Narrative:

We were approximately 15 mi due west of bdl receiving vectors from bdl approach for landing on runway 6. The ground track was what I would call the normal route into bdl from the northwest. We were flying assigned heading 150 degrees, 250 KTS and had been previously cleared down to 5000 ft. At approximately XA00Z, with our current altitude at about 6500 ft, the controller advised us to stop descent at 6000 ft. He called out known traffic at 2 O'clock at 5500 ft. We searched for and visually located the traffic passing right to left just about the same time the TCASII started a TA 'traffic, traffic.' almost immediately the TCASII began an RA 'monitor vertical speed.' the bottom of the ivsi was red as we were passing 6300 ft to level at 6000 ft. At that exact moment we passed directly beneath a glider. There was no time for evasive action and none was taken. It is impossible to know the difference in altitude, but it was probably less than 500 ft. The event was immediately followed by frequency change to the final controller. I made a comment to the controller about encountering the glider to which he didn't respond. I asked the next controller if the gliders had xponders, to which he replied they did not. Approach control apparently had no knowledge of the glider operations. While we were on tower frequency, glider called and told the tower that if the '...plane that he had just had a near miss with' wanted to talk to him, to come up on 123.3. When we had reached the gate and shut down, we gave him a call. He said that there were 2 gliders and that his partner had seen us and pulled up out of our path. He said we had descended in his blind spot and he had not seen us until we passed. I find it surprising that gliders would be operating at an altitude and in a flight path so commonly used by bdl approach control without at least informing approach of their operations. Perhaps xponders should be required when gliders operate near major airports. Also, the TCASII loudly proclaiming 'monitor vertical speed' brought us back into the cockpit at an inopportune time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN ACR MLG AND A PVT GLIDER ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE APPROX 15 MI DUE W OF BDL RECEIVING VECTORS FROM BDL APCH FOR LNDG ON RWY 6. THE GND TRACK WAS WHAT I WOULD CALL THE NORMAL RTE INTO BDL FROM THE NW. WE WERE FLYING ASSIGNED HDG 150 DEGS, 250 KTS AND HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLRED DOWN TO 5000 FT. AT APPROX XA00Z, WITH OUR CURRENT ALT AT ABOUT 6500 FT, THE CTLR ADVISED US TO STOP DSCNT AT 6000 FT. HE CALLED OUT KNOWN TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK AT 5500 FT. WE SEARCHED FOR AND VISUALLY LOCATED THE TFC PASSING R TO L JUST ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE TCASII STARTED A TA 'TFC, TFC.' ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE TCASII BEGAN AN RA 'MONITOR VERT SPD.' THE BOTTOM OF THE IVSI WAS RED AS WE WERE PASSING 6300 FT TO LEVEL AT 6000 FT. AT THAT EXACT MOMENT WE PASSED DIRECTLY BENEATH A GLIDER. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE ACTION AND NONE WAS TAKEN. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN ALT, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY LESS THAN 500 FT. THE EVENT WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY FREQ CHANGE TO THE FINAL CTLR. I MADE A COMMENT TO THE CTLR ABOUT ENCOUNTERING THE GLIDER TO WHICH HE DIDN'T RESPOND. I ASKED THE NEXT CTLR IF THE GLIDERS HAD XPONDERS, TO WHICH HE REPLIED THEY DID NOT. APCH CTL APPARENTLY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLIDER OPS. WHILE WE WERE ON TWR FREQ, GLIDER CALLED AND TOLD THE TWR THAT IF THE '...PLANE THAT HE HAD JUST HAD A NEAR MISS WITH' WANTED TO TALK TO HIM, TO COME UP ON 123.3. WHEN WE HAD REACHED THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN, WE GAVE HIM A CALL. HE SAID THAT THERE WERE 2 GLIDERS AND THAT HIS PARTNER HAD SEEN US AND PULLED UP OUT OF OUR PATH. HE SAID WE HAD DSNDED IN HIS BLIND SPOT AND HE HAD NOT SEEN US UNTIL WE PASSED. I FIND IT SURPRISING THAT GLIDERS WOULD BE OPERATING AT AN ALT AND IN A FLT PATH SO COMMONLY USED BY BDL APCH CTL WITHOUT AT LEAST INFORMING APCH OF THEIR OPS. PERHAPS XPONDERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED WHEN GLIDERS OPERATE NEAR MAJOR ARPTS. ALSO, THE TCASII LOUDLY PROCLAIMING 'MONITOR VERT SPD' BROUGHT US BACK INTO THE COCKPIT AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME.

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.