Narrative:

I first saw the helicopter lifting off when he was about 4000 ft in front of us. His heading was approximately 340 degrees directly across our path. In approximately 2 seconds the helicopter had crossed the runway 5R. He then made a hard left turn back across the runway directly in our path. We leveled off at approximately 300 ft. He was climbing very fast almost directly at us. We started a turn to the left. He saw us and turned hard left. We made a slight turn back to the runway and landed. The helicopter passed 200 ft to our right and 100 ft below us. Mexico city airport elevation is 7341 ft. We were at our maximum landing weight, by trying to go around the aircraft would sink and our nose would have been high. We would have lost sight of the helicopter. By just leveling off we had the option of going left or right to miss the traffic if he had not seen us. All our lights were on and I believe that's what the helicopter pilot saw first. If the mexican controllers would speak english to everyone, we may have been able to hear the clearance given to the helicopter to depart. English speaking crews only hear the clrncs given to them. Problems could be avoided if all of us were on the same page. Spanish and english don't mix in aviation. 'English only.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD NMAC WITH A MIL HELI WHILE ON FINAL AT A FOREIGN ARPT.

Narrative: I FIRST SAW THE HELI LIFTING OFF WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 4000 FT IN FRONT OF US. HIS HDG WAS APPROX 340 DEGS DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR PATH. IN APPROX 2 SECONDS THE HELI HAD CROSSED THE RWY 5R. HE THEN MADE A HARD L TURN BACK ACROSS THE RWY DIRECTLY IN OUR PATH. WE LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 300 FT. HE WAS CLBING VERY FAST ALMOST DIRECTLY AT US. WE STARTED A TURN TO THE L. HE SAW US AND TURNED HARD L. WE MADE A SLIGHT TURN BACK TO THE RWY AND LANDED. THE HELI PASSED 200 FT TO OUR R AND 100 FT BELOW US. MEXICO CITY ARPT ELEVATION IS 7341 FT. WE WERE AT OUR MAX LNDG WT, BY TRYING TO GO AROUND THE ACFT WOULD SINK AND OUR NOSE WOULD HAVE BEEN HIGH. WE WOULD HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE HELI. BY JUST LEVELING OFF WE HAD THE OPTION OF GOING L OR R TO MISS THE TFC IF HE HAD NOT SEEN US. ALL OUR LIGHTS WERE ON AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THE HELI PLT SAW FIRST. IF THE MEXICAN CTLRS WOULD SPEAK ENGLISH TO EVERYONE, WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR THE CLRNC GIVEN TO THE HELI TO DEPART. ENGLISH SPEAKING CREWS ONLY HEAR THE CLRNCS GIVEN TO THEM. PROBS COULD BE AVOIDED IF ALL OF US WERE ON THE SAME PAGE. SPANISH AND ENGLISH DON'T MIX IN AVIATION. 'ENGLISH ONLY.'

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.