Narrative:

Sju to tapa (antigua) vc bird approach is non radar, relying on crossing radials and DME for separation. We were inbound on anu VOR 320 degree radial, descending to 2500 ft. We heard ATC clear a foreign widebody transport Y to intercept the 304 degree radial outbound and climb to some altitude above where we were at the time. We got a TCASII TA with the intruder at 10 O'clock and climbing. Got a visual on the widebody transport Y at approximately 5 mi. We were nose-to-nose and closing rapidly. We leveled off and initiated a right turn. TCASII RA then called for a climb. By that time, however, widebody transport Y had apparently seen us and also turned right, passing approximately 2 mi off our left. When we queried ATC, we were told that no aircraft was in our vicinity. The controller then became flustered and proceeded to give contradictory clrncs, i.e., intercept the 12 DME arc when we were already 8 mi past it, and report a left downwind when we were already on a right downwind. The ATC system at tapa works as long as the traffic is light. This controller was clearly overburdened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 WDB ACR ACFT UNDER NON RADAR CTL HAVE LTSS, BUT TCASII PREVENTED PROX OF ACFT FROM BEING DANGEROUS.

Narrative: SJU TO TAPA (ANTIGUA) VC BIRD APCH IS NON RADAR, RELYING ON XING RADIALS AND DME FOR SEPARATION. WE WERE INBOUND ON ANU VOR 320 DEG RADIAL, DSNDING TO 2500 FT. WE HEARD ATC CLR A FOREIGN WDB Y TO INTERCEPT THE 304 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND AND CLB TO SOME ALT ABOVE WHERE WE WERE AT THE TIME. WE GOT A TCASII TA WITH THE INTRUDER AT 10 O'CLOCK AND CLBING. GOT A VISUAL ON THE WDB Y AT APPROX 5 MI. WE WERE NOSE-TO-NOSE AND CLOSING RAPIDLY. WE LEVELED OFF AND INITIATED A R TURN. TCASII RA THEN CALLED FOR A CLB. BY THAT TIME, HOWEVER, WDB Y HAD APPARENTLY SEEN US AND ALSO TURNED R, PASSING APPROX 2 MI OFF OUR L. WHEN WE QUERIED ATC, WE WERE TOLD THAT NO ACFT WAS IN OUR VICINITY. THE CTLR THEN BECAME FLUSTERED AND PROCEEDED TO GIVE CONTRADICTORY CLRNCS, I.E., INTERCEPT THE 12 DME ARC WHEN WE WERE ALREADY 8 MI PAST IT, AND RPT A L DOWNWIND WHEN WE WERE ALREADY ON A R DOWNWIND. THE ATC SYS AT TAPA WORKS AS LONG AS THE TFC IS LIGHT. THIS CTLR WAS CLEARLY OVERBURDENED.

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.