Narrative:

Taxiing back to terminal at mexico city we were approaching the intersection of B7 and runway 5R. First officer called ground to ask for clearance to cross (mdt had just rotated). I thought I heard 'cleared to cross runway 5R' but asked first officer to call again and confirm. He was adamant that we had been cleared so I looked at the approach end, didn't see anything and added power. As the nose came close to the runway's edge, I saw a widebody transport become visible in the distance (visibility was approximately 3 mi) and ground said you were 'not cleared to cross.' since I was so close to the runway I had no choice but to add even more power and get across quickly. Tail cleared the opposite hold short within 10 seconds. We were holding short of runway 5L before the widebody transport was 1 1/2 - 2 mi in. My personal lesson from this is to ask for a whole lot more verifications, even if it angers the first officer, when I haven't felt I clearly understood a radio call. We have a lot of senior first officer's and instead of working at it as a safety issue, feel you're questioning their ability. After some thought I also called the tower and mentioned that the ground controller's english, while good, was heavily accented and she tried to talk too fast. I think that's what confused us. It may also be that she cleared us across and then realized her mistake. The fallout from this is that I wondered if there are any programs to share our safety information. Our safety programs, our training programs, and the NASA data with other countries? I don't believe this controller understood, or would even appreciate, the knowledge that her language skills (while good) could be improved in practice. Callback 121 from july 1989 touched on some of these issues. It if could be presented as a help and not a critique, this might help a lot of places south of the border.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISHEARS CLRNC, CROSSES ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: TAXIING BACK TO TERMINAL AT MEXICO CITY WE WERE APCHING THE INTXN OF B7 AND RWY 5R. FO CALLED GND TO ASK FOR CLRNC TO CROSS (MDT HAD JUST ROTATED). I THOUGHT I HEARD 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 5R' BUT ASKED FO TO CALL AGAIN AND CONFIRM. HE WAS ADAMANT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED SO I LOOKED AT THE APCH END, DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND ADDED PWR. AS THE NOSE CAME CLOSE TO THE RWY'S EDGE, I SAW A WDB BECOME VISIBLE IN THE DISTANCE (VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 3 MI) AND GND SAID YOU WERE 'NOT CLRED TO CROSS.' SINCE I WAS SO CLOSE TO THE RWY I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO ADD EVEN MORE PWR AND GET ACROSS QUICKLY. TAIL CLRED THE OPPOSITE HOLD SHORT WITHIN 10 SECONDS. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 5L BEFORE THE WDB WAS 1 1/2 - 2 MI IN. MY PERSONAL LESSON FROM THIS IS TO ASK FOR A WHOLE LOT MORE VERIFICATIONS, EVEN IF IT ANGERS THE FO, WHEN I HAVEN'T FELT I CLRLY UNDERSTOOD A RADIO CALL. WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIOR FO'S AND INSTEAD OF WORKING AT IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE, FEEL YOU'RE QUESTIONING THEIR ABILITY. AFTER SOME THOUGHT I ALSO CALLED THE TWR AND MENTIONED THAT THE GND CTLR'S ENGLISH, WHILE GOOD, WAS HEAVILY ACCENTED AND SHE TRIED TO TALK TOO FAST. I THINK THAT'S WHAT CONFUSED US. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT SHE CLRED US ACROSS AND THEN REALIZED HER MISTAKE. THE FALLOUT FROM THIS IS THAT I WONDERED IF THERE ARE ANY PROGRAMS TO SHARE OUR SAFETY INFO. OUR SAFETY PROGRAMS, OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND THE NASA DATA WITH OTHER COUNTRIES? I DON'T BELIEVE THIS CTLR UNDERSTOOD, OR WOULD EVEN APPRECIATE, THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HER LANGUAGE SKILLS (WHILE GOOD) COULD BE IMPROVED IN PRACTICE. CALLBACK 121 FROM JULY 1989 TOUCHED ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES. IT IF COULD BE PRESENTED AS A HELP AND NOT A CRITIQUE, THIS MIGHT HELP A LOT OF PLACES S OF THE BORDER.

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.