Sat approach controller and an emb-175 flight crew reported a traffic conflict with a glider that ha...

Attributes
ACN	1546214
Time
Date	201805
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	SAT.Airport
State Reference	TX
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Approach
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 10
Person 2
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

Glider off 5c1 called for radar advisories. He made it clear he was unable to maintain altitude and indicated he would try to work south. I had several aircraft inbound for sat. The final for sat overflies 5c1. I cleared aircraft X to 6000 ft. To remain 500 ft. Or more above the glider. It did not occur to me that the glider would so rapidly climb and descend. I have never worked a glider before. The glider remained one mile south or more of the san antonio final. I cleared aircraft X for visual approach when I felt the glider would likely no longer be a factor. However; aircraft X responded to an RA. Traffic was exchanged twice prior to the visual approach clearance and aircraft X did get the glider in sight. Aircraft X suggested that the glider work somewhere else. This was my first experience with a glider. The glider pilot indicated that I could not control his speed and altitude. It did not occur to me that I could direct him to operate somewhere else. Also; I feel I could have just vectored my sat arrivals around him. However; this would create increased complexity that would not be necessary if the glider could operate somewhere other than the sat final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAT Approach Controller and an EMB-175 flight crew reported a traffic conflict with a glider that had infringed on the EMB-175's approach course.

Narrative: Glider off 5C1 called for radar advisories. He made it clear he was unable to maintain altitude and indicated he would try to work south. I had several aircraft inbound for SAT. The final for SAT overflies 5C1. I cleared Aircraft X to 6000 ft. to remain 500 ft. or more above the glider. It did not occur to me that the glider would so rapidly climb and descend. I have never worked a glider before. The glider remained one mile south or more of the San Antonio final. I cleared Aircraft X for visual approach when I felt the glider would likely no longer be a factor. However; Aircraft X responded to an RA. Traffic was exchanged twice prior to the visual approach clearance and Aircraft X did get the glider in sight. Aircraft X suggested that the glider work somewhere else. This was my first experience with a glider. The glider pilot indicated that I could not control his speed and altitude. It did not occur to me that I could direct him to operate somewhere else. Also; I feel I could have just vectored my SAT arrivals around him. However; this would create increased complexity that would not be necessary if the glider could operate somewhere other than the SAT final.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

Sat approach controller and an emb-175 flight crew reported a traffic conflict with a glider that had infringed on the emb-175's approach course.