<< >> NASA ASRS Report 446711, August 1999

B727 crew looking for traffic reported by controller sighted 2 hang gliders instead requiring evasive action. ATC was unaware of hang gliders.

Attributes
ACN	446711
Time
Date	199908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : cwk.vortac
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : aus.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Ultralight
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	446711
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 3000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

As we were climbing out of aus on 050 degree heading to intercept cwk 088 degree radial, aus departure advised us of traffic at 5000 ft maneuvering over cwk. We were trying to acquire this traffic visually. We had it on TCASII 2 mi to our left, when the first officer and so both saw other traffic on our nose. It was 2 hang gliders, 1 white, 1 orange/red at 7000 ft in our flight path. We made 45 degree bank to right to avoid the hang gliders. Aus departure said he did not show any traffic there. If we had not been looking for the 5000 ft traffic, we would not have seen the hang gliders until too late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW LOOKING FOR TFC RPTED BY CTLR SIGHTED 2 HANG GLIDERS INSTEAD REQUIRING EVASIVE ACTION. ATC WAS UNAWARE OF HANG GLIDERS.

Narrative: AS WE WERE CLBING OUT OF AUS ON 050 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT CWK 088 DEG RADIAL, AUS DEP ADVISED US OF TFC AT 5000 FT MANEUVERING OVER CWK. WE WERE TRYING TO ACQUIRE THIS TFC VISUALLY. WE HAD IT ON TCASII 2 MI TO OUR L, WHEN THE FO AND SO BOTH SAW OTHER TFC ON OUR NOSE. IT WAS 2 HANG GLIDERS, 1 WHITE, 1 ORANGE/RED AT 7000 FT IN OUR FLT PATH. WE MADE 45 DEG BANK TO R TO AVOID THE HANG GLIDERS. AUS DEP SAID HE DID NOT SHOW ANY TFC THERE. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN LOOKING FOR THE 5000 FT TFC, WE WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE HANG GLIDERS UNTIL TOO LATE.

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.