Narrative:

I have been flying between aruba and san juan during the months of may and june and have seen poor and deteriorating coordination and communication between curacao control, san juan center, and beatrix approach. This peaked on jun/xx/95 when flts leaving aruba were separated by 25 min intervals. When we finally received takeoff clearance it was to climb to FL30 and proceed out G885, the aba 052 degree radial, but stay within 25 NM of beatrix, while obtaining an airborne en route clearance from curacao on 124.1. While I was doing this, the first officer observed traffic on TCASII, same altitude, approaching from the east. The traffic passed behind us with no TCASII activation. Curacao confirmed that this was a departure from plesman, tncc, but had provided no traffic separation since their first knowledge of us apparently was our radio call after takeoff. Needless to say, this type of reckless operation is extremely unsafe and will eventually lead to a serious incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the problem seemed to be in the curacao center. The center had been 'shut down' several times and had a history of labor problems. Aruba gets their clrncs from curacao center and, in the absence of any clearance, gives the departure flts a departure clearance that is 'almost a VFR clearance' in the reporter's words. They are restr to a distance of 30 mi from aruba on the departure procedure. Reporter had a flight crew/ATC review with aruba. He was flying an A-300. The other aircraft was a commuter type aircraft. He said that delayed departure procedures are the 'norm' at aruba because of the lowered levels of coordination in the ATC system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LACK OF TRACON ARTCC INTERFAC COORD IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE LEADS TO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN FLYING BTWN ARUBA AND SAN JUAN DURING THE MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE AND HAVE SEEN POOR AND DETERIORATING COORD AND COM BTWN CURACAO CTL, SAN JUAN CTR, AND BEATRIX APCH. THIS PEAKED ON JUN/XX/95 WHEN FLTS LEAVING ARUBA WERE SEPARATED BY 25 MIN INTERVALS. WHEN WE FINALLY RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC IT WAS TO CLB TO FL30 AND PROCEED OUT G885, THE ABA 052 DEG RADIAL, BUT STAY WITHIN 25 NM OF BEATRIX, WHILE OBTAINING AN AIRBORNE ENRTE CLRNC FROM CURACAO ON 124.1. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, THE FO OBSERVED TFC ON TCASII, SAME ALT, APCHING FROM THE E. THE TFC PASSED BEHIND US WITH NO TCASII ACTIVATION. CURACAO CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS A DEP FROM PLESMAN, TNCC, BUT HAD PROVIDED NO TFC SEPARATION SINCE THEIR FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF US APPARENTLY WAS OUR RADIO CALL AFTER TKOF. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS TYPE OF RECKLESS OP IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A SERIOUS INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PROB SEEMED TO BE IN THE CURACAO CTR. THE CTR HAD BEEN 'SHUT DOWN' SEVERAL TIMES AND HAD A HISTORY OF LABOR PROBS. ARUBA GETS THEIR CLRNCS FROM CURACAO CTR AND, IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY CLRNC, GIVES THE DEP FLTS A DEP CLRNC THAT IS 'ALMOST A VFR CLRNC' IN THE RPTR'S WORDS. THEY ARE RESTR TO A DISTANCE OF 30 MI FROM ARUBA ON THE DEP PROC. RPTR HAD A FLC/ATC REVIEW WITH ARUBA. HE WAS FLYING AN A-300. THE OTHER ACFT WAS A COMMUTER TYPE ACFT. HE SAID THAT DELAYED DEP PROCS ARE THE 'NORM' AT ARUBA BECAUSE OF THE LOWERED LEVELS OF COORD IN THE ATC SYS.

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.