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B737 flight crew executes evasive maneuver when observing a glider in conflict when approximately 50 mi west of phx airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 558532 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : arlin |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 8500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : arlin 3 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Sail Plane |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : holding cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 558532 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter other non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1250 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Descending from 9000-8000 ft on arlin 3 arrival into phx. Approximately at 8500 ft, the first officer noticed a glider converging in a turn on our right side. I idented the airplane and disconnected the autoplt, rolled the aircraft 30 degrees to the left and pulled back. The glider missed us by less than 1/4 mi and went below us on our right hand side. We both assessed that if the first officer hadn't noticed the glider and I hadn't done the maneuver, we would have collided. We had an near midair collision. We resumed our descent back to 8000 ft. Altitude reached was about 9000 ft. We informed ATC we were heading back to 8000 ft and that we had an near midair collision. I spoke to the TRACON supervisor upon landing and he said that ATC would also be filing an near midair collision report. ATC confirmed that there was a glider in the area due to another air carrier in an updraft and by the time the other air carrier got visual, the glider was at 10000 ft. Obviously, the glider was not using a mode C transponder but was maneuvering in a busy arrival corridor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 FLC EXECUTES EVASIVE MANEUVER WHEN OBSERVING A GLIDER IN CONFLICT WHEN APPROX 50 MI W OF PHX ARPT.
Narrative: DSNDING FROM 9000-8000 FT ON ARLIN 3 ARR INTO PHX. APPROX AT 8500 FT, THE FO NOTICED A GLIDER CONVERGING IN A TURN ON OUR R SIDE. I IDENTED THE AIRPLANE AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, ROLLED THE ACFT 30 DEGS TO THE L AND PULLED BACK. THE GLIDER MISSED US BY LESS THAN 1/4 MI AND WENT BELOW US ON OUR R HAND SIDE. WE BOTH ASSESSED THAT IF THE FO HADN'T NOTICED THE GLIDER AND I HADN'T DONE THE MANEUVER, WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED. WE HAD AN NMAC. WE RESUMED OUR DSCNT BACK TO 8000 FT. ALT REACHED WAS ABOUT 9000 FT. WE INFORMED ATC WE WERE HEADING BACK TO 8000 FT AND THAT WE HAD AN NMAC. I SPOKE TO THE TRACON SUPVR UPON LNDG AND HE SAID THAT ATC WOULD ALSO BE FILING AN NMAC RPT. ATC CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A GLIDER IN THE AREA DUE TO ANOTHER ACR IN AN UPDRAFT AND BY THE TIME THE OTHER ACR GOT VISUAL, THE GLIDER WAS AT 10000 FT. OBVIOUSLY, THE GLIDER WAS NOT USING A MODE C XPONDER BUT WAS MANEUVERING IN A BUSY ARR CORRIDOR.
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.