORD, A26E TO PARRA, A26 TO GNI, DIRECT MSY, AS FILED , MAINTAIN 240, RPT THE CANCUN VOR 360 DEG RADIAL, CLRED FOR TKOF, L TURN ON COURSE'. WE MADE OUR TKOF ON RWY 12 WITH A L TURN ON COURSE, WE RPTED THE 360 DEG RADIAL OF CANCUN VOR AND PROCEEDED UP A26E. ATC CALLED AND ASK WHAT RADIAL WE WERE ON, AND WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE ON THE 329 DEG RADIAL OF CANCUN. THEY INFORMED US THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE CANCUN 360 DEG RADIAL BECAUSE OF INBND TFC ON A26E. WE WERE ABLE TO PROCEED ON COURSE BECAUSE OF ALT SEP. I THINK THE PROB AROSE DUE TO A WRONG ATC CLRNC. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIP TO CANCUN FOR THE ENTIRE CREW AND I AM A NEWLY QUALIFIED HVT CAPT, SO WHILE ENRTE TO CANCUN A BRIEFING WAS GIVEN CONCERNING LANGUAGE PROBS AND ALL THINGS DIFFERENT TO THE OPERATION AND DEST. TO SAY THAT THE THREE OF US WERE 'ON OUR TOES' IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I THINK THE MOST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS PROB IS THE POOR QUALITY OF ENGLISH USED BY THE CTLR WHO DELIVERED THE ATC CLRNC AND HIS ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND OUR READBACK. HAVING FLOWN INTO MOST ALL THE STATIONS IN THE PACIFIC FOR 2 YRS, THE QUALITY OF ENGLISH AT CANCUN WAS THE WORST I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED.

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