Narrative:

We were 8 mins behind schedule when we entered guayaquil's airspace at vakud intersection. After my position report; I requested 'direct to ugupi intersection' with the controller as this would make-up about 2 mins. In her broken english and the poor radio reception flying over the andes mountains; I thought she said we were approved; and to report over guayaquil VOR. In hindsight; she should have told us to report 'abeam guayaquil' as new route would take us approximately 15 mi east of the VOR. This was the third time we've flown through their airspace in the last 48 hours and we were given clearance to deviate through the same airspace due to WX over guayaquil. Consequently; I interpreted the charted restr airspace; southeast(P)-1 as a 'hot/cold' type military airspace which could be transited with center's approval. Then at approximately XA32Z we received instructions from our controller telling us to proceed directly to guayaquil VOR (gyv) which was approximately 20 degrees off our left at 40 mi. After we entered it into the FMC; and were established in the turn; her supervisor was on the radio telling us to turn further left to a heading of 280 degrees; which was an additional 60 degrees. The light then came on that we had misunderstood our clearance to fly direct to ugupi and had inadvertently flown approximately 10 mi across the southwest edge of restr area southeast(P)-1. At XA38Z; we were well west of qyv when we were cleared direct to ugupi with no other radio communications until we were handed off to bogota control at ugupi. I believe this event is the result of poor radio reception over high terrain; the controller's heavy spanish accent; and crew fatigue. I discovered that the captain and I were assigned this trip that afternoon when I happened to check my monthly schedule. Scheduling called me at XA00 local and informed me we were the only pilots available for this flight scheduled to depart ZZZ at XD55 local. Clearly; I was not 100% following our earlier all-night flight. I was tempted to tell scheduling that I was fatigued; but as the captain said he was going to fly it; I decided to acquiesce fearing repercussions from the flight office. Nevertheless; if I ever get this call to fly back-to-back 'all nighters' again; I will certainly have no reservations throwing the 'fatigue flag;' we were lucky we didn't experience a BA777 type incident; this would have been a lot worse. Lesson learned!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANGUAGE BARRIER WITH SOUTH AMERICAN ATC CONTRIBUTES TO TRACK DEV AND ENTRY INTO RESTRICTED AIRSPACE FOR FATIGUED WDB FLT CREW.

Narrative: WE WERE 8 MINS BEHIND SCHEDULE WHEN WE ENTERED GUAYAQUIL'S AIRSPACE AT VAKUD INTXN. AFTER MY POS RPT; I REQUESTED 'DIRECT TO UGUPI INTXN' WITH THE CTLR AS THIS WOULD MAKE-UP ABOUT 2 MINS. IN HER BROKEN ENGLISH AND THE POOR RADIO RECEPTION FLYING OVER THE ANDES MOUNTAINS; I THOUGHT SHE SAID WE WERE APPROVED; AND TO RPT OVER GUAYAQUIL VOR. IN HINDSIGHT; SHE SHOULD HAVE TOLD US TO RPT 'ABEAM GUAYAQUIL' AS NEW RTE WOULD TAKE US APPROX 15 MI E OF THE VOR. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME WE'VE FLOWN THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE IN THE LAST 48 HRS AND WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO DEVIATE THROUGH THE SAME AIRSPACE DUE TO WX OVER GUAYAQUIL. CONSEQUENTLY; I INTERPED THE CHARTED RESTR AIRSPACE; SE(P)-1 AS A 'HOT/COLD' TYPE MIL AIRSPACE WHICH COULD BE TRANSITED WITH CTR'S APPROVAL. THEN AT APPROX XA32Z WE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM OUR CTLR TELLING US TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO GUAYAQUIL VOR (GYV) WHICH WAS APPROX 20 DEGS OFF OUR L AT 40 MI. AFTER WE ENTERED IT INTO THE FMC; AND WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE TURN; HER SUPVR WAS ON THE RADIO TELLING US TO TURN FURTHER L TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS; WHICH WAS AN ADDITIONAL 60 DEGS. THE LIGHT THEN CAME ON THAT WE HAD MISUNDERSTOOD OUR CLRNC TO FLY DIRECT TO UGUPI AND HAD INADVERTENTLY FLOWN APPROX 10 MI ACROSS THE SW EDGE OF RESTR AREA SE(P)-1. AT XA38Z; WE WERE WELL W OF QYV WHEN WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO UGUPI WITH NO OTHER RADIO COMS UNTIL WE WERE HANDED OFF TO BOGOTA CTL AT UGUPI. I BELIEVE THIS EVENT IS THE RESULT OF POOR RADIO RECEPTION OVER HIGH TERRAIN; THE CTLR'S HVY SPANISH ACCENT; AND CREW FATIGUE. I DISCOVERED THAT THE CAPT AND I WERE ASSIGNED THIS TRIP THAT AFTERNOON WHEN I HAPPENED TO CHK MY MONTHLY SCHEDULE. SCHEDULING CALLED ME AT XA00 LCL AND INFORMED ME WE WERE THE ONLY PLTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS FLT SCHEDULED TO DEPART ZZZ AT XD55 LCL. CLEARLY; I WAS NOT 100% FOLLOWING OUR EARLIER ALL-NIGHT FLT. I WAS TEMPTED TO TELL SCHEDULING THAT I WAS FATIGUED; BUT AS THE CAPT SAID HE WAS GOING TO FLY IT; I DECIDED TO ACQUIESCE FEARING REPERCUSSIONS FROM THE FLT OFFICE. NEVERTHELESS; IF I EVER GET THIS CALL TO FLY BACK-TO-BACK 'ALL NIGHTERS' AGAIN; I WILL CERTAINLY HAVE NO RESERVATIONS THROWING THE 'FATIGUE FLAG;' WE WERE LUCKY WE DIDN'T EXPERIENCE A BA777 TYPE INCIDENT; THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. LESSON LEARNED!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.