Narrative:

After passing kiler (N15:00.0 west 76:52.0), barranquilla control cleared us direct tulua VOR. As we were passing abeam cartagena VOR, an large transport Y crossed our nose heading in a northeast direction. It was extremely close and we are sure he was at our altitude because we hit his wake turbulence as we passed behind him. Barranquilla control stated that he was controling no other aircraft in our area at FL330. In the future, I will not accept an off airways clearance when not positive of being in radar contact. Controller stated that sometimes aircraft transverse his airspace that he was not controling. Also, barranquilla radio very weak and unclear. I normally fly with the runway turnoff lights on at all times and was once criticized by a company check pilot for this practice. On this particular day, my right turnoff burned out and popped its circuit breaker. The conflicting traffic came from the direction of the setting sun so his chances of seeing us was much greater than us seeing him. After I made my near miss report to barranquilla control, there was a lot of jabbering in spanish between barranquilla and other aircraft. I believe someone is covering up a mistake. We had been asked to squawk a transponder code long before the near miss so we assumed we were being provided radar separation. Now, I'm not so sure. My suggestion to other pilots who fly sob (south of the border) is to use any means available to avoid a similar situation. Some suggestions are use of exterior lights, flying 100' above or below assigned flight level, not flying off airway direct routes, and of course extreme vigilance. Supplemental information from acn 140497: baq control had no knowledge of the conflicting aircraft, only reported traffic was at FL310.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO LGTS AT FL330 EXPERIENCE AIRBORNE CONFLICT 60 WEST OF CARTAGENA.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING KILER (N15:00.0 W 76:52.0), BARRANQUILLA CTL CLRED US DIRECT TULUA VOR. AS WE WERE PASSING ABEAM CARTAGENA VOR, AN LGT Y CROSSED OUR NOSE HDG IN A NE DIRECTION. IT WAS EXTREMELY CLOSE AND WE ARE SURE HE WAS AT OUR ALT BECAUSE WE HIT HIS WAKE TURBULENCE AS WE PASSED BEHIND HIM. BARRANQUILLA CTL STATED THAT HE WAS CTLING NO OTHER ACFT IN OUR AREA AT FL330. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT ACCEPT AN OFF AIRWAYS CLRNC WHEN NOT POSITIVE OF BEING IN RADAR CONTACT. CTLR STATED THAT SOMETIMES ACFT TRANSVERSE HIS AIRSPACE THAT HE WAS NOT CTLING. ALSO, BARRANQUILLA RADIO VERY WEAK AND UNCLEAR. I NORMALLY FLY WITH THE RWY TURNOFF LIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES AND WAS ONCE CRITICIZED BY A COMPANY CHECK PLT FOR THIS PRACTICE. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, MY RIGHT TURNOFF BURNED OUT AND POPPED ITS CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE CONFLICTING TFC CAME FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE SETTING SUN SO HIS CHANCES OF SEEING US WAS MUCH GREATER THAN US SEEING HIM. AFTER I MADE MY NEAR MISS REPORT TO BARRANQUILLA CTL, THERE WAS A LOT OF JABBERING IN SPANISH BETWEEN BARRANQUILLA AND OTHER ACFT. I BELIEVE SOMEONE IS COVERING UP A MISTAKE. WE HAD BEEN ASKED TO SQUAWK A XPONDER CODE LONG BEFORE THE NEAR MISS SO WE ASSUMED WE WERE BEING PROVIDED RADAR SEPARATION. NOW, I'M NOT SO SURE. MY SUGGESTION TO OTHER PLTS WHO FLY SOB (SOUTH OF THE BORDER) IS TO USE ANY MEANS AVAILABLE TO AVOID A SIMILAR SITUATION. SOME SUGGESTIONS ARE USE OF EXTERIOR LIGHTS, FLYING 100' ABOVE OR BELOW ASSIGNED FLT LEVEL, NOT FLYING OFF AIRWAY DIRECT ROUTES, AND OF COURSE EXTREME VIGILANCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 140497: BAQ CTL HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONFLICTING ACFT, ONLY REPORTED TFC WAS AT FL310.

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.