Narrative:

I would like to reveal to you the facts concerning an incident during the taxiing before take off from las vegas, nevada international airport. In the MD82 on a scheduled flight leaving las vegas, nv going to hermosillo, sonora mexico. We had frequent contact with ground control, where they made us change our original take off runway 25R to 19L. We proceeded to that particular runway following instructions that were given to us. The outside temperature was 104 degree and the air conditioning within the cabin attendant was not functioning efficiently. Therefore, after 25 to 30 mins of taxiing, I told my first officer to ask the control tower an estimated time for our take off. He asked three times and not until the third request did ATC finally respond in an unfriendly and abrupt tone. 'Expect delay of five mins for your take off, cross runway 19L and hold short 19R.' this response was heard by both my first officer and myself, which made us realize that the control tower was overloaded giving instructions. Since his response were uttered and very quickly. Proceeding after reinsert the new runway 19R on the GPS, we verified visually our right and left, to clear way to cross the runway 19L going to runway 19R. We were following the ATC's instructions, immediately after our crossing, the control tower asked, 'what are your intentions.' the first officer responded, 'just doing what you said, cross runway 19L and hold short runway 19R.' immediately, he control tower responded hastily, 'stop right there!' after 40 to 50 seconds he asked us in a better tone, 'can you take-off on runway 19R?' I then responded in return to my first officer, tell him 'affirmative.' procedures then following, were considered as any normal take off. After take off, we changed frequency with departure control, whom they said for us to urgently call las tower. We called, and the supervisor affirmed us that the instructions proceeding to cross the runway were not the instructions given from the control tower. The supervisor, further added that this was the third incident of this nature and that he would file a report. I assured him that we understood the instructions to cross runway 19L and hold short runway 19R, both of us heard it. But if we misunderstood what ATC had said, then we regretfully apologize for our misunderstanding and any inconvenience that may have caused. We insist that we will be more attentive next time. I contend that ATC's could exemplify courteousness in their language and tone when clear instructions toward foreign pilots and airplanes. Furthermore, they should be more considerate and moderate the speed of their english when being precise in giving instructions and not to speak so fast. We all speak english, yet we are not native speakers and are not accustom to the speed of some controller's english because we just fly two or three times a month to the USA. I would like to suggest, a meeting among pilots and ATC's to dialogue and interchange our concerns and ideas upon communication in regard to air safety. In closing, I would like to extend, my professionalism of 29 yrs flying as a commercial passenger pilot and never had encountered any miscommunication in the us. I apologize for the delay to send you this incident report, but I work in a system called '12 by 8' (twelve days working ahd eight days resting) and the 08/sun/01, was the first day of my working days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOREIGN CARRIER MD82 MISCONSTRUES TAXI CLRNC AND CROSSES RWY TO TKOF ON PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: I WOULD LIKE TO REVEAL TO YOU THE FACTS CONCERNING AN INCIDENT DURING THE TAXIING BEFORE TAKE OFF FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. IN THE MD82 ON A SCHEDULED FLT LEAVING LAS VEGAS, NV GOING TO HERMOSILLO, SONORA MEXICO. WE HAD FREQUENT CONTACT WITH GND CTL, WHERE THEY MADE US CHANGE OUR ORIGINAL TAKE OFF RWY 25R TO 19L. WE PROCEEDED TO THAT PARTICULAR RWY FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE GIVEN TO US. THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS 104 DEG AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WITHIN THE CAB WAS NOT FUNCTIONING EFFICIENTLY. THEREFORE, AFTER 25 TO 30 MINS OF TAXIING, I TOLD MY FO TO ASK THE CTL TWR AN ESTIMATED TIME FOR OUR TAKE OFF. HE ASKED THREE TIMES AND NOT UNTIL THE THIRD REQUEST DID ATC FINALLY RESPOND IN AN UNFRIENDLY AND ABRUPT TONE. 'EXPECT DELAY OF FIVE MINS FOR YOUR TAKE OFF, CROSS RWY 19L AND HOLD SHORT 19R.' THIS RESPONSE WAS HEARD BY BOTH MY FO AND MYSELF, WHICH MADE US REALIZE THAT THE CTL TWR WAS OVERLOADED GIVING INSTRUCTIONS. SINCE HIS RESPONSE WERE UTTERED AND VERY QUICKLY. PROCEEDING AFTER REINSERT THE NEW RWY 19R ON THE GPS, WE VERIFIED VISUALLY OUR R AND L, TO CLR WAY TO CROSS THE RWY 19L GOING TO RWY 19R. WE WERE FOLLOWING THE ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR CROSSING, THE CTL TWR ASKED, 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS.' THE FO RESPONDED, 'JUST DOING WHAT YOU SAID, CROSS RWY 19L AND HOLD SHORT RWY 19R.' IMMEDIATELY, HE CTL TWR RESPONDED HASTILY, 'STOP RIGHT THERE!' AFTER 40 TO 50 SECS HE ASKED US IN A BETTER TONE, 'CAN YOU TAKE-OFF ON RWY 19R?' I THEN RESPONDED IN RETURN TO MY FO, TELL HIM 'AFFIRMATIVE.' PROCS THEN FOLLOWING, WERE CONSIDERED AS ANY NORMAL TAKE OFF. AFTER TAKE OFF, WE CHANGED FREQ WITH DEP CTL, WHOM THEY SAID FOR US TO URGENTLY CALL LAS TWR. WE CALLED, AND THE SUPVR AFFIRMED US THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS PROCEEDING TO CROSS THE RWY WERE NOT THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FROM THE CTL TWR. THE SUPVR, FURTHER ADDED THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD INCIDENT OF THIS NATURE AND THAT HE WOULD FILE A REPORT. I ASSURED HIM THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTIONS TO CROSS RWY 19L AND HOLD SHORT RWY 19R, BOTH OF US HEARD IT. BUT IF WE MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT ATC HAD SAID, THEN WE REGRETFULLY APOLOGIZE FOR OUR MISUNDERSTANDING AND ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED. WE INSIST THAT WE WILL BE MORE ATTENTIVE NEXT TIME. I CONTEND THAT ATC'S COULD EXEMPLIFY COURTEOUSNESS IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND TONE WHEN CLR INSTRUCTIONS TOWARD FOREIGN PLTS AND AIRPLANES. FURTHERMORE, THEY SHOULD BE MORE CONSIDERATE AND MODERATE THE SPEED OF THEIR ENGLISH WHEN BEING PRECISE IN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS AND NOT TO SPEAK SO FAST. WE ALL SPEAK ENGLISH, YET WE ARE NOT NATIVE SPEAKERS AND ARE NOT ACCUSTOM TO THE SPEED OF SOME CTLR'S ENGLISH BECAUSE WE JUST FLY TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH TO THE USA. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, A MEETING AMONG PLTS AND ATC'S TO DIALOGUE AND INTERCHANGE OUR CONCERNS AND IDEAS UPON COM IN REGARD TO AIR SAFETY. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND, MY PROFESSIONALISM OF 29 YRS FLYING AS A COMMERCIAL PAX PLT AND NEVER HAD ENCOUNTERED ANY MISCOMMUNICATION IN THE US. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY TO SEND YOU THIS INCIDENT RPT, BUT I WORK IN A SYSTEM CALLED '12 BY 8' (TWELVE DAYS WORKING AHD EIGHT DAYS RESTING) AND THE 08/SUN/01, WAS THE FIRST DAY OF MY WORKING DAYS.

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.