Narrative:

I was flying in mountain wave conditions at 10800 ft MSL about 1 mi northeast of frazier lake airport (1c9). At XA05 I left the wave at 10500 ft MSL and proceeded in a generally southwest direction. I was making a series of linked steep turns to increase rate of descent. I planned to return to hollister airport (3o7). I was aware that airline traffic approaching san jose would be passing through the area at my altitude, and that I was on or near an airway (V485). I had been observing airline traffic passing about 5 mi to the west of my position for the past hour. While completing a left turn toward the southeast, I was surprised to see an md-80 off my left wing on a reciprocal heading, about 1000 yards range and about 1000 ft below me. This was the first time I saw the aircraft. It was obviously taking evasive action. It was in a steep (45-50 degree) right descending turn, as it disappeared under my wing. I had been concentrating on looking for airline traffic where I had previously seen it, and was surprised by the md-80 that had been coming from an 'unexpected' direction -- right down the airway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he should have gone further south and east when descending over the hollister airport in order to avoid incoming traffic to san jose airport. Even though he knows that it was legal for him to be there, it did not make him feel good about the passenger and cabin crew to be subjected to the unusual attitude of the md-80 aircraft that he observed taking evasive action. He stated that he will be more careful to avoid that from happening again. Supplemental information from acn 286054: our transport category turbojet was level at 8000 ft MSL established on the sjc localizer as assigned. It was my leg as first officer and the captain noticed a glider 12 O'clock slightly lower. I did not see the glider. Then the glider pitched up in an aerobatic maneuver resembling an immelmann turn, that put him at our altitude, nose-to-nose with us. The captain took control of the aircraft, rolled 45 degrees right and pitched the nose down to dive away from the traffic. He must have seen us also, because he turned to the right away from us as we passed him. The glider went by so close on our left we thought we were going to hit. I advised ZOA of our deviation to avoid collision. The glider never showed up on TCASII at any time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GLIDER PLT DSNDING IN AIRWAY AIRSPACE AND OVER AN UNCTLED ARPT OBSERVED AN MD-80 TAKING EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING IN MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITIONS AT 10800 FT MSL ABOUT 1 MI NE OF FRAZIER LAKE ARPT (1C9). AT XA05 I LEFT THE WAVE AT 10500 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED IN A GENERALLY SW DIRECTION. I WAS MAKING A SERIES OF LINKED STEEP TURNS TO INCREASE RATE OF DSCNT. I PLANNED TO RETURN TO HOLLISTER ARPT (3O7). I WAS AWARE THAT AIRLINE TFC APCHING SAN JOSE WOULD BE PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT MY ALT, AND THAT I WAS ON OR NEAR AN AIRWAY (V485). I HAD BEEN OBSERVING AIRLINE TFC PASSING ABOUT 5 MI TO THE W OF MY POS FOR THE PAST HR. WHILE COMPLETING A L TURN TOWARD THE SE, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE AN MD-80 OFF MY L WING ON A RECIPROCAL HDG, ABOUT 1000 YARDS RANGE AND ABOUT 1000 FT BELOW ME. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE ACFT. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY TAKING EVASIVE ACTION. IT WAS IN A STEEP (45-50 DEG) R DSNDING TURN, AS IT DISAPPEARED UNDER MY WING. I HAD BEEN CONCENTRATING ON LOOKING FOR AIRLINE TFC WHERE I HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN IT, AND WAS SURPRISED BY THE MD-80 THAT HAD BEEN COMING FROM AN 'UNEXPECTED' DIRECTION -- RIGHT DOWN THE AIRWAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER S AND E WHEN DSNDING OVER THE HOLLISTER ARPT IN ORDER TO AVOID INCOMING TFC TO SAN JOSE ARPT. EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS THAT IT WAS LEGAL FOR HIM TO BE THERE, IT DID NOT MAKE HIM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE PAX AND CABIN CREW TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE UNUSUAL ATTITUDE OF THE MD-80 ACFT THAT HE OBSERVED TAKING EVASIVE ACTION. HE STATED THAT HE WILL BE MORE CAREFUL TO AVOID THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 286054: OUR TRANSPORT CATEGORY TURBOJET WAS LEVEL AT 8000 FT MSL ESTABLISHED ON THE SJC LOC AS ASSIGNED. IT WAS MY LEG AS FO AND THE CAPT NOTICED A GLIDER 12 O'CLOCK SLIGHTLY LOWER. I DID NOT SEE THE GLIDER. THEN THE GLIDER PITCHED UP IN AN AEROBATIC MANEUVER RESEMBLING AN IMMELMANN TURN, THAT PUT HIM AT OUR ALT, NOSE-TO-NOSE WITH US. THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT, ROLLED 45 DEGS R AND PITCHED THE NOSE DOWN TO DIVE AWAY FROM THE TFC. HE MUST HAVE SEEN US ALSO, BECAUSE HE TURNED TO THE R AWAY FROM US AS WE PASSED HIM. THE GLIDER WENT BY SO CLOSE ON OUR L WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HIT. I ADVISED ZOA OF OUR DEV TO AVOID COLLISION. THE GLIDER NEVER SHOWED UP ON TCASII AT ANY 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.