Narrative:

I was the first officer of a B757 on flight air carrier X en route to skcl from sequ. En route to cali VOR (clo) via UG675 our flight was instructed to contact cali approach control. Cali approach cleared air carrier X to cross quili intersection at 11000 ft. When air carrier X reported quili at 11000 ft, cali approach cleared air carrier X to 9000 ft and issued a speed restr of 200 KTS. Cali approach advised air carrier X to expect a straight-in approach to runway 1. Prior to crossing the clo VOR, cali approach cleared air carrier X for 'straight-in ILS, report cali VOR 5000 ft on final.' when air carrier X reported over clo VOR with runway in sight, cali approach instructed air carrier X to contact cali tower. Cali tower asked for air carrier X altitude and cleared us to land. After landing while taxiing to the ramp the cali ground controller informed air carrier X that we had come close to an airbus A300. This was the first time cali ATC gave us any traffic information. Our crew did not have any visual contact with the other aircraft during approach or landing. At no time did air carrier X receive from cali ATC, holding instructions, efc time, traffic information, or a landing sequence number. At no time during the approach or landing phase were we informed of any abnormality. Cali approach and cali tower gave no indication of conflicting traffic nor did our crew detect any. Cali approach and cali tower were communicating with the A300 aircraft in spanish. The crew of the A300 were also communicating in spanish and made no attempt to inform our crew of any potential conflict with our aircraft. If everyone involved had been speaking the same language this report would not have been necessary. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that controller was talking spanish to another aircraft and they recognized a word in some instructions which led them to believe the other aircraft was departing north as they were approaching from the south. At no time were they informed about any other aircraft in their vicinity. They saw no other aircraft and visibility was excellent. His aircraft had no TCASII to observe other traffic. The controller had limited use of english. During approach flight crew inquired as to why the runway was restr, tower could not understand the question. They simply cleared aircraft to land. Upon taxi in, the ground controller informed them of their close proximity to another aircraft but made no mention of how close they were in ft or mi. The captain of the flight crew called the tower and reviewed what happened during the approach. Supplemental information from acn 390604: air carrier X: checked mer at XX45 FL200 estimating clo at XY05. ATC: cleared to clo VOR, descend and maintain 15000 ft. Air carrier X: reporting level at 15000 ft requesting lower. ATC: cleared to 11000 ft report quili. Air carrier X: checking quili at this time at 11000 ft. ATC: what is your airspeed? Air carrier X: 250 KTS. ATC: reduce to 200 KTS, plan straight-in approach. Air carrier X: reducing to 200 KTS. ATC: descend and maintain 9000 ft. Air carrier X: roger descend to 9000 ft, should we plan on holding? ATC: yes (but no holding clearance or efc given). Air carrier X: 10 DME south of clo at 9000 ft. ATC: cleared for an ILS approach to cali report leaving the cali VOR and 5000 ft. (Since we were issued an unrestr approach clearance, not advised of any other traffic or given a landing sequence, and having the runway in sight, we proceeded straight-in to the runway.) air carrier X: over cali VOR leaving 6800 ft, straight-in, runway in sight. ATC: repeat? Air carrier X: over cali VOR leaving 6800 ft, straight-in, runway in sight. ATC: contact cali tower 118.1. Air carrier X: roger tower 118.1. Air carrier X: cali tower air carrier X, we've passed the VOR inbound, field in sight. ATC: what is your altitude? Air carrier X: leaving 1000 ft AGL. ATC: cleared to land runway 1. Air carrier X: roger, cleared to land. After clearing the runway the ground controller said we came very close to an airbus 300. They also asked if we had been issued a landing sequence or traffic information. We indicated that we were issued nothing but an unrestr ILS approach clearance. Since all other approach and tower communications were conducted in spanish, I was not aware of other aircraft position, altitudes, or directions of flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this captain called the tower and the other air carrier involved after the flight landed and parked. Tower was not too concerned with the event, but TRACON was more concerned. Captain feels that TRACON thought they might hold as they were close to the field. Captain never received holding instructions and so made a steep descent into cali. His aircraft had the gear extended and flaps and speed brake. Captain was familiar with the cali descent. Because everyone else was speaking spanish, he had no awareness that any other aircraft was near him. He believes the tower thought he would go into a holding pattern because he was so high above the field. However, he knew he could fly a steep descent and never received any holding instructions so he flew it straight in. Because he flew straight in, the aircraft under his lost separation. He never knew anyone was near him as everything spoken was mostly spanish. In conversing the other aircraft captain, that captain knew where he was as he was a south american air carrier. Captain was upset that english wasn't used so all would be involved in traffic separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 ACFT DSNDS INTO CLO, COLUMBIA, AND IS INFORMED THEY WERE IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH. FLC WAS NOT INFORMED OF ANY TFC DURING APCH AND CTLR SPOKE TO ANOTHER ACFT ONLY WITH SPANISH LANGUAGE.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO OF A B757 ON FLT ACR X ENRTE TO SKCL FROM SEQU. ENRTE TO CALI VOR (CLO) VIA UG675 OUR FLT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT CALI APCH CTL. CALI APCH CLRED ACR X TO CROSS QUILI INTXN AT 11000 FT. WHEN ACR X RPTED QUILI AT 11000 FT, CALI APCH CLRED ACR X TO 9000 FT AND ISSUED A SPD RESTR OF 200 KTS. CALI APCH ADVISED ACR X TO EXPECT A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 1. PRIOR TO XING THE CLO VOR, CALI APCH CLRED ACR X FOR 'STRAIGHT-IN ILS, RPT CALI VOR 5000 FT ON FINAL.' WHEN ACR X RPTED OVER CLO VOR WITH RWY IN SIGHT, CALI APCH INSTRUCTED ACR X TO CONTACT CALI TWR. CALI TWR ASKED FOR ACR X ALT AND CLRED US TO LAND. AFTER LNDG WHILE TAXIING TO THE RAMP THE CALI GND CTLR INFORMED ACR X THAT WE HAD COME CLOSE TO AN AIRBUS A300. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME CALI ATC GAVE US ANY TFC INFO. OUR CREW DID NOT HAVE ANY VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE OTHER ACFT DURING APCH OR LNDG. AT NO TIME DID ACR X RECEIVE FROM CALI ATC, HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS, EFC TIME, TFC INFO, OR A LNDG SEQUENCE NUMBER. AT NO TIME DURING THE APCH OR LNDG PHASE WERE WE INFORMED OF ANY ABNORMALITY. CALI APCH AND CALI TWR GAVE NO INDICATION OF CONFLICTING TFC NOR DID OUR CREW DETECT ANY. CALI APCH AND CALI TWR WERE COMMUNICATING WITH THE A300 ACFT IN SPANISH. THE CREW OF THE A300 WERE ALSO COMMUNICATING IN SPANISH AND MADE NO ATTEMPT TO INFORM OUR CREW OF ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH OUR ACFT. IF EVERYONE INVOLVED HAD BEEN SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE THIS RPT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT CTLR WAS TALKING SPANISH TO ANOTHER ACFT AND THEY RECOGNIZED A WORD IN SOME INSTRUCTIONS WHICH LED THEM TO BELIEVE THE OTHER ACFT WAS DEPARTING N AS THEY WERE APCHING FROM THE S. AT NO TIME WERE THEY INFORMED ABOUT ANY OTHER ACFT IN THEIR VICINITY. THEY SAW NO OTHER ACFT AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. HIS ACFT HAD NO TCASII TO OBSERVE OTHER TFC. THE CTLR HAD LIMITED USE OF ENGLISH. DURING APCH FLC INQUIRED AS TO WHY THE RWY WAS RESTR, TWR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION. THEY SIMPLY CLRED ACFT TO LAND. UPON TAXI IN, THE GND CTLR INFORMED THEM OF THEIR CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER ACFT BUT MADE NO MENTION OF HOW CLOSE THEY WERE IN FT OR MI. THE CAPT OF THE FLC CALLED THE TWR AND REVIEWED WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 390604: ACR X: CHKED MER AT XX45 FL200 ESTIMATING CLO AT XY05. ATC: CLRED TO CLO VOR, DSND AND MAINTAIN 15000 FT. ACR X: RPTING LEVEL AT 15000 FT REQUESTING LOWER. ATC: CLRED TO 11000 FT RPT QUILI. ACR X: CHKING QUILI AT THIS TIME AT 11000 FT. ATC: WHAT IS YOUR AIRSPD? ACR X: 250 KTS. ATC: REDUCE TO 200 KTS, PLAN STRAIGHT-IN APCH. ACR X: REDUCING TO 200 KTS. ATC: DSND AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT. ACR X: ROGER DSND TO 9000 FT, SHOULD WE PLAN ON HOLDING? ATC: YES (BUT NO HOLDING CLRNC OR EFC GIVEN). ACR X: 10 DME S OF CLO AT 9000 FT. ATC: CLRED FOR AN ILS APCH TO CALI RPT LEAVING THE CALI VOR AND 5000 FT. (SINCE WE WERE ISSUED AN UNRESTR APCH CLRNC, NOT ADVISED OF ANY OTHER TFC OR GIVEN A LNDG SEQUENCE, AND HAVING THE RWY IN SIGHT, WE PROCEEDED STRAIGHT-IN TO THE RWY.) ACR X: OVER CALI VOR LEAVING 6800 FT, STRAIGHT-IN, RWY IN SIGHT. ATC: REPEAT? ACR X: OVER CALI VOR LEAVING 6800 FT, STRAIGHT-IN, RWY IN SIGHT. ATC: CONTACT CALI TWR 118.1. ACR X: ROGER TWR 118.1. ACR X: CALI TWR ACR X, WE'VE PASSED THE VOR INBOUND, FIELD IN SIGHT. ATC: WHAT IS YOUR ALT? ACR X: LEAVING 1000 FT AGL. ATC: CLRED TO LAND RWY 1. ACR X: ROGER, CLRED TO LAND. AFTER CLRING THE RWY THE GND CTLR SAID WE CAME VERY CLOSE TO AN AIRBUS 300. THEY ALSO ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A LNDG SEQUENCE OR TFC INFO. WE INDICATED THAT WE WERE ISSUED NOTHING BUT AN UNRESTR ILS APCH CLRNC. SINCE ALL OTHER APCH AND TWR COMS WERE CONDUCTED IN SPANISH, I WAS NOT AWARE OF OTHER ACFT POS, ALTS, OR DIRECTIONS OF FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS CAPT CALLED THE TWR AND THE OTHER ACR INVOLVED AFTER THE FLT LANDED AND PARKED. TWR WAS NOT TOO CONCERNED WITH THE EVENT, BUT TRACON WAS MORE CONCERNED. CAPT FEELS THAT TRACON THOUGHT THEY MIGHT HOLD AS THEY WERE CLOSE TO THE FIELD. CAPT NEVER RECEIVED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS AND SO MADE A STEEP DSCNT INTO CALI. HIS ACFT HAD THE GEAR EXTENDED AND FLAPS AND SPD BRAKE. CAPT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE CALI DSCNT. BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE WAS SPEAKING SPANISH, HE HAD NO AWARENESS THAT ANY OTHER ACFT WAS NEAR HIM. HE BELIEVES THE TWR THOUGHT HE WOULD GO INTO A HOLDING PATTERN BECAUSE HE WAS SO HIGH ABOVE THE FIELD. HOWEVER, HE KNEW HE COULD FLY A STEEP DSCNT AND NEVER RECEIVED ANY HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS SO HE FLEW IT STRAIGHT IN. BECAUSE HE FLEW STRAIGHT IN, THE ACFT UNDER HIS LOST SEPARATION. HE NEVER KNEW ANYONE WAS NEAR HIM AS EVERYTHING SPOKEN WAS MOSTLY SPANISH. IN CONVERSING THE OTHER ACFT CAPT, THAT CAPT KNEW WHERE HE WAS AS HE WAS A SOUTH AMERICAN ACR. CAPT WAS UPSET THAT ENGLISH WASN'T USED SO ALL WOULD BE INVOLVED IN TFC SEPARATION.

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.