Narrative:

Approaching esv VOR (ETA XB30), aircraft cleared to FL350. Over esv VOR out of altitude FL328, spotted aircraft just a few ft in front. Other aircraft veered to his left (was in left turn). I reported this to guayaquil center. There was no reply, but lots of spanish speaking excitement from aircraft to center. From bogota ATC I learned it was a foreign flag carrier at FL330, ETA esv XB30 and guayaquil control was informed of altitude and ETA esv. Please note: my observation: for the past yr I have very frequently flown this route from mia-spim-sequ- segu. Communication in and out of guayaquil airspace has been marginal. Poor reception, poor english, many calls go unanswered and when an answer comes through, all aircraft respond at same time. Long conversations in spanish exp: full WX report for sequ-segu-manta airport (no ATIS available). Too large a sector (360 degree sector) on frequency 128.3. Including all traffic in and out of sequ. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a DC8-62F captain who flies to this area of the world as a regular part of his job. He said that he understands the language if it is spoken slowly and clearly, but after the near midair collision the various parties were so upset and speaking so loudly and so quickly that he was unable to determine who was speaking at times. He did confirm with the opposite direction traffic its identify and that it was a B757-200 and that nobody was injured. He said that he then switched, on his own, to sked control and they confirmed the identify of the opposite direction traffic and that they had passed this information to segu along with the esv crossing estimate which was the same as the reporter's. The reporter alleged that the sked controller remarked that segu does this all of the time. The reporter said that he then went back to segu frequency on his other radio and attempted to speak with the controller. This time he was able to again speak briefly to the other carrier, but all other communication was continually blocked by various angry exchanges in spanish. He said that he then gave up. The reporter said that he is always conscious of the controller's and other carriers' flight crew's sensitivities to perceived criticism in this area as this has resulted in some troubles for his company and its flcs in the past. The primary problem for this particular control sector, the reporter said, is that it is so large and it uses the same frequency for everyone and all of the traffic along the west coast of the continent passes through it. There is a constant problem with traffic congestion and the controllers seem to be the least well trained and equipped according to this captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC8 FREIGHTER FLC CLBING TO FL350 HAS AN NMAC WITH A FOREIGN FLAG CARRIER AT FL328 OVER A VOR. THE FOREIGN ACR DID THE EVASIVE ACTION, AS THE RPTR HAD JUST BROKEN OUT OF THE UNDERCAST AND DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL IT WAS IN ITS EVASIVE TURN. THE NEXT ARTCC CTL CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD PASSED THE OTHER ACR'S INFO ON TO SEGU.

Narrative: APCHING ESV VOR (ETA XB30), ACFT CLRED TO FL350. OVER ESV VOR OUT OF ALT FL328, SPOTTED ACFT JUST A FEW FT IN FRONT. OTHER ACFT VEERED TO HIS L (WAS IN L TURN). I RPTED THIS TO GUAYAQUIL CTR. THERE WAS NO REPLY, BUT LOTS OF SPANISH SPEAKING EXCITEMENT FROM ACFT TO CTR. FROM BOGOTA ATC I LEARNED IT WAS A FOREIGN FLAG CARRIER AT FL330, ETA ESV XB30 AND GUAYAQUIL CTL WAS INFORMED OF ALT AND ETA ESV. PLEASE NOTE: MY OBSERVATION: FOR THE PAST YR I HAVE VERY FREQUENTLY FLOWN THIS RTE FROM MIA-SPIM-SEQU- SEGU. COM IN AND OUT OF GUAYAQUIL AIRSPACE HAS BEEN MARGINAL. POOR RECEPTION, POOR ENGLISH, MANY CALLS GO UNANSWERED AND WHEN AN ANSWER COMES THROUGH, ALL ACFT RESPOND AT SAME TIME. LONG CONVERSATIONS IN SPANISH EXP: FULL WX RPT FOR SEQU-SEGU-MANTA ARPT (NO ATIS AVAILABLE). TOO LARGE A SECTOR (360 DEG SECTOR) ON FREQ 128.3. INCLUDING ALL TFC IN AND OUT OF SEQU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A DC8-62F CAPT WHO FLIES TO THIS AREA OF THE WORLD AS A REGULAR PART OF HIS JOB. HE SAID THAT HE UNDERSTANDS THE LANGUAGE IF IT IS SPOKEN SLOWLY AND CLRLY, BUT AFTER THE NMAC THE VARIOUS PARTIES WERE SO UPSET AND SPEAKING SO LOUDLY AND SO QUICKLY THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHO WAS SPEAKING AT TIMES. HE DID CONFIRM WITH THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC ITS IDENT AND THAT IT WAS A B757-200 AND THAT NOBODY WAS INJURED. HE SAID THAT HE THEN SWITCHED, ON HIS OWN, TO SKED CTL AND THEY CONFIRMED THE IDENT OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AND THAT THEY HAD PASSED THIS INFO TO SEGU ALONG WITH THE ESV XING ESTIMATE WHICH WAS THE SAME AS THE RPTR'S. THE RPTR ALLEGED THAT THE SKED CTLR REMARKED THAT SEGU DOES THIS ALL OF THE TIME. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE THEN WENT BACK TO SEGU FREQ ON HIS OTHER RADIO AND ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH THE CTLR. THIS TIME HE WAS ABLE TO AGAIN SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE OTHER CARRIER, BUT ALL OTHER COM WAS CONTINUALLY BLOCKED BY VARIOUS ANGRY EXCHANGES IN SPANISH. HE SAID THAT HE THEN GAVE UP. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE IS ALWAYS CONSCIOUS OF THE CTLR'S AND OTHER CARRIERS' FLC'S SENSITIVITIES TO PERCEIVED CRITICISM IN THIS AREA AS THIS HAS RESULTED IN SOME TROUBLES FOR HIS COMPANY AND ITS FLCS IN THE PAST. THE PRIMARY PROB FOR THIS PARTICULAR CTL SECTOR, THE RPTR SAID, IS THAT IT IS SO LARGE AND IT USES THE SAME FREQ FOR EVERYONE AND ALL OF THE TFC ALONG THE W COAST OF THE CONTINENT PASSES THROUGH IT. THERE IS A CONSTANT PROB WITH TFC CONGESTION AND THE CTLRS SEEM TO BE THE LEAST WELL TRAINED AND EQUIPPED ACCORDING TO THIS CAPT.

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.