Narrative:

While thermaling at 10000 ft MSL, directly overhead jean airport, I was in a left turn. As my heading passed through approximately 220-210 degree magnetic I saw an medium large transport flown by air carrier coalt and on a reciprocal heading. The medium large transport was on a descent into las vegas. As I was already in a steep bank, I continued to roll the glider to inverted and pulled the nose 40-60 degree nose low. The airliner passed approximately 100 ft over me. My IAS was 40 KTS. The point is, I saw him at a range of 3500- 4000 ft. However, at 40 KTS, my ability to take evasive action was limited to say the least. I was in a 45 degree bank, inside his wing span, and another 20-30 degree of turn would bring us exactly head-on. I banked to 120-145 degree and pulled the nose 45-60 degree nose down. The medium large transport passed 100 ft over me with no change in bank angle or pitch attitude (he never saw me). He was also at least 10 NM west of the published jet descent profile into las. Las vegas approach indicated that 'several air carriers were deviating due to twring cumulus.' jean airport is annotated on but the las sectional and the las VFR terminal chart as an active glider port. At the time of this incident, we had 3 gliders above 10000 ft MSL within 3 to 5 mi of the airport. Las vegas approach could at least inform air carriers arriving from southern california, that they can expect to find gliders at altitudes up to 16000 ft MSL or cloud base, which ever is lower, in the vicinity of jean airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SPN 20 S OF LAS AT THE EDGE OF THE TCA.

Narrative: WHILE THERMALING AT 10000 FT MSL, DIRECTLY OVERHEAD JEAN ARPT, I WAS IN A L TURN. AS MY HDG PASSED THROUGH APPROX 220-210 DEG MAG I SAW AN MLG FLOWN BY ACR COALT AND ON A RECIPROCAL HDG. THE MLG WAS ON A DSCNT INTO LAS VEGAS. AS I WAS ALREADY IN A STEEP BANK, I CONTINUED TO ROLL THE GLIDER TO INVERTED AND PULLED THE NOSE 40-60 DEG NOSE LOW. THE AIRLINER PASSED APPROX 100 FT OVER ME. MY IAS WAS 40 KTS. THE POINT IS, I SAW HIM AT A RANGE OF 3500- 4000 FT. HOWEVER, AT 40 KTS, MY ABILITY TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION WAS LIMITED TO SAY THE LEAST. I WAS IN A 45 DEG BANK, INSIDE HIS WING SPAN, AND ANOTHER 20-30 DEG OF TURN WOULD BRING US EXACTLY HEAD-ON. I BANKED TO 120-145 DEG AND PULLED THE NOSE 45-60 DEG NOSE DOWN. THE MLG PASSED 100 FT OVER ME WITH NO CHANGE IN BANK ANGLE OR PITCH ATTITUDE (HE NEVER SAW ME). HE WAS ALSO AT LEAST 10 NM W OF THE PUBLISHED JET DSCNT PROFILE INTO LAS. LAS VEGAS APCH INDICATED THAT 'SEVERAL AIR CARRIERS WERE DEVIATING DUE TO TWRING CUMULUS.' JEAN ARPT IS ANNOTATED ON BUT THE LAS SECTIONAL AND THE LAS VFR TERMINAL CHART AS AN ACTIVE GLIDER PORT. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT, WE HAD 3 GLIDERS ABOVE 10000 FT MSL WITHIN 3 TO 5 MI OF THE ARPT. LAS VEGAS APCH COULD AT LEAST INFORM AIR CARRIERS ARRIVING FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THAT THEY CAN EXPECT TO FIND GLIDERS AT ALTS UP TO 16000 FT MSL OR CLOUD BASE, WHICH EVER IS LOWER, IN THE VICINITY OF JEAN ARPT.

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.