Narrative:

Operating IFR in VMC conditions, landing sat. I had just been cleared for visual approach runway 12R at sat. Descending through 3800 ft MSL, I saw a glider in a steep turn pass just below aircraft. Although close, it was obvious at this point, that we would miss. At any rate, it was too late to take evasive action. ATC had not called traffic. Glider pilot came on frequency about 1 min later and queried ATC. Apparently, the glider pilot thought he had an operating transponder. ATC said they were not 'painting' him. ATC also advised glider pilot that at that altitude/position he was right in the arrival path for runway 12R, and he needed to be talking to them. We were close to the boundary of the class C airspace when the incident occurred -- either just inside or just outside. Just before event occurred, ATC had instructed me to 'maintain present speed,' and I was operating at 200 KIAS. At this speed, closure rate with glider was probably around 320 fps. This provides very little reaction time. Local glider traffic should be kept clear of high-speed jet arrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF RA390 RPTS A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH AN UNIDENTED AND UNAUTH SAILPLANE JUST BELOW HIS FLT PATH IN CLASS C AIRSPACE ON APCH TO SAT.

Narrative: OPERATING IFR IN VMC CONDITIONS, LNDG SAT. I HAD JUST BEEN CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 12R AT SAT. DSNDING THROUGH 3800 FT MSL, I SAW A GLIDER IN A STEEP TURN PASS JUST BELOW ACFT. ALTHOUGH CLOSE, IT WAS OBVIOUS AT THIS POINT, THAT WE WOULD MISS. AT ANY RATE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. ATC HAD NOT CALLED TFC. GLIDER PLT CAME ON FREQ ABOUT 1 MIN LATER AND QUERIED ATC. APPARENTLY, THE GLIDER PLT THOUGHT HE HAD AN OPERATING XPONDER. ATC SAID THEY WERE NOT 'PAINTING' HIM. ATC ALSO ADVISED GLIDER PLT THAT AT THAT ALT/POS HE WAS RIGHT IN THE ARR PATH FOR RWY 12R, AND HE NEEDED TO BE TALKING TO THEM. WE WERE CLOSE TO THE BOUNDARY OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED -- EITHER JUST INSIDE OR JUST OUTSIDE. JUST BEFORE EVENT OCCURRED, ATC HAD INSTRUCTED ME TO 'MAINTAIN PRESENT SPD,' AND I WAS OPERATING AT 200 KIAS. AT THIS SPD, CLOSURE RATE WITH GLIDER WAS PROBABLY AROUND 320 FPS. THIS PROVIDES VERY LITTLE REACTION TIME. LCL GLIDER TFC SHOULD BE KEPT CLR OF HIGH-SPD JET ARRS.

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.