A B757-200 first officer's report on an near midair collision and the dangers of flying into mroc airport in costa rica. The use of the english language was non existent except to this united states crew and TA's were poorly issued.

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Attributes
ACN	424557
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mroc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	approach : circling arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Caravan 1 208A
Flight Phase	descent other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6900 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	424557
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Our aircraft was cleared from radon intersection via the cacao arrival, ILS runway 7 approach, circle to land runway 25. From cacao inbound, approach controller advised us of traffic that was 4 separate targets. Frequency was congested, and all in spanish. We spotted 2 of the 4 targets as we descended through the broken clouds. Situational awareness was difficult because of language difference. Arrival and approach very demanding because of high terrain and company procedures. Both pilots were experienced into this airport. TCASII gave a TA and a 'monitor vertical speed.' it was followed immediately by an RA of 'climb, climb.' as we left level flight and began following advisory, it changed to 'descend, descend.' as we began to follow that command, I saw the intruder aircraft pass off the right side of the aircraft and to our rear. Balance of approach and landing uneventful. I believe other aircraft was maneuvering for approach into mroc also. This airport requires extreme vigilance and skepticism. We felt traffic callouts by cacao approach control were substandard.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FO'S RPT ON AN NMAC AND THE DANGERS OF FLYING INTO MROC ARPT IN COSTA RICA. THE USE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WAS NON EXISTENT EXCEPT TO THIS UNITED STATES CREW AND TA'S WERE POORLY ISSUED.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS CLRED FROM RADON INTXN VIA THE CACAO ARR, ILS RWY 7 APCH, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 25. FROM CACAO INBOUND, APCH CTLR ADVISED US OF TFC THAT WAS 4 SEPARATE TARGETS. FREQ WAS CONGESTED, AND ALL IN SPANISH. WE SPOTTED 2 OF THE 4 TARGETS AS WE DSNDED THROUGH THE BROKEN CLOUDS. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE DIFFERENCE. ARR AND APCH VERY DEMANDING BECAUSE OF HIGH TERRAIN AND COMPANY PROCS. BOTH PLTS WERE EXPERIENCED INTO THIS ARPT. TCASII GAVE A TA AND A 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' IT WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN RA OF 'CLB, CLB.' AS WE LEFT LEVEL FLT AND BEGAN FOLLOWING ADVISORY, IT CHANGED TO 'DSND, DSND.' AS WE BEGAN TO FOLLOW THAT COMMAND, I SAW THE INTRUDER ACFT PASS OFF THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND TO OUR REAR. BAL OF APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE OTHER ACFT WAS MANEUVERING FOR APCH INTO MROC ALSO. THIS ARPT REQUIRES EXTREME VIGILANCE AND SKEPTICISM. WE FELT TFC CALLOUTS BY CACAO APCH CTL WERE SUBSTANDARD.

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.