Narrative:

Air carrier X, after departing el paso, tx (elp), the controller handed the flight over to juarez approach. Juarez approach cleared the flight to the cruise altitude of 17000 ft and stated no traffic. There were no other xmissions during the climb. As we were climbing through 16500 ft MSL, both pilots caught movement on the left side of the aircraft. We could see a foreign air carrier Y metroliner pass by at the same altitude. It appeared to be less than 1/4 mi horizontally and at the same altitude. When we asked the controller about the aircraft, he appeared not to understand what we were asking him. The PNF could not seem to get the mexican controller to understand what he was doing and why he had not warned us of the opposite bound traffic. Lack of ATC communication was a major role in the incident. The mexican controllers understanding of english and that they have no radar are also factors that helped lead up to this incident. Since our aircraft was in a climb attitude, the aircraft nose was above the horizon making it almost impossible to see another aircraft at or near the altitude we were climbing through.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CLBED THROUGH OCCUPIED ALT AND HAD A CONFLICT WITH VFR FOREIGN ACR Y IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: ACR X, AFTER DEPARTING EL PASO, TX (ELP), THE CTLR HANDED THE FLT OVER TO JUAREZ APCH. JUAREZ APCH CLRED THE FLT TO THE CRUISE ALT OF 17000 FT AND STATED NO TFC. THERE WERE NO OTHER XMISSIONS DURING THE CLB. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 16500 FT MSL, BOTH PLTS CAUGHT MOVEMENT ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. WE COULD SEE A FOREIGN ACR Y METROLINER PASS BY AT THE SAME ALT. IT APPEARED TO BE LESS THAN 1/4 MI HORIZLY AND AT THE SAME ALT. WHEN WE ASKED THE CTLR ABOUT THE ACFT, HE APPEARED NOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE ASKING HIM. THE PNF COULD NOT SEEM TO GET THE MEXICAN CTLR TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS DOING AND WHY HE HAD NOT WARNED US OF THE OPPOSITE BOUND TFC. LACK OF ATC COM WAS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE INCIDENT. THE MEXICAN CTLRS UNDERSTANDING OF ENGLISH AND THAT THEY HAVE NO RADAR ARE ALSO FACTORS THAT HELPED LEAD UP TO THIS INCIDENT. SINCE OUR ACFT WAS IN A CLB ATTITUDE, THE ACFT NOSE WAS ABOVE THE HORIZON MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANOTHER ACFT AT OR NEAR THE ALT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH.

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.