Narrative:

During taxi, tower issued instructions in a very heavy accent that to us sounded like 'cleared into position and wait.' in all probability, he instead said, 'cleared to the hold line and wait.' the first officer, employing a phraseology that is commonly used in the united states, asked in a very clear and enunciated fashion, 'did you clear us into position and hold?' the tower's terse answer was 'yes!' all 3 crew members commented on how positive he was. I called for the before takeoff checklist and proceeded beyond the ILS hold line toward the runway. Beyond the hold line tower shouted stop whereupon we spotted an airliner breaking out of the clouds. Although we never penetrated the area of the runway the sudden stop, the proximity to the runway, the sign and sound of the landing aircraft scared all of us, including the passenger on the right side of the aircraft. Although once we received the affirmative response from the tower, there was no doubt that we were cleared to the runway. It is clear we misunderstood each other since he denied clearing us onto the runway even after we reminded him of the clarification. Except for flying in the military over 26 yrs ago, my experience in flying in foreign countries is very recent and limited. Both the flight engineer and first officer have a couple of yrs of experience. We were well warned by our instructor when we took international training that communications are difficult in foreign countries even though the ICAO official language is english. Perhaps if instead we would have asked him, 'do you want us to go on the runway?' he would have responded with a strong 'no!'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH RWY ENTRY AT A FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: DURING TAXI, TWR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS IN A VERY HVY ACCENT THAT TO US SOUNDED LIKE 'CLRED INTO POS AND WAIT.' IN ALL PROBABILITY, HE INSTEAD SAID, 'CLRED TO THE HOLD LINE AND WAIT.' THE FO, EMPLOYING A PHRASEOLOGY THAT IS COMMONLY USED IN THE UNITED STATES, ASKED IN A VERY CLR AND ENUNCIATED FASHION, 'DID YOU CLR US INTO POS AND HOLD?' THE TWR'S TERSE ANSWER WAS 'YES!' ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS COMMENTED ON HOW POSITIVE HE WAS. I CALLED FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST AND PROCEEDED BEYOND THE ILS HOLD LINE TOWARD THE RWY. BEYOND THE HOLD LINE TWR SHOUTED STOP WHEREUPON WE SPOTTED AN AIRLINER BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS. ALTHOUGH WE NEVER PENETRATED THE AREA OF THE RWY THE SUDDEN STOP, THE PROX TO THE RWY, THE SIGN AND SOUND OF THE LNDG ACFT SCARED ALL OF US, INCLUDING THE PAX ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. ALTHOUGH ONCE WE RECEIVED THE AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSE FROM THE TWR, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO THE RWY. IT IS CLR WE MISUNDERSTOOD EACH OTHER SINCE HE DENIED CLRING US ONTO THE RWY EVEN AFTER WE REMINDED HIM OF THE CLARIFICATION. EXCEPT FOR FLYING IN THE MIL OVER 26 YRS AGO, MY EXPERIENCE IN FLYING IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES IS VERY RECENT AND LIMITED. BOTH THE FE AND FO HAVE A COUPLE OF YRS OF EXPERIENCE. WE WERE WELL WARNED BY OUR INSTRUCTOR WHEN WE TOOK INTL TRAINING THAT COMS ARE DIFFICULT IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES EVEN THOUGH THE ICAO OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH. PERHAPS IF INSTEAD WE WOULD HAVE ASKED HIM, 'DO YOU WANT US TO GO ON THE RWY?' HE WOULD HAVE RESPONDED WITH A STRONG 'NO!'

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.