Confusion; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory
Human Factors; Procedure; Airport
On arrival to MMMX; we were cleared via the arrival for the ILS 5R and cleared to descend via the arrival. We descended to cross the MEX VOR at 24000 feet. Passing the VOR we were then cleared to 12;000 feet. Approximately 15 miles northwest of the VOR we began receiving headings to the west and southwest for the approach. We were then cleared direct to MAVEK and cleared for the approach. We initially did not understand the clearance and asked for clarification; to which we were then cleared direct to SMO VOR and cleared for the approach. We entered DIR to SMO in the [flight computer] and the turn to the VOR was initiated as continued to descend toward 12;000 feet. In our descent we received a TCAS RA of 'MONITOR VERTICAL SPEED'. We disengaged the autopilot and flight director and corrected the vertical speed without incident. Our closeness to the VOR and angle of the outbound course necessitated that we would overshoot the outbound course to the east. As we were correcting for the outbound course; we received a clearance from approach control to turn right to heading 150 and descend to 9;700 feet. Our heading at the time we received the instruction to turn right to 150 was approximately 220 and we asked for clarification twice to verify the clearance. From our perspective from the flight deck; we ascertained that we were receiving a 270 degree turn to re-intercept the outbound course from SMO VOR. The controller then directed an' immediate left turn! Left turn! To 150 and continue descend to 9;700 feet. As we started to turn back to the left for the 150 heading we received an additional TCAS RA of CLIMB; to which we properly complied with and climbed to 11;000 feet before we received 'CLEAR OF CONFLICT'. At this point; with the aircraft well under control; we then received and complied the following instructions: ATC- HDG 150 DESCEND TO 8;800FT; ATC- HDG 160 SPEED 160 CLEARED FOR THE ILS; ATC - HDG 120 TO INTERCEPT THE LOCILIZER. We contacted tower and was cleared to land at approximately 500 feet AGL.This event occurred due to communication failure. The controller referred to the SMO VOR as MAVEK and when we asked for clarification; this put us behind the turn than intended by the controller. As we attempted to correct our course; we continued to receive instructions that became increasingly more difficult to understand. This is due in part from the delay of execution of instructions to be able to confirm the received clearances as well as the English from the controller deteriorated as the event progressed.
An air carrier pilot reported received conflicting and confusing ATC instructions on an arrival in a foreign country and had to respond to an RA for conflicting traffic.