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Air carrier light transport aircraft climbing from departure airport had near midair collision with non transponder cessna towing glider. Reporter questions uncontrolled non transponder aircraft flying in busy IFR corridor.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 378116 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ack |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ack tower : flg |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zbw |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 228 flight time total : 7586 flight time type : 4800 |
| ASRS Report | 378116 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 700 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On climb out to 6000 ft on a 340 degree vector from cape approach, we encountered head-on traffic at around 3000 ft (just below clouds) consisting of 2 gliders and a high wing cessna aircraft. 1 glider was under tow and appeared to have just been released. A quick deviation to the right by us was necessary to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. A near midair would have occurred if we hadn't. Cape approach was immediately informed and queried. He said radar showed nothing and that if any of those aircraft weren't using xponders, he wouldn't have seen them due to ground clutter. Also, our TCASII showed nothing as well (so apparently, no xponders were being used). Gliders and tow planes should be required to have xponders if they are going to play in major air corridors. Cape approach should have known about these guys somehow. The ack 341 degree radial is a major route from ack and hya airports to boston. Maybe radio communication should be required. Maybe gliders and towing shouldn't be allowed within 10 NM of a controled field.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR LTT ACFT CLBING FROM DEP ARPT HAD NMAC WITH NON XPONDER CESSNA TOWING GLIDER. RPTR QUESTIONS UNCTLED NON XPONDER ACFT FLYING IN BUSY IFR CORRIDOR.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT TO 6000 FT ON A 340 DEG VECTOR FROM CAPE APCH, WE ENCOUNTERED HEAD-ON TFC AT AROUND 3000 FT (JUST BELOW CLOUDS) CONSISTING OF 2 GLIDERS AND A HIGH WING CESSNA ACFT. 1 GLIDER WAS UNDER TOW AND APPEARED TO HAVE JUST BEEN RELEASED. A QUICK DEV TO THE R BY US WAS NECESSARY TO AVOID A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT. A NEAR MIDAIR WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF WE HADN'T. CAPE APCH WAS IMMEDIATELY INFORMED AND QUERIED. HE SAID RADAR SHOWED NOTHING AND THAT IF ANY OF THOSE ACFT WEREN'T USING XPONDERS, HE WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN THEM DUE TO GND CLUTTER. ALSO, OUR TCASII SHOWED NOTHING AS WELL (SO APPARENTLY, NO XPONDERS WERE BEING USED). GLIDERS AND TOW PLANES SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE XPONDERS IF THEY ARE GOING TO PLAY IN MAJOR AIR CORRIDORS. CAPE APCH SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THESE GUYS SOMEHOW. THE ACK 341 DEG RADIAL IS A MAJOR RTE FROM ACK AND HYA ARPTS TO BOSTON. MAYBE RADIO COM SHOULD BE REQUIRED. MAYBE GLIDERS AND TOWING SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED WITHIN 10 NM OF A CTLED FIELD.
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.