Narrative:

Our flight, air carrier X, was delayed on taxiway due to overhead and departure thunderstorms/rainshowers. We were on taxiway a short of runway 5R. For 1 hour, we were the only air carrier X on the radio. Overhead storm passed, but departure direction engulfed with thunderstorms. As thunderstorms moved and lessened, some mexican planes began to depart and arrive. We asked mex tower to give us a PIREP from departing mexican aircraft, since we didn't speak spanish. After 15 mins, tower gave us a report that departing aircraft (runway 5) were making north turnouts at 4-5 DME to clear thunderstorms. This would work with our engine failure procedure, so we requested clearance for takeoff. Mex tower replied, 'ok air carrier X flight abcd, stand by.' then we heard 'air carrier X flight aacd, cleared runway 5R' and both myself and the first officer mistook that as our call sign and cleared to taxi onto runway 5R. The first officer reported back 'air carrier X flight abcd, position runway 5R.' mex tower said 'roger,.' we turned off taxiway a onto taxiway aa, which is the 700 ft lead-in to runway 5. As we entered taxiway aa, I could see a B737 on a 2 mi final and simultaneously heard tower say 'air carrier X flight abcd, you were not cleared onto runway 5R.' I was already making a quick turn left off of taxiway aa onto taxiway A1 behind another air carrier jet holding short of runway 5L. I was already turned when tower said 'air carrier X flight abcd, taxi straight ahead taxiway a.' I could not swing back to follow tower's directions quick and safe enough in our perspective. When we pulled up safely behind the other air carrier to a stop, I could still see the B737 on approach at 1/2+ mi out my left wind. Then tower commanded 'air carrier X flight aacd, go around.' this really surprised me due to the WX at departure and air carrier X flight aacd had ample room on approach. We were well away from taxiway aa/runway 5R. Causes noted: 1) language barrier in monitoring departing and arriving aircraft communications, especially in adverse WX. 2) the long situation and being the only air carrier X aircraft heard on the radio. 3) the like sounding air carrier X flight numbers -- #abcd and #aacd. Supplemental information from acn 564686: I was first officer and working radios. I radioed tower and reported that we were ready at which point tower replied, 'air carrier X flight abcd standby,' which I acknowledged that. Next, I heard 'air carrier X flight aacd cleared runway 5R' to which point I made a wrong assumption and read back to mexico city tower our call sign. I feel the language barrier contributed to the confusion as well as running late and similar sounding call signs.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MMMX LCL CTLR ISSUES GAR TO A B737 ON ONE HALF MI FINAL WHEN COMPANY MD80 ENTERS RWY 5 CLR AREA AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING COMPANY'S CALL SIGN CLRNC.

Narrative: OUR FLT, ACR X, WAS DELAYED ON TXWY DUE TO OVERHEAD AND DEP TSTMS/RAINSHOWERS. WE WERE ON TXWY A SHORT OF RWY 5R. FOR 1 HR, WE WERE THE ONLY ACR X ON THE RADIO. OVERHEAD STORM PASSED, BUT DEP DIRECTION ENGULFED WITH TSTMS. AS TSTMS MOVED AND LESSENED, SOME MEXICAN PLANES BEGAN TO DEPART AND ARRIVE. WE ASKED MEX TWR TO GIVE US A PIREP FROM DEPARTING MEXICAN ACFT, SINCE WE DIDN'T SPEAK SPANISH. AFTER 15 MINS, TWR GAVE US A RPT THAT DEPARTING ACFT (RWY 5) WERE MAKING N TURNOUTS AT 4-5 DME TO CLR TSTMS. THIS WOULD WORK WITH OUR ENG FAILURE PROC, SO WE REQUESTED CLRNC FOR TKOF. MEX TWR REPLIED, 'OK ACR X FLT ABCD, STAND BY.' THEN WE HEARD 'ACR X FLT AACD, CLRED RWY 5R' AND BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO MISTOOK THAT AS OUR CALL SIGN AND CLRED TO TAXI ONTO RWY 5R. THE FO RPTED BACK 'ACR X FLT ABCD, POS RWY 5R.' MEX TWR SAID 'ROGER,.' WE TURNED OFF TXWY A ONTO TXWY AA, WHICH IS THE 700 FT LEAD-IN TO RWY 5. AS WE ENTERED TXWY AA, I COULD SEE A B737 ON A 2 MI FINAL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY HEARD TWR SAY 'ACR X FLT ABCD, YOU WERE NOT CLRED ONTO RWY 5R.' I WAS ALREADY MAKING A QUICK TURN L OFF OF TXWY AA ONTO TXWY A1 BEHIND ANOTHER ACR JET HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 5L. I WAS ALREADY TURNED WHEN TWR SAID 'ACR X FLT ABCD, TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD TXWY A.' I COULD NOT SWING BACK TO FOLLOW TWR'S DIRECTIONS QUICK AND SAFE ENOUGH IN OUR PERSPECTIVE. WHEN WE PULLED UP SAFELY BEHIND THE OTHER ACR TO A STOP, I COULD STILL SEE THE B737 ON APCH AT 1/2+ MI OUT MY L WIND. THEN TWR COMMANDED 'ACR X FLT AACD, GO AROUND.' THIS REALLY SURPRISED ME DUE TO THE WX AT DEP AND ACR X FLT AACD HAD AMPLE ROOM ON APCH. WE WERE WELL AWAY FROM TXWY AA/RWY 5R. CAUSES NOTED: 1) LANGUAGE BARRIER IN MONITORING DEPARTING AND ARRIVING ACFT COMS, ESPECIALLY IN ADVERSE WX. 2) THE LONG SIT AND BEING THE ONLY ACR X ACFT HEARD ON THE RADIO. 3) THE LIKE SOUNDING ACR X FLT NUMBERS -- #ABCD AND #AACD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 564686: I WAS FO AND WORKING RADIOS. I RADIOED TWR AND RPTED THAT WE WERE READY AT WHICH POINT TWR REPLIED, 'ACR X FLT ABCD STANDBY,' WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT. NEXT, I HEARD 'ACR X FLT AACD CLRED RWY 5R' TO WHICH POINT I MADE A WRONG ASSUMPTION AND READ BACK TO MEXICO CITY TWR OUR CALL SIGN. I FEEL THE LANGUAGE BARRIER CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION AS WELL AS RUNNING LATE AND SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS.

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.