Narrative:

The following is my recollection of events surrounding supposed runway encroachment of air carrier X onto runway 05L at mexico city on aug/xx/94. We landed on runway 05R and were requested to hold short of runway 05L on the 'east' taxiway, which we acknowledged. As we approached the runway hold line, we were cleared to cross runway 05L. Simultaneously the controller cleared another aircraft to take off on runway 05R. Because of the way the instructions were given, as one transmission, I requested the first officer double check. We received the same instructions, again a double transmission. The first officer asked a third time if we were cleared to cross runway 05L and, again, we received the same instructions. I looked, saw nothing on the runway, and crossed approximately 30 seconds later. As we were preparing to leave, we were told we had a runway encroachment. I spoke by telephone to the controller and requested that he pull the tower tapes. He replied that he needed special authorization to do that. He insists that he spoke to us only one time and that was to tell us to hold short. I insist just as adamantly, that someone cleared us 3 times to cross. I have been granted permission to pull the circuit breakers on our cockpit voice recorder, in an attempt to preserve this conversation between us and the controller. If they pull the tower tapes at MMMX, I can assure anyone that they will have further verification. As an aside, MMMX and other airports in central and south america are the only airports that I have flown into that seem to use spanish as the primary language. All other countries use english. The radios in this part of the world modulate poorly and many controllers are difficult to understand (though this controller spoke very good english). The point is that it's difficult to know where we are and what other aircraft are doing when we can't understand what's being said. It all adds to the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT RECEIVES CLRNC TO CROSS RWY BUT QUERIES GND 3 TIMES TO ASSURE THEY UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY. ACCUSED OF RWY ENCROACHMENT.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS MY RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS SURROUNDING SUPPOSED RWY ENCROACHMENT OF ACR X ONTO RWY 05L AT MEXICO CITY ON AUG/XX/94. WE LANDED ON RWY 05R AND WERE REQUESTED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 05L ON THE 'E' TXWY, WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. AS WE APCHED THE RWY HOLD LINE, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 05L. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CTLR CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 05R. BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN, AS ONE XMISSION, I REQUESTED THE FO DOUBLE CHK. WE RECEIVED THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS, AGAIN A DOUBLE XMISSION. THE FO ASKED A THIRD TIME IF WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 05L AND, AGAIN, WE RECEIVED THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS. I LOOKED, SAW NOTHING ON THE RWY, AND CROSSED APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER. AS WE WERE PREPARING TO LEAVE, WE WERE TOLD WE HAD A RWY ENCROACHMENT. I SPOKE BY TELEPHONE TO THE CTLR AND REQUESTED THAT HE PULL THE TWR TAPES. HE REPLIED THAT HE NEEDED SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION TO DO THAT. HE INSISTS THAT HE SPOKE TO US ONLY ONE TIME AND THAT WAS TO TELL US TO HOLD SHORT. I INSIST JUST AS ADAMANTLY, THAT SOMEONE CLRED US 3 TIMES TO CROSS. I HAVE BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION TO PULL THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS ON OUR COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER, IN AN ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE THIS CONVERSATION BTWN US AND THE CTLR. IF THEY PULL THE TWR TAPES AT MMMX, I CAN ASSURE ANYONE THAT THEY WILL HAVE FURTHER VERIFICATION. AS AN ASIDE, MMMX AND OTHER ARPTS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA ARE THE ONLY ARPTS THAT I HAVE FLOWN INTO THAT SEEM TO USE SPANISH AS THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE. ALL OTHER COUNTRIES USE ENGLISH. THE RADIOS IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD MODULATE POORLY AND MANY CTLRS ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND (THOUGH THIS CTLR SPOKE VERY GOOD ENGLISH). THE POINT IS THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT OTHER ACFT ARE DOING WHEN WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING SAID. IT ALL ADDS TO THE CONFUSION.

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.