MD80 aircraft in foreign airspace heard a call for an aircraft to turn, but neither flight crew thought it was for them. Because of the language barrier, it may have been for their aircraft, but the controller just didn't call again. Reporter increased climb rate when seeing traffic on TCASII.

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Attributes
ACN	357543
Time
Date	199701
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmex
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : uj11
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16600 flight time type : 5500
ASRS Report	357543
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying, first officer operating radio. Mmex called an aircraft saying turn to 80 degrees immediately for traffic. First officer missed the call and I did not think it was for us (still don't know). I checked TCASII and saw target at about 2-3 O'clock and did not appear to be closing on us. Just to be safe, I increased rate of climb to FL330. A reply transmission was heard in spanish and mmex never asked for a turn again. The traffic crossed in front of us probably 7-8 mi. The next call we got was cleared direct cdr conception so that made us think the turn really had been for us. Use of spanish contributed to this event and our unease. We might have pushed by asking who the turn was for but did not in part because of spanish transmission immediately after to controller's request for a turn.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ACFT IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE HEARD A CALL FOR AN ACFT TO TURN, BUT NEITHER FLC THOUGHT IT WAS FOR THEM. BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, IT MAY HAVE BEEN FOR THEIR ACFT, BUT THE CTLR JUST DIDN'T CALL AGAIN. RPTR INCREASED CLB RATE WHEN SEEING TFC ON TCASII.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING, FO OPERATING RADIO. MMEX CALLED AN ACFT SAYING TURN TO 80 DEGS IMMEDIATELY FOR TFC. FO MISSED THE CALL AND I DID NOT THINK IT WAS FOR US (STILL DON'T KNOW). I CHKED TCASII AND SAW TARGET AT ABOUT 2-3 O'CLOCK AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CLOSING ON US. JUST TO BE SAFE, I INCREASED RATE OF CLB TO FL330. A REPLY XMISSION WAS HEARD IN SPANISH AND MMEX NEVER ASKED FOR A TURN AGAIN. THE TFC CROSSED IN FRONT OF US PROBABLY 7-8 MI. THE NEXT CALL WE GOT WAS CLRED DIRECT CDR CONCEPTION SO THAT MADE US THINK THE TURN REALLY HAD BEEN FOR US. USE OF SPANISH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT AND OUR UNEASE. WE MIGHT HAVE PUSHED BY ASKING WHO THE TURN WAS FOR BUT DID NOT IN PART BECAUSE OF SPANISH XMISSION IMMEDIATELY AFTER TO CTLR'S REQUEST FOR A TURN.

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.