Narrative:

After an uneventful flight from lax to mmx, flight landed on runway 5R in mexico city. While clearing the runway at high speed taxiway east, the tower controller instructed the flight crew in broken english to cross runway 5L and then contact ground control on frequency 'one two one decimal (unintelligible).' I was the copilot operating the radio and read back the instructions to cross runway 5L and to contact ground. But I did not understand the ground frequency number and so referred to my 10-9 mmx chart to obtain the correct frequency (listed as 121.9). After crossing runway 5L, I contacted ground on 121.9 but received no answer. After several attempts, I returned to the tower frequency to obtain the correct ground control frequency. The tower controller scolded us and told us she had called us twice to hold short of runway 5L and that she would be forced to make a report. She also informed us that an xyz B727 was on his takeoff roll on runway 5L and would also be filing a report. As a precaution, the captain looked back at a 45 degree angle over his left shoulder before crossing runway 5L to insure no airplane was coming. The WX was overcast with broken clouds and 4 mi visibility with haze and smoke. He saw no one and proceeded across the runway. Once across and in the l-hand turn to join taxiway B, we could see an airplane coming down the runway. But the B727 was not airborne until after we were established on the taxiway B. I informed the controller that we did not hear more than 1 transmission of instructions, that we were on frequency until after crossing, and that I had read back the instructions to cross and she did not correct me. In fact she began talking to other airplanes in staccato spanish after my readback and never acknowledged my readback nor corrected it! At no time were we in a near-miss situation! I believe that ICAO rules regarding 'english only' usage by the world's air traffic controllers should be strictly enforced. Situational awareness is nonexistent when controllers speak to everyone else in a foreign language and to you in broken english! We would have known something was amiss if we had heard her give another airplane takeoff instructions in english!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAND RWY 5R COPIED CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 5L ON TXWY E. CTLR ISSUED TKOF CLRNC IN SPANISH AND DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE READBACK OF RPTR. TWR CLAIMS THEY REQUESTED RPTR TO HOLD TWICE. B727 CONTINUED TKOF WITHOUT ANY CONFLICT.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM LAX TO MMX, FLT LANDED ON RWY 5R IN MEXICO CITY. WHILE CLRING THE RWY AT HIGH SPD TXWY E, THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED THE FLC IN BROKEN ENGLISH TO CROSS RWY 5L AND THEN CONTACT GND CTL ON FREQ 'ONE TWO ONE DECIMAL (UNINTELLIGIBLE).' I WAS THE COPLT OPERATING THE RADIO AND READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 5L AND TO CONTACT GND. BUT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE GND FREQ NUMBER AND SO REFERRED TO MY 10-9 MMX CHART TO OBTAIN THE CORRECT FREQ (LISTED AS 121.9). AFTER XING RWY 5L, I CONTACTED GND ON 121.9 BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, I RETURNED TO THE TWR FREQ TO OBTAIN THE CORRECT GND CTL FREQ. THE TWR CTLR SCOLDED US AND TOLD US SHE HAD CALLED US TWICE TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5L AND THAT SHE WOULD BE FORCED TO MAKE A RPT. SHE ALSO INFORMED US THAT AN XYZ B727 WAS ON HIS TKOF ROLL ON RWY 5L AND WOULD ALSO BE FILING A RPT. AS A PRECAUTION, THE CAPT LOOKED BACK AT A 45 DEG ANGLE OVER HIS L SHOULDER BEFORE XING RWY 5L TO INSURE NO AIRPLANE WAS COMING. THE WX WAS OVCST WITH BROKEN CLOUDS AND 4 MI VISIBILITY WITH HAZE AND SMOKE. HE SAW NO ONE AND PROCEEDED ACROSS THE RWY. ONCE ACROSS AND IN THE L-HAND TURN TO JOIN TXWY B, WE COULD SEE AN AIRPLANE COMING DOWN THE RWY. BUT THE B727 WAS NOT AIRBORNE UNTIL AFTER WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE TXWY B. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE DID NOT HEAR MORE THAN 1 XMISSION OF INSTRUCTIONS, THAT WE WERE ON FREQ UNTIL AFTER XING, AND THAT I HAD READ BACK THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS AND SHE DID NOT CORRECT ME. IN FACT SHE BEGAN TALKING TO OTHER AIRPLANES IN STACCATO SPANISH AFTER MY READBACK AND NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED MY READBACK NOR CORRECTED IT! AT NO TIME WERE WE IN A NEAR-MISS SIT! I BELIEVE THAT ICAO RULES REGARDING 'ENGLISH ONLY' USAGE BY THE WORLD'S AIR TFC CTLRS SHOULD BE STRICTLY ENFORCED. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS NONEXISTENT WHEN CTLRS SPEAK TO EVERYONE ELSE IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND TO YOU IN BROKEN ENGLISH! WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS AMISS IF WE HAD HEARD HER GIVE ANOTHER AIRPLANE TKOF INSTRUCTIONS IN ENGLISH!

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.