A PIC report on a conflict with landing traffic at mexico city at night. Reporter was taxiing towards runway 5R, cleared into position, when a landing aircraft passed over and abeam of his aircraft, off the ILS to runway 5R. Conditions were mixed with overcast at 1200 ft and rain.

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Attributes
ACN	407150
Time
Date	199805
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mex
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	407150
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 75
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We were cleared to position and hold on runway 5R in mexico city. As we were approximately 600 ft from the numbers on runway 5R, we observed a B737 come over the top of us and almost hitting us on runway 5R. We believe obviously it was a communication error either on the part of the B737 or the controller in the tower in mexico city. After this occurred, several aircraft went around. I believe that if english is going to be the universal aviation language, it should be at all times with every pilot, airport, and country. The controller communicated with the landing aircraft in spanish for his landing clearance which kept us unaware of his status.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIC RPT ON A CONFLICT WITH LNDG TFC AT MEXICO CITY AT NIGHT. RPTR WAS TAXIING TOWARDS RWY 5R, CLRED INTO POS, WHEN A LNDG ACFT PASSED OVER AND ABEAM OF HIS ACFT, OFF THE ILS TO RWY 5R. CONDITIONS WERE MIXED WITH OVCST AT 1200 FT AND RAIN.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 5R IN MEXICO CITY. AS WE WERE APPROX 600 FT FROM THE NUMBERS ON RWY 5R, WE OBSERVED A B737 COME OVER THE TOP OF US AND ALMOST HITTING US ON RWY 5R. WE BELIEVE OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A COM ERROR EITHER ON THE PART OF THE B737 OR THE CTLR IN THE TWR IN MEXICO CITY. AFTER THIS OCCURRED, SEVERAL ACFT WENT AROUND. I BELIEVE THAT IF ENGLISH IS GOING TO BE THE UNIVERSAL AVIATION LANGUAGE, IT SHOULD BE AT ALL TIMES WITH EVERY PLT, ARPT, AND COUNTRY. THE CTLR COMMUNICATED WITH THE LNDG ACFT IN SPANISH FOR HIS LNDG CLRNC WHICH KEPT US UNAWARE OF HIS STATUS.

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.