Narrative:

On jul/xx/96, at XA35 hours local, I was piloting an SW2-32 3 place glider on a commercial tour flight at bhb. I was carrying 1 passenger. WX was good VFR. Winds were from the wnw. Local traffic was using runway 22. The glider was equipped with a hand-held radio and tuned to the assigned unicom frequency of 123.0. As I approached the airport from the west at approximately 1100 ft AGL, I observed a beechcraft duchess, holding short of runway 22 on runway 35. I transmitted: 'bar harbor traffic, glider, mid-field crosswind, left traffic runway 22.' the duchess was turned facing west and I should have been in clear view. No other traffic was in the pattern. As I turned close in left downwind at approximately 800 ft AGL, the duchess pilot transmitted: 'glider, have I got time to back taxi and depart before you?' by now I was 600-700 ft AGL on left downwind and responded: 'negative, I'm too low. You better hold.' the duchess pilot seemed irritated and stated 'ok.' approximately 7-10 seconds later, I initiated a left base turn at approximately 400 ft AGL, airspeed 90 KTS. I looked left and observed the duchess initiating a back taxi down runway 22 toward me. I immediately radioed 'duchess on the active at bar harbor, you have a glider on close-in left base for runway 22.' the duchess continued the back taxi as I turned a one eighth mi final approach. He did not respond. I continued final and he continued to back taxi at an average taxi speed. I was clearly visible. I retracted my dive brakes to increase my glide and passed directly overhead the duchess at approximately 40 ft AGL, then immediately deployed full dive brakes to avoid overshooting the glider ramp turn off. The point where I passed over the duchess was my normal touchdown point. The gliders operate daily out of bhb and I understand the duchess pilot is a local air taxi operator out of bgr. He regularly lands at bhb. I believe this was an intentional incursion as the duchess pilot indicated displeasure at having to hold for the glider in the pattern. Poor attitude and judgement by duchess pilot. I had no other viable landing options.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SCHWEIZER 2-32 PLT HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION CLB TO AVOID A BEECHCRAFT DUCHESS TAXIING ON THE RWY.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/96, AT XA35 HRS LCL, I WAS PILOTING AN SW2-32 3 PLACE GLIDER ON A COMMERCIAL TOUR FLT AT BHB. I WAS CARRYING 1 PAX. WX WAS GOOD VFR. WINDS WERE FROM THE WNW. LCL TFC WAS USING RWY 22. THE GLIDER WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HAND-HELD RADIO AND TUNED TO THE ASSIGNED UNICOM FREQ OF 123.0. AS I APCHED THE ARPT FROM THE W AT APPROX 1100 FT AGL, I OBSERVED A BEECHCRAFT DUCHESS, HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 22 ON RWY 35. I XMITTED: 'BAR HARBOR TFC, GLIDER, MID-FIELD XWIND, L TFC RWY 22.' THE DUCHESS WAS TURNED FACING W AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN CLR VIEW. NO OTHER TFC WAS IN THE PATTERN. AS I TURNED CLOSE IN L DOWNWIND AT APPROX 800 FT AGL, THE DUCHESS PLT XMITTED: 'GLIDER, HAVE I GOT TIME TO BACK TAXI AND DEPART BEFORE YOU?' BY NOW I WAS 600-700 FT AGL ON L DOWNWIND AND RESPONDED: 'NEGATIVE, I'M TOO LOW. YOU BETTER HOLD.' THE DUCHESS PLT SEEMED IRRITATED AND STATED 'OK.' APPROX 7-10 SECONDS LATER, I INITIATED A L BASE TURN AT APPROX 400 FT AGL, AIRSPD 90 KTS. I LOOKED L AND OBSERVED THE DUCHESS INITIATING A BACK TAXI DOWN RWY 22 TOWARD ME. I IMMEDIATELY RADIOED 'DUCHESS ON THE ACTIVE AT BAR HARBOR, YOU HAVE A GLIDER ON CLOSE-IN L BASE FOR RWY 22.' THE DUCHESS CONTINUED THE BACK TAXI AS I TURNED A ONE EIGHTH MI FINAL APCH. HE DID NOT RESPOND. I CONTINUED FINAL AND HE CONTINUED TO BACK TAXI AT AN AVERAGE TAXI SPD. I WAS CLRLY VISIBLE. I RETRACTED MY DIVE BRAKES TO INCREASE MY GLIDE AND PASSED DIRECTLY OVERHEAD THE DUCHESS AT APPROX 40 FT AGL, THEN IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED FULL DIVE BRAKES TO AVOID OVERSHOOTING THE GLIDER RAMP TURN OFF. THE POINT WHERE I PASSED OVER THE DUCHESS WAS MY NORMAL TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE GLIDERS OPERATE DAILY OUT OF BHB AND I UNDERSTAND THE DUCHESS PLT IS A LCL AIR TAXI OPERATOR OUT OF BGR. HE REGULARLY LANDS AT BHB. I BELIEVE THIS WAS AN INTENTIONAL INCURSION AS THE DUCHESS PLT INDICATED DISPLEASURE AT HAVING TO HOLD FOR THE GLIDER IN THE PATTERN. POOR ATTITUDE AND JUDGEMENT BY DUCHESS PLT. I HAD NO OTHER VIABLE LNDG OPTIONS.

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.