Possible near midair collision turned into potential conflict account evasive action turn by small aircraft pilot in conflict with sailplane activity near non tower airport unicom.

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Attributes
ACN	249591
Time
Date	199308
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 07g
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2100 msl bound upper : 2100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 1095 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	249591
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While cruising from howell airport I was about 5 mi southeast of the charlotte, fetch beach airport. I called unicom and reported my position and that I would be overflying south of the airport from east to west at 2100 ft. I made another report 3 mi southeast and was advised of gliders in the area. At the same time, I found the first one slightly above and in a hard left turn. I also entered a hard left turn to add space although I think we would have missed without an action. But, I gave as much room as possible and a clear path to the airport. I saw the second glider several mi away, and I began to put it together as to why I did see that one sooner. The heading I was holding with the first one had me looking into the sun. The glider was painted white and had a very small profile to minimize the drag. The fair WX clouds above me gave the glider the perfect backgnd in which to hide. Banking the glider gave me a much greater surface area for my eyes to focus on and helped it stand out from the clouds and glare.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE NMAC TURNED INTO POTENTIAL CONFLICT ACCOUNT EVASIVE ACTION TURN BY SMA PLT IN CONFLICT WITH SAILPLANE ACTIVITY NEAR NON TWR ARPT UNICOM.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING FROM HOWELL ARPT I WAS ABOUT 5 MI SE OF THE CHARLOTTE, FETCH BEACH ARPT. I CALLED UNICOM AND RPTED MY POS AND THAT I WOULD BE OVERFLYING S OF THE ARPT FROM E TO W AT 2100 FT. I MADE ANOTHER RPT 3 MI SE AND WAS ADVISED OF GLIDERS IN THE AREA. AT THE SAME TIME, I FOUND THE FIRST ONE SLIGHTLY ABOVE AND IN A HARD L TURN. I ALSO ENTERED A HARD L TURN TO ADD SPACE ALTHOUGH I THINK WE WOULD HAVE MISSED WITHOUT AN ACTION. BUT, I GAVE AS MUCH ROOM AS POSSIBLE AND A CLR PATH TO THE ARPT. I SAW THE SECOND GLIDER SEVERAL MI AWAY, AND I BEGAN TO PUT IT TOGETHER AS TO WHY I DID SEE THAT ONE SOONER. THE HDG I WAS HOLDING WITH THE FIRST ONE HAD ME LOOKING INTO THE SUN. THE GLIDER WAS PAINTED WHITE AND HAD A VERY SMALL PROFILE TO MINIMIZE THE DRAG. THE FAIR WX CLOUDS ABOVE ME GAVE THE GLIDER THE PERFECT BACKGND IN WHICH TO HIDE. BANKING THE GLIDER GAVE ME A MUCH GREATER SURFACE AREA FOR MY EYES TO FOCUS ON AND HELPED IT STAND OUT FROM THE CLOUDS AND GLARE.

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.