Narrative:

Ready for takeoff holding short. The tower controller said maintain position. So we held short of runway 4. Later he said B737 on 5 mi position and hold. We taxied into position and held. The air carrier B737 objected very strongly in spanish, unfortunately none of us understand spanish well enough to completely understand what air carrier flight crew was saying. The tower indicated in poor phraseology that we were not supposed to enter the runway. We immediately exited the runway taxiing clear. After the air carrier B737 landed, the tower said to taxi in position and hold. He then cleared us for takeoff. Note, that he used the exact same terminology in both cases. The first time, I think he meant to say hold position. Although previously he had said maintain position (meaning hold short). I think it would be very helpful if everybody (including united states of america) used ICAO phrases -- such as, line up and wait, etc. It is very difficult for many controllers in south and central america that may use their english only once or twice a day.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC RPTS THAT PHRASEOLOGY BY A FOREIGN CTLR CAUSED A RWY INCURSION AT A FOREIGN ARPT. THE RPTR EXITED THE RWY AS SOON AS THE ERROR WAS RECOGNIZED.

Narrative: READY FOR TKOF HOLDING SHORT. THE TWR CTLR SAID MAINTAIN POS. SO WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 4. LATER HE SAID B737 ON 5 MI POS AND HOLD. WE TAXIED INTO POS AND HELD. THE ACR B737 OBJECTED VERY STRONGLY IN SPANISH, UNFORTUNATELY NONE OF US UNDERSTAND SPANISH WELL ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT ACR FLC WAS SAYING. THE TWR INDICATED IN POOR PHRASEOLOGY THAT WE WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO ENTER THE RWY. WE IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE RWY TAXIING CLR. AFTER THE ACR B737 LANDED, THE TWR SAID TO TAXI IN POS AND HOLD. HE THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. NOTE, THAT HE USED THE EXACT SAME TERMINOLOGY IN BOTH CASES. THE FIRST TIME, I THINK HE MEANT TO SAY HOLD POS. ALTHOUGH PREVIOUSLY HE HAD SAID MAINTAIN POS (MEANING HOLD SHORT). I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF EVERYBODY (INCLUDING UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) USED ICAO PHRASES -- SUCH AS, LINE UP AND WAIT, ETC. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR MANY CTLRS IN SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA THAT MAY USE THEIR ENGLISH ONLY ONCE OR TWICE A DAY.

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.