Narrative:

Descending into abq on miera 2 arrival. Captain was flying. First officer was changing radio frequency to approach control. I was just reaching for checklist when captain saw a glider go by our left window at our altitude about 200' away. First officer reported near miss to approach control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter unable to add much to initial report. States he was in process of 'panel' work during preliminary checklist in descent. Captain gave out with a shout and the event was over. Never expected to see a glider that high on the STAR arrival. Supplemental information from acn 110263: I was descending into abq on miera 2 arrival. First officer had just received clearance to contact approach control, second officer was reading the approach checklist. I looked left to see a sailplane pass us on the opp heading at my altitude 100-300' to my left. First officer was looking down tuning radio, second officer was looking at checklist reading to me. No evasive action possible due to time. NOTAM prior to takeoff: 'abq--caution--extensive glide activity within 20 NM radius of abq 081 radial 40 DME up to 16000'. Gliders based at moriarty airport.' this near miss is a result of allowing mixed operation in same area. Center could not see him. There will be an accident due to this problem some day. The fix is easy. It will be fixed within 24-48 hours after the accident--but not before. Supplemental information from acn 109940: other aircraft first observed by me after it had passed behind me--when it was off my right wing as shown on diagram. Other aircraft was slightly below me. Chain of events--how the problem arose: concentration of aircraft. 1) acrs use the STAR miera 2 arrival nearby. 2) gliders out of moriarty airport bias flight activities upwind in the prevailing west wind; ie, to the west of the moriarty airport. Suggest an announcement by ATC or the air carrier when letting down through 18000' MSL on the frequency used by most gliders 123.3. If the altitude(south) and track are known, a 5 min advanced warning should work. Supplemental information from acn 110264: I reported traffic to approach, who confirmed an intermittent skin paint on a target in the area. Remainder of approach and landing was uneventful. Glider activity up to 16000' was notamed for an area encompassing the portion of the STAR we were on at the time. Both our aircraft and the sailplane were authority/authorized to be in the airspace we happened to be in at the time. The head on aspect of the convergency made see and avoid, the only defense against a non transponder equipped sailplane, virtually impossible for us. It would seem that an area for sailplane activity, while necessary and desirable, should not occupy the same airspace as a STAR into a major air terminal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DESCENDING LGT ACFT AND GLIDER HAD NMAC AT 16000'.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO ABQ ON MIERA 2 ARR. CAPT WAS FLYING. F/O WAS CHANGING RADIO FREQ TO APCH CTL. I WAS JUST REACHING FOR CHKLIST WHEN CAPT SAW A GLIDER GO BY OUR LEFT WINDOW AT OUR ALT ABOUT 200' AWAY. F/O RPTED NEAR MISS TO APCH CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR UNABLE TO ADD MUCH TO INITIAL RPT. STATES HE WAS IN PROCESS OF 'PANEL' WORK DURING PRELIMINARY CHKLIST IN DSCNT. CAPT GAVE OUT WITH A SHOUT AND THE EVENT WAS OVER. NEVER EXPECTED TO SEE A GLIDER THAT HIGH ON THE STAR ARR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 110263: I WAS DSNDING INTO ABQ ON MIERA 2 ARR. F/O HAD JUST RECEIVED CLRNC TO CONTACT APCH CTL, S/O WAS READING THE APCH CHKLIST. I LOOKED LEFT TO SEE A SAILPLANE PASS US ON THE OPP HDG AT MY ALT 100-300' TO MY LEFT. F/O WAS LOOKING DOWN TUNING RADIO, S/O WAS LOOKING AT CHKLIST READING TO ME. NO EVASIVE ACTION POSSIBLE DUE TO TIME. NOTAM PRIOR TO TKOF: 'ABQ--CAUTION--EXTENSIVE GLIDE ACTIVITY WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF ABQ 081 RADIAL 40 DME UP TO 16000'. GLIDERS BASED AT MORIARTY ARPT.' THIS NEAR MISS IS A RESULT OF ALLOWING MIXED OPERATION IN SAME AREA. CENTER COULD NOT SEE HIM. THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS PROB SOME DAY. THE FIX IS EASY. IT WILL BE FIXED WITHIN 24-48 HRS AFTER THE ACCIDENT--BUT NOT BEFORE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 109940: OTHER ACFT FIRST OBSERVED BY ME AFTER IT HAD PASSED BEHIND ME--WHEN IT WAS OFF MY RIGHT WING AS SHOWN ON DIAGRAM. OTHER ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW ME. CHAIN OF EVENTS--HOW THE PROB AROSE: CONCENTRATION OF ACFT. 1) ACRS USE THE STAR MIERA 2 ARR NEARBY. 2) GLIDERS OUT OF MORIARTY ARPT BIAS FLT ACTIVITIES UPWIND IN THE PREVAILING W WIND; IE, TO THE W OF THE MORIARTY ARPT. SUGGEST AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY ATC OR THE ACR WHEN LETTING DOWN THROUGH 18000' MSL ON THE FREQ USED BY MOST GLIDERS 123.3. IF THE ALT(S) AND TRACK ARE KNOWN, A 5 MIN ADVANCED WARNING SHOULD WORK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 110264: I RPTED TFC TO APCH, WHO CONFIRMED AN INTERMITTENT SKIN PAINT ON A TARGET IN THE AREA. REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. GLIDER ACTIVITY UP TO 16000' WAS NOTAMED FOR AN AREA ENCOMPASSING THE PORTION OF THE STAR WE WERE ON AT THE TIME. BOTH OUR ACFT AND THE SAILPLANE WERE AUTH TO BE IN THE AIRSPACE WE HAPPENED TO BE IN AT THE TIME. THE HEAD ON ASPECT OF THE CONVERGENCY MADE SEE AND AVOID, THE ONLY DEFENSE AGAINST A NON XPONDER EQUIPPED SAILPLANE, VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR US. IT WOULD SEEM THAT AN AREA FOR SAILPLANE ACTIVITY, WHILE NECESSARY AND DESIRABLE, SHOULD NOT OCCUPY THE SAME AIRSPACE AS A STAR INTO A MAJOR AIR TERMINAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.