Narrative:

Inbound gua on UG436 12000 ft, cleared to 11000 ft. Then cleared for VOR 19 approach and instructed to call over VOR outbound. Over VOR 11000 ft a turn to intercept 030 degree radial and a call VOR outbound was accomplished. Descent to 7100 ft was begun as per procedure. At 3.2 DME on 030 degree radial and approximately 9800 ft controller asked where we were? He was told and he then cleared us to 8000 ft and asked if we were cleared for the approach. We told him he had already cleared us for the approach. He then cleared us again for the approach. Descent to 7100 ft was accomplished and a turn inbound as per the procedure. During the turn inbound we were switched to tower who also didn't understand where we were. When he finally got the message he cleared us to continue and call runway in sight. He also informed us that an small aircraft pilot claimed we missed him by 300 ft near the VOR and that we were instructed to call the tower over the VOR outbound. Landing was accomplished without incident. The cockpit voice recorder was pulled for our protection and the captain called the tower. The tower told him that we were to call him over the VOR. The captain was also told that the controllers were in a dispute with the government for more money and better equipment. I have flown in south and central america for yrs and I am amazed that a disaster has not yet occurred. The lack of a good understanding of english and the failure of the controllers to question what they don't understand is widespread. It is clear that this controller assumed that we would call the tower over the VOR and did not coordinate our status with the tower. In addition these lcls talk in spanish to local traffic preventing us from hearing where other traffic is. As a result, we tune out the spanish we hear and are on our own during approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CLRED FOR APCH. TWR CLAIMS NMAC WITH AN SMA TRANSITING THE AREA.

Narrative: INBOUND GUA ON UG436 12000 FT, CLRED TO 11000 FT. THEN CLRED FOR VOR 19 APCH AND INSTRUCTED TO CALL OVER VOR OUTBOUND. OVER VOR 11000 FT A TURN TO INTERCEPT 030 DEG RADIAL AND A CALL VOR OUTBOUND WAS ACCOMPLISHED. DSCNT TO 7100 FT WAS BEGUN AS PER PROC. AT 3.2 DME ON 030 DEG RADIAL AND APPROX 9800 FT CTLR ASKED WHERE WE WERE? HE WAS TOLD AND HE THEN CLRED US TO 8000 FT AND ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. WE TOLD HIM HE HAD ALREADY CLRED US FOR THE APCH. HE THEN CLRED US AGAIN FOR THE APCH. DSCNT TO 7100 FT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND A TURN INBOUND AS PER THE PROC. DURING THE TURN INBOUND WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR WHO ALSO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHERE WE WERE. WHEN HE FINALLY GOT THE MESSAGE HE CLRED US TO CONTINUE AND CALL RWY IN SIGHT. HE ALSO INFORMED US THAT AN SMA PLT CLAIMED WE MISSED HIM BY 300 FT NEAR THE VOR AND THAT WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR OVER THE VOR OUTBOUND. LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER WAS PULLED FOR OUR PROTECTION AND THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR. THE TWR TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE TO CALL HIM OVER THE VOR. THE CAPT WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE CTLRS WERE IN A DISPUTE WITH THE GOV FOR MORE MONEY AND BETTER EQUIP. I HAVE FLOWN IN S AND CENTRAL AMERICA FOR YRS AND I AM AMAZED THAT A DISASTER HAS NOT YET OCCURRED. THE LACK OF A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF ENGLISH AND THE FAILURE OF THE CTLRS TO QUESTION WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WIDESPREAD. IT IS CLR THAT THIS CTLR ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD CALL THE TWR OVER THE VOR AND DID NOT COORDINATE OUR STATUS WITH THE TWR. IN ADDITION THESE LCLS TALK IN SPANISH TO LCL TFC PREVENTING US FROM HEARING WHERE OTHER TFC IS. AS A RESULT, WE TUNE OUT THE SPANISH WE HEAR AND ARE ON OUR OWN DURING APCH.

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.