Narrative:

I was on a forest service flight approaching minden airport from the southeast for landing. Called unicom for advisories approximately 7 mi southeast. Advised my position and altitude at that time. A glider tow pilot said he was departing runway 30 and asked what runway was generally in use and he said runway 34. I advised him I would be making left traffic for runway 34. I announced my position again approximately 2 mi southeast of field and intentions for left traffic for runway 34. At no time has this tow pilot advised anyone of anything (no position, intentions, etc.). I announced my position overhead the airport on a left crosswind for runway 34. Several seconds later, the tow plane and glider passed approximately 10 ft below us in a northwest southeast direction. In spite of the fact that myself and 2 forest service passenger were constantly looking for the possibility that this traffic was still in the air traffic area, we at no time saw him after his departure from the runway 30. He, in spite of my constant position reports and reports of intentions never once announced his intentions to anyone. I would have thought he would not have elected to circle back to and over the airport, knowing I was inbound for overhead approach to runway 34. I can't explain why we could not see him, even though we were intently looking. (The fact that he was below us with ground clutter backgnd did not help!) (we also had our landing lights and strobes/beacons on.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT HAD A NMAC WITH AN ACFT TOWING A GLIDER OVER A NON CTLED ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FOREST SVC FLT APCHING MINDEN ARPT FROM THE SE FOR LNDG. CALLED UNICOM FOR ADVISORIES APPROX 7 MI SE. ADVISED MY POS AND ALT AT THAT TIME. A GLIDER TOW PLT SAID HE WAS DEPARTING RWY 30 AND ASKED WHAT RWY WAS GENERALLY IN USE AND HE SAID RWY 34. I ADVISED HIM I WOULD BE MAKING LEFT TFC FOR RWY 34. I ANNOUNCED MY POS AGAIN APPROX 2 MI SE OF FIELD AND INTENTIONS FOR L TFC FOR RWY 34. AT NO TIME HAS THIS TOW PLT ADVISED ANYONE OF ANYTHING (NO POS, INTENTIONS, ETC.). I ANNOUNCED MY POS OVERHEAD THE ARPT ON A L XWIND FOR RWY 34. SEVERAL SECONDS LATER, THE TOW PLANE AND GLIDER PASSED APPROX 10 FT BELOW US IN A NW SE DIRECTION. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT MYSELF AND 2 FOREST SVC PAX WERE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS TFC WAS STILL IN THE ATA, WE AT NO TIME SAW HIM AFTER HIS DEP FROM THE RWY 30. HE, IN SPITE OF MY CONSTANT POS RPTS AND RPTS OF INTENTIONS NEVER ONCE ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS TO ANYONE. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT HE WOULD NOT HAVE ELECTED TO CIRCLE BACK TO AND OVER THE ARPT, KNOWING I WAS INBOUND FOR OVERHEAD APCH TO RWY 34. I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY WE COULD NOT SEE HIM, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE INTENTLY LOOKING. (THE FACT THAT HE WAS BELOW US WITH GND CLUTTER BACKGND DID NOT HELP!) (WE ALSO HAD OUR LNDG LIGHTS AND STROBES/BEACONS ON.)

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.