B747 and B737 had an near midair collision in south american airspace.

Attributes
ACN	418828
Time
Date	199811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : spim
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	418828
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 400 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Coming out of chilean airspace at FL310 into peru. At waypoint iremi (XA35Z) we got a TCASII alert and saw on the instantaneous vertical speed indicator the approaching aircraft was at 12 O'clock and same altitude. We got a hard RA to descend. The captain took immediate action to the left of track. We called lima control to give position report and lima control did not mention anything about traffic until we asked about the traffic. Lima control then said traffic at 12 O'clock was at FL290. We requested for him to check because we were assigned FL310, and at that level the other aircraft going sbound was at the same level. Lima control insisted that the foreign air carrier B737 was at FL290. After making several requests to contact the foreign air carrier B737, he did. Lima controller called and the foreign air carrier flight responded to be assigned FL310. Lima control asked him who authority/authorized, or better, nobody authority/authorized him to be at FL310. Lima control and the foreign air carrier flight captain were arguing in spanish the whole time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 AND B737 HAD AN NMAC IN SOUTH AMERICAN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: COMING OUT OF CHILEAN AIRSPACE AT FL310 INTO PERU. AT WAYPOINT IREMI (XA35Z) WE GOT A TCASII ALERT AND SAW ON THE INSTANTANEOUS VERT SPD INDICATOR THE APCHING ACFT WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK AND SAME ALT. WE GOT A HARD RA TO DSND. THE CAPT TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO THE L OF TRACK. WE CALLED LIMA CTL TO GIVE POS RPT AND LIMA CTL DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT TFC UNTIL WE ASKED ABOUT THE TFC. LIMA CTL THEN SAID TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK WAS AT FL290. WE REQUESTED FOR HIM TO CHK BECAUSE WE WERE ASSIGNED FL310, AND AT THAT LEVEL THE OTHER ACFT GOING SBOUND WAS AT THE SAME LEVEL. LIMA CTL INSISTED THAT THE FOREIGN ACR B737 WAS AT FL290. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL REQUESTS TO CONTACT THE FOREIGN ACR B737, HE DID. LIMA CTLR CALLED AND THE FOREIGN ACR FLT RESPONDED TO BE ASSIGNED FL310. LIMA CTL ASKED HIM WHO AUTH, OR BETTER, NOBODY AUTH HIM TO BE AT FL310. LIMA CTL AND THE FOREIGN ACR FLT CAPT WERE ARGUING IN SPANISH THE WHOLE TIME.

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.