Widebody transport body in foreign airspace has traffic conflict with medium large transport.

Attributes
ACN	294657
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : baq
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tvc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : ua301
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3800
ASRS Report	294657
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 1500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error

Narrative:

The flight originated in miami with a destination of buenos aires, argentina. The flight was proceeding along VA301. At waypoint bolar we requested and received clearance to climb from FL290 to FL330 from barran quilla control we called reaching FL330. At the next reporting point (overhead ba NDB) we made the standard position report FL330. Approximately 90 NM south of ba NDB our TCASII issued 'traffic.' a visual target was acquired at our 2:30 O'clock position and at our altitude. The sun was low in the west and it was difficult to determine exactly what the other aircraft's flight was at first, but the other was on a west to east track probably on VA553 passing from our right to left. The other aircraft, a B-737 of unknown registry, began to descend and turn to the north behind us. When the other aircraft passed us he was 1500 ft below us and approximately 1 mi behind us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there was a great deal of conversation in spanish with the other aircraft and ATC. If it had been in english he might have had some idea who the other aircraft was, where he was and what he was doing. When things settled enough to make a call to query the controller, reporter's aircraft was out of range. He believes it may have been a controller error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB BODY IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE HAS TFC CONFLICT WITH MLG.

Narrative: THE FLT ORIGINATED IN MIAMI WITH A DEST OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA. THE FLT WAS PROCEEDING ALONG VA301. AT WAYPOINT BOLAR WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB FROM FL290 TO FL330 FROM BARRAN QUILLA CTL WE CALLED REACHING FL330. AT THE NEXT RPTING POINT (OVERHEAD BA NDB) WE MADE THE STANDARD POS RPT FL330. APPROX 90 NM S OF BA NDB OUR TCASII ISSUED 'TFC.' A VISUAL TARGET WAS ACQUIRED AT OUR 2:30 O'CLOCK POS AND AT OUR ALT. THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE W AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THE OTHER ACFT'S FLT WAS AT FIRST, BUT THE OTHER WAS ON A W TO E TRACK PROBABLY ON VA553 PASSING FROM OUR R TO L. THE OTHER ACFT, A B-737 OF UNKNOWN REGISTRY, BEGAN TO DSND AND TURN TO THE N BEHIND US. WHEN THE OTHER ACFT PASSED US HE WAS 1500 FT BELOW US AND APPROX 1 MI BEHIND US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF CONVERSATION IN SPANISH WITH THE OTHER ACFT AND ATC. IF IT HAD BEEN IN ENGLISH HE MIGHT HAVE HAD SOME IDEA WHO THE OTHER ACFT WAS, WHERE HE WAS AND WHAT HE WAS DOING. WHEN THINGS SETTLED ENOUGH TO MAKE A CALL TO QUERY THE CTLR, RPTR'S ACFT WAS OUT OF RANGE. HE BELIEVES IT MAY HAVE BEEN A CTLR ERROR.

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.