Narrative:

It seemed to start at push as ground was speaking spanish to all aircraft and it was difficult at bet to determine if it was giving our clrncs or taxi instructions as both occur on the same frequency. It took 10 mins to receive push clearance then another 10 mins to get taxi instructions with no other aircraft in the international ramp area. This was more than commonly experienced before. We received our clearance, mares 1 and squawk. Takeoff was uneventful as was our turn out to a heading of 290 degrees. Just before intercepting the 320 degree radial, we received a clearance to climb to and maintain 12000 ft. I called it back and had no question as to what was said in the climb instructions. We started our climb and passing 7500 ft, departure asked our altitude and we stated 7500 ft climbing to 12000 ft assigned. There was some confusion and chatter in spanish followed by level at 7000 ft. Which we complied with and saw several aircraft in our area of flight -- 1 above and 1 below both around 500 ft. One descending, the other appeared level at 7000 ft. We had 1 TA, but the cpa was no closer than 3 mi. Just the same, shortly thereafter, we received clearance to climb to FL350 and once again responded and climbed back up. I again have no question as to the clearance to climb and was glad this occurred in the daylight. The departure shows a 4000 ft clearance limit unless changed by departure. Again, we were given clearance to climb to 12000 ft. First officer stated that he wasn't sure that they had said as it was in broken english, but I again heard climb to and reported it back verbatim. In retrospect and in previous experiences, the language down in ccs has been a problem, sometimes requiring repeat to insure what instructions were made. In this case, as in the past, you had to be careful. Obviously, the climb was not what they wanted us to do, but then the language on our readback may have equally not been understood. Obviously, the clearance was not what they wanted, and leveling made the matter worse. No close calls, but the potential was there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC MISUNDERSTANDS CLRNC.

Narrative: IT SEEMED TO START AT PUSH AS GND WAS SPEAKING SPANISH TO ALL ACFT AND IT WAS DIFFICULT AT BET TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS GIVING OUR CLRNCS OR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AS BOTH OCCUR ON THE SAME FREQ. IT TOOK 10 MINS TO RECEIVE PUSH CLRNC THEN ANOTHER 10 MINS TO GET TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WITH NO OTHER ACFT IN THE INTL RAMP AREA. THIS WAS MORE THAN COMMONLY EXPERIENCED BEFORE. WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC, MARES 1 AND SQUAWK. TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL AS WAS OUR TURN OUT TO A HDG OF 290 DEGS. JUST BEFORE INTERCEPTING THE 320 DEG RADIAL, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 12000 FT. I CALLED IT BACK AND HAD NO QUESTION AS TO WHAT WAS SAID IN THE CLB INSTRUCTIONS. WE STARTED OUR CLB AND PASSING 7500 FT, DEP ASKED OUR ALT AND WE STATED 7500 FT CLBING TO 12000 FT ASSIGNED. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AND CHATTER IN SPANISH FOLLOWED BY LEVEL AT 7000 FT. WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH AND SAW SEVERAL ACFT IN OUR AREA OF FLT -- 1 ABOVE AND 1 BELOW BOTH AROUND 500 FT. ONE DSNDING, THE OTHER APPEARED LEVEL AT 7000 FT. WE HAD 1 TA, BUT THE CPA WAS NO CLOSER THAN 3 MI. JUST THE SAME, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB TO FL350 AND ONCE AGAIN RESPONDED AND CLBED BACK UP. I AGAIN HAVE NO QUESTION AS TO THE CLRNC TO CLB AND WAS GLAD THIS OCCURRED IN THE DAYLIGHT. THE DEP SHOWS A 4000 FT CLRNC LIMIT UNLESS CHANGED BY DEP. AGAIN, WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO CLB TO 12000 FT. FO STATED THAT HE WASN'T SURE THAT THEY HAD SAID AS IT WAS IN BROKEN ENGLISH, BUT I AGAIN HEARD CLB TO AND RPTED IT BACK VERBATIM. IN RETROSPECT AND IN PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES, THE LANGUAGE DOWN IN CCS HAS BEEN A PROB, SOMETIMES REQUIRING REPEAT TO INSURE WHAT INSTRUCTIONS WERE MADE. IN THIS CASE, AS IN THE PAST, YOU HAD TO BE CAREFUL. OBVIOUSLY, THE CLB WAS NOT WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO, BUT THEN THE LANGUAGE ON OUR READBACK MAY HAVE EQUALLY NOT BEEN UNDERSTOOD. OBVIOUSLY, THE CLRNC WAS NOT WHAT THEY WANTED, AND LEVELING MADE THE MATTER WORSE. NO CLOSE CALLS, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THERE.

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.