Narrative:

Approaching runway 9 in caracas, venezuela (ccs), I called the tower stating, 'air carrier X, #1 for takeoff runway 9.' the tower controller's radio was very scratchy and he spoke too rapidly for his heavy accent and poor radios. He also seemed to 'clip' his transmission by keying his microphone too late or releasing it early. The result was we both heard something that sounded like 'position and hold.' I read back as slowly and deliberately as possible, 'air carrier X position and hold runway 9.' there was no response from tower to indicate it was an incorrect readback. There was an aircraft about 5 mi final on the TCASII and an aircraft on landing roll turning off the departure end. We sat in position for approximately 30 seconds with no admonition from the tower that we were not cleared onto the runway. The tower's next transmission was to clear us for takeoff. Later, on climb out, the departure controller asked us to return to tower frequency for a message, where we were told that we had not been cleared onto the runway. Certainly, the communication challenge weighed in heavily on this event. I feel that generally most mexican/latin and south american controllers feel their english is better than it really is on the receiving end. If they just slowed down and tried to enunciate clearly it would help immensely. Of course it goes both ways, we should speak slowly and clearly to them using standard phraseology. And of course, ICAO standards are somewhat different from FAA standard phraseology which also may have contributed to our confusion. Lastly, the traffic situation was such that we would have expected a position and hold clearance, a perception that may have led me into interping his garbled transmission as such. Bottom line: when operating in foreign airspace do not accept anything other than absolute certainty that they know what you are doing, and you understand what they want you to do -- even if it takes several confirming radio calls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B757 BELIEVED THAT THE FOREIGN TWR CTLR CLRED THEM INTO POS TO HOLD. AFTER TKOF THEY LEARNED THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO HOLD SHORT.

Narrative: APCHING RWY 9 IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA (CCS), I CALLED THE TWR STATING, 'ACR X, #1 FOR TKOF RWY 9.' THE TWR CTLR'S RADIO WAS VERY SCRATCHY AND HE SPOKE TOO RAPIDLY FOR HIS HVY ACCENT AND POOR RADIOS. HE ALSO SEEMED TO 'CLIP' HIS XMISSION BY KEYING HIS MIKE TOO LATE OR RELEASING IT EARLY. THE RESULT WAS WE BOTH HEARD SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE 'POS AND HOLD.' I READ BACK AS SLOWLY AND DELIBERATELY AS POSSIBLE, 'ACR X POS AND HOLD RWY 9.' THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM TWR TO INDICATE IT WAS AN INCORRECT READBACK. THERE WAS AN ACFT ABOUT 5 MI FINAL ON THE TCASII AND AN ACFT ON LNDG ROLL TURNING OFF THE DEP END. WE SAT IN POS FOR APPROX 30 SECONDS WITH NO ADMONITION FROM THE TWR THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED ONTO THE RWY. THE TWR'S NEXT XMISSION WAS TO CLR US FOR TKOF. LATER, ON CLBOUT, THE DEP CTLR ASKED US TO RETURN TO TWR FREQ FOR A MESSAGE, WHERE WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. CERTAINLY, THE COM CHALLENGE WEIGHED IN HEAVILY ON THIS EVENT. I FEEL THAT GENERALLY MOST MEXICAN/LATIN AND SOUTH AMERICAN CTLRS FEEL THEIR ENGLISH IS BETTER THAN IT REALLY IS ON THE RECEIVING END. IF THEY JUST SLOWED DOWN AND TRIED TO ENUNCIATE CLRLY IT WOULD HELP IMMENSELY. OF COURSE IT GOES BOTH WAYS, WE SHOULD SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLRLY TO THEM USING STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. AND OF COURSE, ICAO STANDARDS ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM FAA STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY WHICH ALSO MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR CONFUSION. LASTLY, THE TFC SIT WAS SUCH THAT WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED A POS AND HOLD CLRNC, A PERCEPTION THAT MAY HAVE LED ME INTO INTERPING HIS GARBLED XMISSION AS SUCH. BOTTOM LINE: WHEN OPERATING IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING OTHER THAN ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT THEY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, AND YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO -- EVEN IF IT TAKES SEVERAL CONFIRMING RADIO CALLS.

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.