Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Weather
After a normal preflight and startup procedure; I taxied up to and held short of the movement line at the C9 cargo ramp at DFW International Airport. Visibility was low due to fog surrounding the airport. My First Officer (English is not his first language) called the west ground control on 121.85; informing the controller that we were at C9 ready to taxi with the current ATIS. We had a transponder set correctly; and had it set to ALT. The controller replied: '[Flight ABCD]; DFW Ground; taxi via Charlie; hold short of runway 18R at Yankee. You can expect 17...correction; 17R for departure.' The First Officer read back the instructions to which ATC replied again 'And; just want to confirm; hold short of 18R at Yankee.' This was read back once again by the First Officer.At this time; we slowly taxied forward onto taxiway Charlie from C9; and made a left turn to head down Charlie towards taxiway Yankee. As soon as we were centered on taxiway Charlie headed Northbound; I saw in front of us a very faint pair of white lights through the fog; in the middle of the taxiway. A few seconds later a large jet appeared suddenly out of the fog. Both myself and [the air carrier] appeared to be taxiing very slowly due to the low visibility; and we both quickly came to a stop a few hundred feet away. Sometime between seeing the [other aircraft]; and us both coming to a stop; ATC came on stating '[Flight ABCD] turn right on Charlie; Right on Charlie!' followed shortly by '[Flight ABCD]; do you see the little aircraft ahead of you? Stop; stop stop!' By this point; we had both come to a complete stop; but ATC could not see that from the tower. After a brief pause; ATC came back on saying '[Flight ABCD]; turn right.' At this time I personally took the radios; and read back the instruction. Both aircraft had stopped with enough room that allowed me to safely make a U-turn on taxiway Charlie to head south. ATC then instructed '[Flight ABCD]; hold short of 18R at Whiskey Lima' The instruction was read back; and the taxi and flight continued without further incident.I believe it is possible; that the ground controller thought we were at the north end of the field; where a majority of [our] operations occur. It is possible that due to a language barrier between the First Officer and the Controller; that he misunderstood or misheard the initial position call.
Beech aircraft air taxi Captain reported a ground conflict with an air carrier aircraft during low visibility operations at DFW.