Narrative:

At the sjd airport we were 'cleared to push, taxi via taxiway B to runway 16.' a nearby B727 called for taxi clearance, having to power up and make a 180 degree turn out of the terminal parking area. He would have blasted us in his power up and turn. So, tower called us, 'are you ready to taxi?' I answered affirmative as first officer had gotten weight and balance numbers from operations and the start was complete. Tower cleared us to 'taxi into position runway 16.' we did the after-start and very short taxi into position runway 16 while setting bugs and taxi checklist. Tower called with our clearance (in mexico the clearance is normally read during taxi after tower has you underway and coordinates by phone with center). But prior to reading our clearance tower spoke very rapidly in spanish with an inbound B727. Then without even slowing down he rattled off our clearance in highly accented english. We copied 'cleared to phx via V1 lap UJ9 hmo as filed, climb and maintain FL310 until further advised, climb over the VOR, report over the VOR.' note: our flight plan was victor one west but that's not what he read. We read back our clearance verbatim. Tower's response was 'traffic inbound B727 from 110 degree radial 50 mi descending to 5000 ft for left traffic, you are cleared for takeoff runway 16 with wind from 180 degrees at 12 KTS, report over the VOR.' we departed and called over the VOR at 7000 ft climbing (MCA is 6600 ft). He said for us to report on course, climb to and maintain FL310. At this time he had an inbound MD80 10 mi north descending out of 5500 ft, a B727 out of 5000 ft descending on left base, and the climbing B727 behind us who just took off, through 4000 ft at 7 mi south commencing left turn to follow us northbound. Tower asked the inbound MD80 to make a left 360 degree to allow spacing with the inbound B727 on left base. Tower then asked our position and we reported climbing through 12500 ft at 10 mi north radial 320 degrees established on course. He came back that we were 'supposed to be on victor one west radial 303 degrees.' (in fact, victor one west is on the SID radial 305 degrees.) 'you are now cleared direct la paz.' we responded that we had 'copied victor one and read that back, proceeding direct la paz.' through 18000 ft we were handed off to mazatlan center. There was never any traffic conflict on this departure, just an overloaded controller and clearance misunderstanding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD83 MISUNDERSTANDS CLRNC AND TWR DOES NOT COPY INCORRECT READBACK AS IT DEPARTS FROM SJD, MEXICO. LANGUAGE USAGE IS A PROB.

Narrative: AT THE SJD ARPT WE WERE 'CLRED TO PUSH, TAXI VIA TXWY B TO RWY 16.' A NEARBY B727 CALLED FOR TAXI CLRNC, HAVING TO PWR UP AND MAKE A 180 DEG TURN OUT OF THE TERMINAL PARKING AREA. HE WOULD HAVE BLASTED US IN HIS PWR UP AND TURN. SO, TWR CALLED US, 'ARE YOU READY TO TAXI?' I ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE AS FO HAD GOTTEN WT AND BAL NUMBERS FROM OPS AND THE START WAS COMPLETE. TWR CLRED US TO 'TAXI INTO POS RWY 16.' WE DID THE AFTER-START AND VERY SHORT TAXI INTO POS RWY 16 WHILE SETTING BUGS AND TAXI CHKLIST. TWR CALLED WITH OUR CLRNC (IN MEXICO THE CLRNC IS NORMALLY READ DURING TAXI AFTER TWR HAS YOU UNDERWAY AND COORDINATES BY PHONE WITH CTR). BUT PRIOR TO READING OUR CLRNC TWR SPOKE VERY RAPIDLY IN SPANISH WITH AN INBOUND B727. THEN WITHOUT EVEN SLOWING DOWN HE RATTLED OFF OUR CLRNC IN HIGHLY ACCENTED ENGLISH. WE COPIED 'CLRED TO PHX VIA V1 LAP UJ9 HMO AS FILED, CLB AND MAINTAIN FL310 UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED, CLB OVER THE VOR, RPT OVER THE VOR.' NOTE: OUR FLT PLAN WAS VICTOR ONE WEST BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT HE READ. WE READ BACK OUR CLRNC VERBATIM. TWR'S RESPONSE WAS 'TFC INBOUND B727 FROM 110 DEG RADIAL 50 MI DSNDING TO 5000 FT FOR L TFC, YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 16 WITH WIND FROM 180 DEGS AT 12 KTS, RPT OVER THE VOR.' WE DEPARTED AND CALLED OVER THE VOR AT 7000 FT CLBING (MCA IS 6600 FT). HE SAID FOR US TO RPT ON COURSE, CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL310. AT THIS TIME HE HAD AN INBOUND MD80 10 MI N DSNDING OUT OF 5500 FT, A B727 OUT OF 5000 FT DSNDING ON L BASE, AND THE CLBING B727 BEHIND US WHO JUST TOOK OFF, THROUGH 4000 FT AT 7 MI S COMMENCING L TURN TO FOLLOW US NBOUND. TWR ASKED THE INBOUND MD80 TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TO ALLOW SPACING WITH THE INBOUND B727 ON L BASE. TWR THEN ASKED OUR POS AND WE RPTED CLBING THROUGH 12500 FT AT 10 MI N RADIAL 320 DEGS ESTABLISHED ON COURSE. HE CAME BACK THAT WE WERE 'SUPPOSED TO BE ON VICTOR ONE WEST RADIAL 303 DEGS.' (IN FACT, VICTOR ONE WEST IS ON THE SID RADIAL 305 DEGS.) 'YOU ARE NOW CLRED DIRECT LA PAZ.' WE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD 'COPIED VICTOR ONE AND READ THAT BACK, PROCEEDING DIRECT LA PAZ.' THROUGH 18000 FT WE WERE HANDED OFF TO MAZATLAN CTR. THERE WAS NEVER ANY TFC CONFLICT ON THIS DEP, JUST AN OVERLOADED CTLR AND CLRNC MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.