Narrative:

We were taxiing to runway 6R talking to apron control and was told to taxi into the right bay (ie, the taxiway just short of runway 6R) and contact ground on 121.9. We contacted ground and they said 'runway heading ? (Inaudible)' I asked them to say again. They said 'runway heading route? Unchanged.' there was a long pause, in which we thought ground was also controling tower control. We started to taxi past the first hold short line. Ground control told us to contact tower on 119.9. When we changed to tower control we stopped and I started trying to get tower on the radio. Tower was trying to get us on the radio. We were stepping on each other. Finally tower asked if we were across the yellow line. I said yes. There was an aircraft on approach that had just broken out of the clouds and the tower told the aircraft (in french) to go around. We then were cleared into position and cleared for takeoff. 1) the problem arose when there was confusion with the ground controller. The french accent and the use of non standard terms (ie, runway heading, then a long pause) 2) another problem is 2 hold short lines. After we called the supervisor on the telephone he told us that line is for ground vehicles. When ground control told us the instructions it gave us the thought of, 'that is our takeoff clearance.' we never did encroach upon the runway. We called montreal's shift supervisor when we landed. He said that he understood the confusion according to the tapes that he reviewed, and that it has caused confusion in the past. He said that he understood why we asked ground control to repeat the instructions, and explained the reason for two hold short lines. He said not to worry about it and we took what he said as no follow up action necessary. Human factors: 1) poor communication skills of ground controller with french accent and non standard phraseology. 2) non standard airport markings. 3) pilots should query with ground controller to be more specific on instructions. Actions to prevent a recurrence: standard language and phraseology.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW HAD RWY INCURSION AT CYUL.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 6R TALKING TO APRON CTL AND WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO THE R BAY (IE, THE TXWY JUST SHORT OF RWY 6R) AND CONTACT GND ON 121.9. WE CONTACTED GND AND THEY SAID 'RWY HEADING ? (INAUDIBLE)' I ASKED THEM TO SAY AGAIN. THEY SAID 'RWY HEADING RTE? UNCHANGED.' THERE WAS A LONG PAUSE, IN WHICH WE THOUGHT GND WAS ALSO CTLING TWR CTL. WE STARTED TO TAXI PAST THE FIRST HOLD SHORT LINE. GND CTL TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR ON 119.9. WHEN WE CHANGED TO TWR CTL WE STOPPED AND I STARTED TRYING TO GET TWR ON THE RADIO. TWR WAS TRYING TO GET US ON THE RADIO. WE WERE STEPPING ON EACH OTHER. FINALLY TWR ASKED IF WE WERE ACROSS THE YELLOW LINE. I SAID YES. THERE WAS AN ACFT ON APCH THAT HAD JUST BROKEN OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND THE TWR TOLD THE ACFT (IN FRENCH) TO GO AROUND. WE THEN WERE CLRED INTO POS AND CLRED FOR TKOF. 1) THE PROB AROSE WHEN THERE WAS CONFUSION WITH THE GND CTLR. THE FRENCH ACCENT AND THE USE OF NON STANDARD TERMS (IE, RWY HEADING, THEN A LONG PAUSE) 2) ANOTHER PROB IS 2 HOLD SHORT LINES. AFTER WE CALLED THE SUPVR ON THE TELEPHONE HE TOLD US THAT LINE IS FOR GND VEHICLES. WHEN GND CTL TOLD US THE INSTRUCTIONS IT GAVE US THE THOUGHT OF, 'THAT IS OUR TKOF CLRNC.' WE NEVER DID ENCROACH UPON THE RWY. WE CALLED MONTREAL'S SHIFT SUPVR WHEN WE LANDED. HE SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE CONFUSION ACCORDING TO THE TAPES THAT HE REVIEWED, AND THAT IT HAS CAUSED CONFUSION IN THE PAST. HE SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD WHY WE ASKED GND CTL TO REPEAT THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND EXPLAINED THE REASON FOR TWO HOLD SHORT LINES. HE SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT AND WE TOOK WHAT HE SAID AS NO FOLLOW UP ACTION NECESSARY. HUMAN FACTORS: 1) POOR COM SKILLS OF GND CTLR WITH FRENCH ACCENT AND NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY. 2) NON STANDARD ARPT MARKINGS. 3) PLTS SHOULD QUERY WITH GND CTLR TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ON INSTRUCTIONS. ACTIONS TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: STANDARD LANGUAGE AND PHRASEOLOGY.

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.