Narrative:

2 aircraft on downwind--one a sailplane small aircraft X carrying instrument and trnee, and the other an small aircraft Y. The sailplane X used a right-hand pattern. The small aircraft Y was using a left-hand pattern, which is normal at this airport. The sailplane was in an 800 FPM sink, normal pattern altitude, and had to land--no chance to alter pattern or make room for the small aircraft Y. So, for safety's sake, sailplane X turned early onto base leg. Now they were at the same altitude, 400' AGL. Small aircraft Y turned onto base also, a potential head-on collisions, so sailplane X turned early onto final, rocking wings as much as possible, fishtailing to expose almost everything it had, wishing the small aircraft Y pilot would look and see, but small aircraft Y turned onto final approximately 50 yds behind sailplane. Now they both were at 250' AGL. The small aircraft Y landed underneath the sailplane X and rolled west/O braking until small aircraft Y pilot saw sailplane X landing approximately 50 yds in front of him. The sailplane X pilot, always aware of the small aircraft Y's position, stretched his glide as long as he could before setting the glider down--and as he did, only then did the small aircraft Y pilot brake to stop his fast roll. This dangerous incident happened at 29 palms airport in very good, sunny WX, and the small aircraft Y pilot had the sun to his back. I cannot believe that the small aircraft Y pilot could not have seen the sailplane, especially since he had been briefed about sailplanes flying at this airport--but he still claimed, 'I did not see you.'

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA GLIDER IN PATTERN FOR LNDG AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT HAS NMAC WITH SMA ON OPPOSITE HAND TRAFFIC FOR THE SAME RWY.

Narrative: 2 ACFT ON DOWNWIND--ONE A SAILPLANE SMA X CARRYING INSTR AND TRNEE, AND THE OTHER AN SMA Y. THE SAILPLANE X USED A RIGHT-HAND PATTERN. THE SMA Y WAS USING A LEFT-HAND PATTERN, WHICH IS NORMAL AT THIS ARPT. THE SAILPLANE WAS IN AN 800 FPM SINK, NORMAL PATTERN ALT, AND HAD TO LAND--NO CHANCE TO ALTER PATTERN OR MAKE ROOM FOR THE SMA Y. SO, FOR SAFETY'S SAKE, SAILPLANE X TURNED EARLY ONTO BASE LEG. NOW THEY WERE AT THE SAME ALT, 400' AGL. SMA Y TURNED ONTO BASE ALSO, A POTENTIAL HEAD-ON COLLISIONS, SO SAILPLANE X TURNED EARLY ONTO FINAL, ROCKING WINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, FISHTAILING TO EXPOSE ALMOST EVERYTHING IT HAD, WISHING THE SMA Y PLT WOULD LOOK AND SEE, BUT SMA Y TURNED ONTO FINAL APPROX 50 YDS BEHIND SAILPLANE. NOW THEY BOTH WERE AT 250' AGL. THE SMA Y LANDED UNDERNEATH THE SAILPLANE X AND ROLLED W/O BRAKING UNTIL SMA Y PLT SAW SAILPLANE X LNDG APPROX 50 YDS IN FRONT OF HIM. THE SAILPLANE X PLT, ALWAYS AWARE OF THE SMA Y'S POS, STRETCHED HIS GLIDE AS LONG AS HE COULD BEFORE SETTING THE GLIDER DOWN--AND AS HE DID, ONLY THEN DID THE SMA Y PLT BRAKE TO STOP HIS FAST ROLL. THIS DANGEROUS INCIDENT HAPPENED AT 29 PALMS ARPT IN VERY GOOD, SUNNY WX, AND THE SMA Y PLT HAD THE SUN TO HIS BACK. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE SMA Y PLT COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE SAILPLANE, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE HAD BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT SAILPLANES FLYING AT THIS ARPT--BUT HE STILL CLAIMED, 'I DID NOT SEE YOU.'

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.