Northbound from Sao Paolo to Gatwick and in Sal (Cape Verde) area. Cleared to climb to FL350 and contact Canaries on HF. All done OK.
Southbound VARIG 767 same track reported to Canaries on VHF at northern
point of Canaries airspace a few minutes before. The Canaries controller did not pick up the fact we were both on reciprocal tracks at the same level. I was in the left seat, the other co-pilot was in the toilet and the skipper was fast asleep. Massive bang as we passed each other but in reality I could not tell you what sort of aeroplane it was as it passed so close.. When I got home I couldn't really communicate with anyone for a couple of days. My wife described me as very grey. The other co-pilot spoke fluent Spanish and managed to get as many names and compounding various tapes.
BA Fight Safety sat on the reports for some unknown reason and I saw the Fleet Captain (Smith) to ask why nothing was ever published. His reply was Varig had published a report and that was enough. The Freemason set up in BA management has some strange ways about it.