Narrative:

We received our taxi clearance to runway 27R via txwys that were the wrong way (against 1-WAY arrows), so we reconfirmed this and the clearance to cross runway 27L and degaulle ground said 'yes, cleared to cross runway 27L, line up and wait runway 27R.' I repeated this, and we crossed runway 27L and taxied into position and hold on runway 27R. We felt uncomfortable since we saw a plane on long final, so we turned on our strobes and called ground back and told them where we were (on runway 27R). They said to confirm on runway 27R. We did, and they said we were not cleared to line up and to contact tower. We did this, and tower said we were not cleared onto runway 27R. We said we were cleared by ground to line up and wait on runway 27R. Tower said there was a plane on final. I said 'what would you like us to do?' tower said 'you are cleared to takeoff.' we did. This was our first and only leg of the night. It was our first time operating out of cdg. Many of the cdg procedures were nonstandard (possibly due to low traffic volume at this late hour), ie, taxiing the wrong way, unmarked txwys, incorrect NOTAMS, etc. We thought we heard ground clear other aircraft for takeoff (possibly on other runways) so we stayed on ground frequency as we taxied onto the runway. We had a very difficult time understanding what ground and clearance were telling us, so we had them repeat many instructions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that this was the first time both crew members had been to cdg. They had a hard time dealing with the accents of the controllers and were confused by the use of wrong direction txwys. There was also a reference made to the nonstandard signs and markings for taxiway and runway identify.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AT CDG, FRANCE, BY 2 FIRST-TIME ENTRY CREW MEMBERS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH ACCENTS AND NONSTANDARD ROUTING ON THE ARPT.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED OUR TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 27R VIA TXWYS THAT WERE THE WRONG WAY (AGAINST 1-WAY ARROWS), SO WE RECONFIRMED THIS AND THE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 27L AND DEGAULLE GND SAID 'YES, CLRED TO CROSS RWY 27L, LINE UP AND WAIT RWY 27R.' I REPEATED THIS, AND WE CROSSED RWY 27L AND TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27R. WE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE SINCE WE SAW A PLANE ON LONG FINAL, SO WE TURNED ON OUR STROBES AND CALLED GND BACK AND TOLD THEM WHERE WE WERE (ON RWY 27R). THEY SAID TO CONFIRM ON RWY 27R. WE DID, AND THEY SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED TO LINE UP AND TO CONTACT TWR. WE DID THIS, AND TWR SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED ONTO RWY 27R. WE SAID WE WERE CLRED BY GND TO LINE UP AND WAIT ON RWY 27R. TWR SAID THERE WAS A PLANE ON FINAL. I SAID 'WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO?' TWR SAID 'YOU ARE CLRED TO TAKEOFF.' WE DID. THIS WAS OUR FIRST AND ONLY LEG OF THE NIGHT. IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME OPERATING OUT OF CDG. MANY OF THE CDG PROCS WERE NONSTANDARD (POSSIBLY DUE TO LOW TFC VOLUME AT THIS LATE HR), IE, TAXIING THE WRONG WAY, UNMARKED TXWYS, INCORRECT NOTAMS, ETC. WE THOUGHT WE HEARD GND CLR OTHER ACFT FOR TKOF (POSSIBLY ON OTHER RWYS) SO WE STAYED ON GND FREQ AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. WE HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME UNDERSTANDING WHAT GND AND CLRNC WERE TELLING US, SO WE HAD THEM REPEAT MANY INSTRUCTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME BOTH CREW MEMBERS HAD BEEN TO CDG. THEY HAD A HARD TIME DEALING WITH THE ACCENTS OF THE CTLRS AND WERE CONFUSED BY THE USE OF WRONG DIRECTION TXWYS. THERE WAS ALSO A REF MADE TO THE NONSTANDARD SIGNS AND MARKINGS FOR TXWY AND RWY IDENT.

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.