Narrative:

Svmi runway 9L (mares #1 departure) GA to darpa (_______ ILS). I've been flying almost exclusively from venezuela to mia for the last 5 months (predominately from svmi). I am a captain and was giving operational experience to a ven first officer who was thoroughly familiar with svmi, and the B727 -- 1200 hours as first officer (current -- last flying with air carrier ven to united states 5 months ago). We were holding short #1 and tower asked if we could take an immediate after landing DC9 traffic. I said yes. I looked out and saw another DC9 on approach and the spacing looked ok to me. We were cleared to position and hold. We did 'below the line,' tower then cleared us to take off and contact departure on 120.1 after airborne. At this time the previous landing traffic tail was just starting to turn off the runway. We waited approximately 10 seconds until the tail was off the runway (hump in runway at svmi -- can only see tails) and commenced takeoff roll. During the latter part of our takeoff roll, some spanish was spoken on frequency. (First officer later told me it was DC9 pilot saying he didn't think he was going to land.) I don't speak spanish. We got airborne. I switched to departure (120.1), told him we were on the mares departure out of 500 ft climbing to 4000 ft. He said maintain heading 085 degrees and something else. By that time, we were above 750 ft and first officer was turning left on mares approximately 060 degree heading. I said 'turn right to 085 degrees.' he did so. ATC was talking to another aircraft (spanish). I said 'please clarify after 085 degrees.' no answer -- still talking spanish to another aircraft. (First officer and flight engineer both spoke spanish, first language.) I say, 'what's going on? Did another aircraft depart runway 8 or what?' (we were still climbing approximately 1200-1500 ft. About this time I saw a DC9 above and to the rear (a bit) out of the captain's rear window, heading basically perpendicular to us approximately 360 degrees. How close? Enough to make us uncomfortable. No jet wash, no turbulence, no evasive action by either aircraft. No TCASII warning. I said to departure, we have the DC9 in sight. He rogered. The DC9 said he never saw us (in spanish). Everybody then continued with their business. We were cleared to continue on speed and climb to FL280 or FL310 (don't remember), switch to maiquetta control (128.5) etc. End of event. As usual, a lot of factors come into play: 1) us -- busy. A) I should not have accepted an immediate takeoff with an operating experience pilot. But this guy was so good. (I flew with him the previous day), experienced (1200 hours in type). I did not see any problem with it. His is the best I've trained in 5 months. B) spanish/english -- the spanish speaking first officer and flight engineer should have told me what was going on visibility-a-visibility spanish ATC to improve my situational awareness. C) transponder/TCASII. (First officer responsibility.) I do not think the transponder was selected to ATC #1 and/or the TCASII switch may have been overrotated to the ATC #2 standby position instead of ATC #1 TA/RA. These are 2 different but adjacent switches. D) the reason why I or anybody else didn't notice this on the radar display is because we were focusing on the pervious landing traffic tail to make sure he was clear before we started our takeoff roll. Tower: 1) never given immediate. 2) when DC9 went around, simply say turn left, enter the traffic pattern for runway 9L or do full missed approach, but maintain visual on B727. Landing DC9: 1) really, nothing wrong -- maybe was not quick enough exiting runway -- situational awareness? Approaching DC9: 1) upon go around decision, told tower he wanted to turn left and enter the VFR traffic pattern or on the missed approach should have kept us in sight. Departure 120.1: 1) let us continue on mares, and told the DC9 to go straight ahead -- might have been safer. Comments: 1) venezuela's ATC goes from ok (128.5 maiquetia control) to so-so (120.5 svmi approach) to weak. The tower is the weakest link in the venezuelan chain. (Maiquetia/valencia/maricarbo) in maiquetia over the last 5 months, I've witnessed a lot of mis-clrncs/bungled calls en route. Also, this standard policy in all 3 airports 'you are cleared for takeoff contact departure on XXX.xx when airborne' is not good. 2) also command of english degradation is in the sameorder, but maq is an english major company with val and mar.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEPARTING B727 PIC FROM SVMI, FO, QUESTIONS OWN FLC AND ATC AS TO WHAT CAUSED THE CONFLICT WITH DC9 ON GAR.

Narrative: SVMI RWY 9L (MARES #1 DEP) GA TO DARPA (_______ ILS). I'VE BEEN FLYING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FROM VENEZUELA TO MIA FOR THE LAST 5 MONTHS (PREDOMINATELY FROM SVMI). I AM A CAPT AND WAS GIVING OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO A VEN FO WHO WAS THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH SVMI, AND THE B727 -- 1200 HRS AS FO (CURRENT -- LAST FLYING WITH ACR VEN TO UNITED STATES 5 MONTHS AGO). WE WERE HOLDING SHORT #1 AND TWR ASKED IF WE COULD TAKE AN IMMEDIATE AFTER LNDG DC9 TFC. I SAID YES. I LOOKED OUT AND SAW ANOTHER DC9 ON APCH AND THE SPACING LOOKED OK TO ME. WE WERE CLRED TO POS AND HOLD. WE DID 'BELOW THE LINE,' TWR THEN CLRED US TO TAKE OFF AND CONTACT DEP ON 120.1 AFTER AIRBORNE. AT THIS TIME THE PREVIOUS LNDG TFC TAIL WAS JUST STARTING TO TURN OFF THE RWY. WE WAITED APPROX 10 SECONDS UNTIL THE TAIL WAS OFF THE RWY (HUMP IN RWY AT SVMI -- CAN ONLY SEE TAILS) AND COMMENCED TKOF ROLL. DURING THE LATTER PART OF OUR TKOF ROLL, SOME SPANISH WAS SPOKEN ON FREQ. (FO LATER TOLD ME IT WAS DC9 PLT SAYING HE DIDN'T THINK HE WAS GOING TO LAND.) I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH. WE GOT AIRBORNE. I SWITCHED TO DEP (120.1), TOLD HIM WE WERE ON THE MARES DEP OUT OF 500 FT CLBING TO 4000 FT. HE SAID MAINTAIN HDG 085 DEGS AND SOMETHING ELSE. BY THAT TIME, WE WERE ABOVE 750 FT AND FO WAS TURNING L ON MARES APPROX 060 DEG HDG. I SAID 'TURN R TO 085 DEGS.' HE DID SO. ATC WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT (SPANISH). I SAID 'PLEASE CLARIFY AFTER 085 DEGS.' NO ANSWER -- STILL TALKING SPANISH TO ANOTHER ACFT. (FO AND FE BOTH SPOKE SPANISH, FIRST LANGUAGE.) I SAY, 'WHAT'S GOING ON? DID ANOTHER ACFT DEPART RWY 8 OR WHAT?' (WE WERE STILL CLBING APPROX 1200-1500 FT. ABOUT THIS TIME I SAW A DC9 ABOVE AND TO THE REAR (A BIT) OUT OF THE CAPT'S REAR WINDOW, HDG BASICALLY PERPENDICULAR TO US APPROX 360 DEGS. HOW CLOSE? ENOUGH TO MAKE US UNCOMFORTABLE. NO JET WASH, NO TURB, NO EVASIVE ACTION BY EITHER ACFT. NO TCASII WARNING. I SAID TO DEP, WE HAVE THE DC9 IN SIGHT. HE ROGERED. THE DC9 SAID HE NEVER SAW US (IN SPANISH). EVERYBODY THEN CONTINUED WITH THEIR BUSINESS. WE WERE CLRED TO CONTINUE ON SPD AND CLB TO FL280 OR FL310 (DON'T REMEMBER), SWITCH TO MAIQUETTA CTL (128.5) ETC. END OF EVENT. AS USUAL, A LOT OF FACTORS COME INTO PLAY: 1) US -- BUSY. A) I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED AN IMMEDIATE TKOF WITH AN OPERATING EXPERIENCE PLT. BUT THIS GUY WAS SO GOOD. (I FLEW WITH HIM THE PREVIOUS DAY), EXPERIENCED (1200 HRS IN TYPE). I DID NOT SEE ANY PROB WITH IT. HIS IS THE BEST I'VE TRAINED IN 5 MONTHS. B) SPANISH/ENGLISH -- THE SPANISH SPEAKING FO AND FE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME WHAT WAS GOING ON VIS-A-VIS SPANISH ATC TO IMPROVE MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. C) XPONDER/TCASII. (FO RESPONSIBILITY.) I DO NOT THINK THE XPONDER WAS SELECTED TO ATC #1 AND/OR THE TCASII SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN OVERROTATED TO THE ATC #2 STANDBY POS INSTEAD OF ATC #1 TA/RA. THESE ARE 2 DIFFERENT BUT ADJACENT SWITCHES. D) THE REASON WHY I OR ANYBODY ELSE DIDN'T NOTICE THIS ON THE RADAR DISPLAY IS BECAUSE WE WERE FOCUSING ON THE PERVIOUS LNDG TFC TAIL TO MAKE SURE HE WAS CLR BEFORE WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. TWR: 1) NEVER GIVEN IMMEDIATE. 2) WHEN DC9 WENT AROUND, SIMPLY SAY TURN L, ENTER THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 9L OR DO FULL MISSED APCH, BUT MAINTAIN VISUAL ON B727. LNDG DC9: 1) REALLY, NOTHING WRONG -- MAYBE WAS NOT QUICK ENOUGH EXITING RWY -- SITUATIONAL AWARENESS? APCHING DC9: 1) UPON GAR DECISION, TOLD TWR HE WANTED TO TURN L AND ENTER THE VFR TFC PATTERN OR ON THE MISSED APCH SHOULD HAVE KEPT US IN SIGHT. DEP 120.1: 1) LET US CONTINUE ON MARES, AND TOLD THE DC9 TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD -- MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAFER. COMMENTS: 1) VENEZUELA'S ATC GOES FROM OK (128.5 MAIQUETIA CTL) TO SO-SO (120.5 SVMI APCH) TO WEAK. THE TWR IS THE WEAKEST LINK IN THE VENEZUELAN CHAIN. (MAIQUETIA/VALENCIA/MARICARBO) IN MAIQUETIA OVER THE LAST 5 MONTHS, I'VE WITNESSED A LOT OF MIS-CLRNCS/BUNGLED CALLS ENRTE. ALSO, THIS STANDARD POLICY IN ALL 3 ARPTS 'YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF CONTACT DEP ON XXX.XX WHEN AIRBORNE' IS NOT GOOD. 2) ALSO COMMAND OF ENGLISH DEGRADATION IS IN THE SAMEORDER, BUT MAQ IS AN ENGLISH MAJOR COMPANY WITH VAL AND MAR.

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.