Narrative:

Arriving in the mty, mexico area, I was tracking from lrd to ronda intersection and initially cleared for the ronda arrival to runway 11. ATC reclred us to intercept and track to adn on the 025 degree radial, descend to 7000 ft. Then cleared to 5000 ft. Right over adn, he asked if we had traffic, a mex B-727 and airport in sight. We did and replied affirmative, airport and traffic in sight. After pausing as we continued past the VORTAC, he stated cleared for approach to which my first officer (PNF) replied understand cleared for the visual approach to runway 11. I then turned left to line up with the runway about 5 mi out on final, requested approximately 120 degree turn, ATC came back with what is your heading? Our response was 060 degrees. As I turned back to the right as we joined final, we did not overshoot -- even with the terrible clearance, etc. This is verified by looking at the FMS map display of final and the obvious visual line-up on the runway. Next, ATC said comply with instructions, which was very confusing at this busy time period. His terse sounding statement made us wonder what he meant and suggested there may have been a problem. He said he did have other traffic coming in from the north, which may have been a factor. We landed without further discussion or incident. Maybe if mexican ATC would stop their obvious practice of putting every mexican aircraft within 100 NM of any united states aircraft, they would not have to do so many wild vectors and ridiculous clrncs. Also, their english is sometimes very poor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANGUAGE BARRIER. ACR CREW THOUGHT THAT THEY KNEW THE CLRNC, BUT SUBSEQUENT REMARKS BY THE CTLR CAUSED THEM TO SUSPECT THAT THEY MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR.

Narrative: ARRIVING IN THE MTY, MEXICO AREA, I WAS TRACKING FROM LRD TO RONDA INTXN AND INITIALLY CLRED FOR THE RONDA ARR TO RWY 11. ATC RECLRED US TO INTERCEPT AND TRACK TO ADN ON THE 025 DEG RADIAL, DSND TO 7000 FT. THEN CLRED TO 5000 FT. RIGHT OVER ADN, HE ASKED IF WE HAD TFC, A MEX B-727 AND ARPT IN SIGHT. WE DID AND REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE, ARPT AND TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER PAUSING AS WE CONTINUED PAST THE VORTAC, HE STATED CLRED FOR APCH TO WHICH MY FO (PNF) REPLIED UNDERSTAND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 11. I THEN TURNED L TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY ABOUT 5 MI OUT ON FINAL, REQUESTED APPROX 120 DEG TURN, ATC CAME BACK WITH WHAT IS YOUR HDG? OUR RESPONSE WAS 060 DEGS. AS I TURNED BACK TO THE R AS WE JOINED FINAL, WE DID NOT OVERSHOOT -- EVEN WITH THE TERRIBLE CLRNC, ETC. THIS IS VERIFIED BY LOOKING AT THE FMS MAP DISPLAY OF FINAL AND THE OBVIOUS VISUAL LINE-UP ON THE RWY. NEXT, ATC SAID COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH WAS VERY CONFUSING AT THIS BUSY TIME PERIOD. HIS TERSE SOUNDING STATEMENT MADE US WONDER WHAT HE MEANT AND SUGGESTED THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A PROB. HE SAID HE DID HAVE OTHER TFC COMING IN FROM THE N, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION OR INCIDENT. MAYBE IF MEXICAN ATC WOULD STOP THEIR OBVIOUS PRACTICE OF PUTTING EVERY MEXICAN ACFT WITHIN 100 NM OF ANY UNITED STATES ACFT, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO DO SO MANY WILD VECTORS AND RIDICULOUS CLRNCS. ALSO, THEIR ENGLISH IS SOMETIMES VERY POOR.

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.