Narrative:

Flying 737-200 on karlo arrival into phoenix, I was with approach and had entered TCA from above descending as instructed from 10000-8000 ft at instructed airspeed of 250 KTS. The first officer was descending through 9000 ft when I noticed something at 12 O'clock position. At first I thought it was a bird (hang glider was going same direction as we were overtaking it.) I immediately realized it was not a bird as it rapidly got larger. I took control of aircraft and turned left immediately (about 30 degrees bank). The hang glider was slightly right of our aircraft. The first officer got a very good look at it as we turned. He was probably just off our right wing. It was a dark blue unpwred hang glider. We told approach immediately and resumed course. From the time I noticed the object until I turned was 2-3 seconds. From our position of overtaking it, it did not present much of an outline to see it. I filled out a near miss with phoenix approach. It was phoenix first 100 degrees on a saturday and that area is notorious for gliders, but I was very surprised to see a hang glider at 9000 ft. I later learned that 4 hang gliders had gotten to 14000 ft that day. Moving at our speed and with the site and direction of the hang glider, we were lucky to identify it before a possible impact. Cure: educate hang gliders to stay away from airways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 737 FLC ENCOUNTERS HANG GLIDER AT 9000 FT. NMAC.

Narrative: FLYING 737-200 ON KARLO ARR INTO PHOENIX, I WAS WITH APCH AND HAD ENTERED TCA FROM ABOVE DSNDING AS INSTRUCTED FROM 10000-8000 FT AT INSTRUCTED AIRSPD OF 250 KTS. THE FO WAS DSNDING THROUGH 9000 FT WHEN I NOTICED SOMETHING AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIRD (HANG GLIDER WAS GOING SAME DIRECTION AS WE WERE OVERTAKING IT.) I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED IT WAS NOT A BIRD AS IT RAPIDLY GOT LARGER. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT AND TURNED L IMMEDIATELY (ABOUT 30 DEGS BANK). THE HANG GLIDER WAS SLIGHTLY R OF OUR ACFT. THE FO GOT A VERY GOOD LOOK AT IT AS WE TURNED. HE WAS PROBABLY JUST OFF OUR R WING. IT WAS A DARK BLUE UNPWRED HANG GLIDER. WE TOLD APCH IMMEDIATELY AND RESUMED COURSE. FROM THE TIME I NOTICED THE OBJECT UNTIL I TURNED WAS 2-3 SECONDS. FROM OUR POS OF OVERTAKING IT, IT DID NOT PRESENT MUCH OF AN OUTLINE TO SEE IT. I FILLED OUT A NEAR MISS WITH PHOENIX APCH. IT WAS PHOENIX FIRST 100 DEGS ON A SATURDAY AND THAT AREA IS NOTORIOUS FOR GLIDERS, BUT I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE A HANG GLIDER AT 9000 FT. I LATER LEARNED THAT 4 HANG GLIDERS HAD GOTTEN TO 14000 FT THAT DAY. MOVING AT OUR SPD AND WITH THE SITE AND DIRECTION OF THE HANG GLIDER, WE WERE LUCKY TO IDENT IT BEFORE A POSSIBLE IMPACT. CURE: EDUCATE HANG GLIDERS TO STAY AWAY FROM AIRWAYS.

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.