Narrative:

While being vectored by cos approach control for an ILS approach to cos, runway 17L, we were IMC at 10000 ft MSL and told to turn to heading of 350 degrees (downwind for left base turn to runway 17 cos). Descent by ATC to 9000 ft MSL expected, told we would be overflying meadow lake airport area, soaring operations in vicinity. Just as we broke out of ragged bases of scattered to broken alto cumulous, we saw a glider headed north in the same direction of flight, approximately 1 1/2 mi ahead at 11:30-12 O'clock position at approximately 9500 ft MSL. We turned right approximately 30 degrees, descended below 10000 ft MSL to about 9000 ft MSL. As we passed beneath and to the right of the glider. He did not appear to see us, as he took no evasive action as we passed. Closest point of approach was about 500 ft below and sideways close enough to see identify numbers clearly but too fast (190 KTS) to read them under the circumstances. We reported altitude deviation to ATC for evasive action as well as the gliders position for reference. He appeared to be soaring in air beneath the bases of an alto cumulous cloud. We queried approach control about this encounter by phone after landing, and were informed that this situation is 'operations normal' for cos approach, but it made us very uncomfortable and we are just lucky we saw the glider in time to avoid him. No near miss report was officially filed based on the 500 ft vertical we achieved and the approach control's comments regarding soaring operations in that area. Curiously, there is a 'cutout' in the controled airspace around cos to accommodate this soaring airport. Supplemental information from acn 303184: at cos we were descended to 9500 ft. As we broke out of the clouds at 9500 ft we saw a glider at our altitude, 12 O'clock, about 1 mi or less. We were still slightly descending with the power back, I continued to 9000 ft and flew under and to the right of the glider.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN ACR MD-88 AND A SAILPLANE.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED BY COS APCH CTL FOR AN ILS APCH TO COS, RWY 17L, WE WERE IMC AT 10000 FT MSL AND TOLD TO TURN TO HDG OF 350 DEGS (DOWNWIND FOR L BASE TURN TO RWY 17 COS). DSCNT BY ATC TO 9000 FT MSL EXPECTED, TOLD WE WOULD BE OVERFLYING MEADOW LAKE ARPT AREA, SOARING OPS IN VICINITY. JUST AS WE BROKE OUT OF RAGGED BASES OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN ALTO CUMULOUS, WE SAW A GLIDER HEADED N IN THE SAME DIRECTION OF FLT, APPROX 1 1/2 MI AHEAD AT 11:30-12 O'CLOCK POS AT APPROX 9500 FT MSL. WE TURNED R APPROX 30 DEGS, DSNDED BELOW 10000 FT MSL TO ABOUT 9000 FT MSL. AS WE PASSED BENEATH AND TO THE R OF THE GLIDER. HE DID NOT APPEAR TO SEE US, AS HE TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTION AS WE PASSED. CLOSEST POINT OF APCH WAS ABOUT 500 FT BELOW AND SIDEWAYS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE IDENT NUMBERS CLRLY BUT TOO FAST (190 KTS) TO READ THEM UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. WE RPTED ALTDEV TO ATC FOR EVASIVE ACTION AS WELL AS THE GLIDERS POS FOR REF. HE APPEARED TO BE SOARING IN AIR BENEATH THE BASES OF AN ALTO CUMULOUS CLOUD. WE QUERIED APCH CTL ABOUT THIS ENCOUNTER BY PHONE AFTER LNDG, AND WERE INFORMED THAT THIS SIT IS 'OPS NORMAL' FOR COS APCH, BUT IT MADE US VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND WE ARE JUST LUCKY WE SAW THE GLIDER IN TIME TO AVOID HIM. NO NEAR MISS RPT WAS OFFICIALLY FILED BASED ON THE 500 FT VERT WE ACHIEVED AND THE APCH CTL'S COMMENTS REGARDING SOARING OPS IN THAT AREA. CURIOUSLY, THERE IS A 'CUTOUT' IN THE CTLED AIRSPACE AROUND COS TO ACCOMMODATE THIS SOARING ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 303184: AT COS WE WERE DSNDED TO 9500 FT. AS WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 9500 FT WE SAW A GLIDER AT OUR ALT, 12 O'CLOCK, ABOUT 1 MI OR LESS. WE WERE STILL SLIGHTLY DSNDING WITH THE PWR BACK, I CONTINUED TO 9000 FT AND FLEW UNDER AND TO THE R OF THE GLIDER.

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.