Air carrier mg flight crew experiences airborne conflict with sailplane 30 miles north of sax.

Attributes
ACN	180819
Time
Date	199106
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sax airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	180819
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were flying from roc to ewr on an IFR flight. Our flight plan usually has us on V213, but we were given a shortcut direct to sax. This is an old problem that still has not gone way. We had a near miss with a sailplane Y. Everybody was doing everything right and legal, but the mix of IFR jet traffic with VFR GA is always perilous. It is my personal prejudice that sailplane pilots are superior in many ways to other GA pilots. They probably heard us coming and were able to outmaneuver us. I also too control from the first officer and maneuvering away toward another sailplane. It is not a good idea of jets to be flying over that part of the world at such a low altitude. I have had many near misses on ewr arrs. The center was totally unaware of the sailplanes in our area until I told him. I saw 3 close by. They obviously did not have altitude reporting xponders and our particular aircraft was not yet equipped with a TCAS. As I said, an old problem with no solution in sight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MG FLT CREW EXPERIENCES AIRBORNE CONFLICT WITH SAILPLANE 30 MILES NORTH OF SAX.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM ROC TO EWR ON AN IFR FLT. OUR FLT PLAN USUALLY HAS US ON V213, BUT WE WERE GIVEN A SHORTCUT DIRECT TO SAX. THIS IS AN OLD PROB THAT STILL HAS NOT GONE WAY. WE HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A SAILPLANE Y. EVERYBODY WAS DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT AND LEGAL, BUT THE MIX OF IFR JET TFC WITH VFR GA IS ALWAYS PERILOUS. IT IS MY PERSONAL PREJUDICE THAT SAILPLANE PLTS ARE SUPERIOR IN MANY WAYS TO OTHER GA PLTS. THEY PROBABLY HEARD US COMING AND WERE ABLE TO OUTMANEUVER US. I ALSO TOO CTL FROM THE F/O AND MANEUVERING AWAY TOWARD ANOTHER SAILPLANE. IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA OF JETS TO BE FLYING OVER THAT PART OF THE WORLD AT SUCH A LOW ALT. I HAVE HAD MANY NEAR MISSES ON EWR ARRS. THE CENTER WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE SAILPLANES IN OUR AREA UNTIL I TOLD HIM. I SAW 3 CLOSE BY. THEY OBVIOUSLY DID NOT HAVE ALT RPTING XPONDERS AND OUR PARTICULAR ACFT WAS NOT YET EQUIPPED WITH A TCAS. AS I SAID, AN OLD PROB WITH NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT.

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.