Narrative:

This runway incursion occurred because of differences in terminology and incomplete communication. We taxied out for takeoff to runway 22 at puerto vallarta and were holding short of the runway waiting for a B727 to land. After it landed the tower gave us the following instruction: 'aircraft X hold in position runway 22, aircraft on 7 mi final.' we acknowledged 'aircraft X cleared into position and hold runway 22.' we taxied into position to await takeoff clearance and as we were sitting there already stopped in takeoff position, the tower said, 'aircraft X you were told to hold clear of the runway aircraft is on short final, cleared for immediate takeoff.' I don't know what kind of aircraft was on final as it wasn't visible to us as we taxied onto the runway. It is not unusual to have to ask 2 or 3 times to repeat a clearance in mexico because of accent or speech patterns that are hard to understand, even though english is supposedly being spoken. This clearance, however, sounded clear to both of us and was consistent with the type of clearance we're used to getting in the united states, except modified in their own way regarding 'hold in position runway 22.' if he wanted us to hold our position, I would expect to hear 'hold short of runway 22.' in fact, I don't understand why he said anything to us at all as we were already stopped in the #1 position and had been for some time. The tower controller obviously was not accustomed to using the correct terminology since we read back 'cleared into position and hold runway 22' and he didn't respond.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A UNITED STATES ACR IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE FAILS TO UNDERSTAND THE ICAO RULES OF THE AIR WHEN FLYING IN MEXICO. UNAUTH RWY ENTRY. CLRNC INTERP READBACK IMPROPER.

Narrative: THIS RWY INCURSION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF DIFFERENCES IN TERMINOLOGY AND INCOMPLETE COM. WE TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF TO RWY 22 AT PUERTO VALLARTA AND WERE HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY WAITING FOR A B727 TO LAND. AFTER IT LANDED THE TWR GAVE US THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTION: 'ACFT X HOLD IN POS RWY 22, ACFT ON 7 MI FINAL.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED 'ACFT X CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 22.' WE TAXIED INTO POS TO AWAIT TKOF CLRNC AND AS WE WERE SITTING THERE ALREADY STOPPED IN TKOF POS, THE TWR SAID, 'ACFT X YOU WERE TOLD TO HOLD CLR OF THE RWY ACFT IS ON SHORT FINAL, CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF.' I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF ACFT WAS ON FINAL AS IT WASN'T VISIBLE TO US AS WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE TO ASK 2 OR 3 TIMES TO REPEAT A CLRNC IN MEXICO BECAUSE OF ACCENT OR SPEECH PATTERNS THAT ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH ENGLISH IS SUPPOSEDLY BEING SPOKEN. THIS CLRNC, HOWEVER, SOUNDED CLR TO BOTH OF US AND WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE TYPE OF CLRNC WE'RE USED TO GETTING IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT MODIFIED IN THEIR OWN WAY REGARDING 'HOLD IN POS RWY 22.' IF HE WANTED US TO HOLD OUR POS, I WOULD EXPECT TO HEAR 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 22.' IN FACT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE SAID ANYTHING TO US AT ALL AS WE WERE ALREADY STOPPED IN THE #1 POS AND HAD BEEN FOR SOME TIME. THE TWR CTLR OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO USING THE CORRECT TERMINOLOGY SINCE WE READ BACK 'CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 22' AND HE DIDN'T RESPOND.

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.