Narrative:

On UB677 between cba and vvi at about 10 DME from vvi, we were cleared to intercept the 10 DME arc for the descent. Descending through about 8000 ft and cleared to 3000 ft and turning to intercept the 10 mi arc, we received an RA. I was the captain and was flying the approach on autoplt. Our rate of descent was about 2000 FPM and the whole lower half of the ivsi went red. I disconnected the autoplt and began an immediate pullup. We never saw the other aircraft and his position relative to us was belly up. There was a lot of spanish talk on the radio. We completed the approach and on the ground I spoke with ATC. They said we were on the 281 degree radial of vvi and the other aircraft was to be on the 274 degree vvi radial. This to them was thought to be enough separation. At 10 mi to the VOR and converging, I do not think it is enough. Problems idented were also in a conflict situation the total use of spanish which left us out of the loop and the lack of a TA to expect another aircraft that close to our approach course. Thank god for TCASII. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: while in the left turn to the north, to intercept the 10 DME arc for the VOR DME-1 runway 15 approach, the B757 flight crew assumes that they were belly up to the other aircraft. Reporter's gut feeling is that the controller at viru viru was asking the other flight crew if they had the reporter's aircraft in sight. There was no advisory given to the reporter's aircraft. The captain (reporter) immediately responded to the TCASII RA (he was not looking at the radar display). The conditions were VMC, but the reporter states that he was in the turn, so he would only have responded to the synthesized voice command and the ivsi indications, at that point, and would not have searched for better information or confirmation of the RA. The red dots on the TCASII ivsi extended past the 6 O'clock position and all the way up through the 9 O'clock position by about 3 dots, to the green lights. The aircraft was not configured, but the speed brakes were out. The aircraft speed was approximately 240-250 KTS. This reporter is questioning the spacing of the aircraft especially in what he believes is a non radar environment. (He never received any communication such as 'radar contact.') he also adds that the flight crew received no descent clearance such as 'at or above' or 'report.' he thinks that ATC could have easily have had less than 2 mi of planned separation between the aircraft. Before the TCASII RA, the captain heard the controller querying another aircraft in spanish and this may have been related to this event. After the reporter took evasive action he heard fast and strained words exchanged between the controller and the same flight crew and assumes that the controller was frustrated with the other aircraft. For this reason, the reporter believes that the other flight crew contributed to the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CAPT RPTS RESPONDING TO A TCASII RA WHILE DSNDING AND TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE 10 DME ARC ON THE VOR APCH TO RWY 15 AT SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA. AFTER TAKING EVASIVE ACTION, THE RPTR HEARD AN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ON THE FREQ, BUT WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND ITS MEANING DUE TO A LANGUAGE BARRIER.

Narrative: ON UB677 BTWN CBA AND VVI AT ABOUT 10 DME FROM VVI, WE WERE CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE 10 DME ARC FOR THE DSCNT. DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 8000 FT AND CLRED TO 3000 FT AND TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE 10 MI ARC, WE RECEIVED AN RA. I WAS THE CAPT AND WAS FLYING THE APCH ON AUTOPLT. OUR RATE OF DSCNT WAS ABOUT 2000 FPM AND THE WHOLE LOWER HALF OF THE IVSI WENT RED. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE PULLUP. WE NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT AND HIS POS RELATIVE TO US WAS BELLY UP. THERE WAS A LOT OF SPANISH TALK ON THE RADIO. WE COMPLETED THE APCH AND ON THE GND I SPOKE WITH ATC. THEY SAID WE WERE ON THE 281 DEG RADIAL OF VVI AND THE OTHER ACFT WAS TO BE ON THE 274 DEG VVI RADIAL. THIS TO THEM WAS THOUGHT TO BE ENOUGH SEPARATION. AT 10 MI TO THE VOR AND CONVERGING, I DO NOT THINK IT IS ENOUGH. PROBS IDENTED WERE ALSO IN A CONFLICT SIT THE TOTAL USE OF SPANISH WHICH LEFT US OUT OF THE LOOP AND THE LACK OF A TA TO EXPECT ANOTHER ACFT THAT CLOSE TO OUR APCH COURSE. THANK GOD FOR TCASII. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHILE IN THE L TURN TO THE N, TO INTERCEPT THE 10 DME ARC FOR THE VOR DME-1 RWY 15 APCH, THE B757 FLC ASSUMES THAT THEY WERE BELLY UP TO THE OTHER ACFT. RPTR'S GUT FEELING IS THAT THE CTLR AT VIRU VIRU WAS ASKING THE OTHER FLC IF THEY HAD THE RPTR'S ACFT IN SIGHT. THERE WAS NO ADVISORY GIVEN TO THE RPTR'S ACFT. THE CAPT (RPTR) IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO THE TCASII RA (HE WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE RADAR DISPLAY). THE CONDITIONS WERE VMC, BUT THE RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS IN THE TURN, SO HE WOULD ONLY HAVE RESPONDED TO THE SYNTHESIZED VOICE COMMAND AND THE IVSI INDICATIONS, AT THAT POINT, AND WOULD NOT HAVE SEARCHED FOR BETTER INFO OR CONFIRMATION OF THE RA. THE RED DOTS ON THE TCASII IVSI EXTENDED PAST THE 6 O'CLOCK POS AND ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH THE 9 O'CLOCK POS BY ABOUT 3 DOTS, TO THE GREEN LIGHTS. THE ACFT WAS NOT CONFIGURED, BUT THE SPD BRAKES WERE OUT. THE ACFT SPD WAS APPROX 240-250 KTS. THIS RPTR IS QUESTIONING THE SPACING OF THE ACFT ESPECIALLY IN WHAT HE BELIEVES IS A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT. (HE NEVER RECEIVED ANY COM SUCH AS 'RADAR CONTACT.') HE ALSO ADDS THAT THE FLC RECEIVED NO DSCNT CLRNC SUCH AS 'AT OR ABOVE' OR 'RPT.' HE THINKS THAT ATC COULD HAVE EASILY HAVE HAD LESS THAN 2 MI OF PLANNED SEPARATION BTWN THE ACFT. BEFORE THE TCASII RA, THE CAPT HEARD THE CTLR QUERYING ANOTHER ACFT IN SPANISH AND THIS MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THIS EVENT. AFTER THE RPTR TOOK EVASIVE ACTION HE HEARD FAST AND STRAINED WORDS EXCHANGED BTWN THE CTLR AND THE SAME FLC AND ASSUMES THAT THE CTLR WAS FRUSTRATED WITH THE OTHER ACFT. FOR THIS REASON, THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE OTHER FLC CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB.

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.