Narrative:

While dropping skydivers over the rld airport, I was in contact with both the approach control for nearby airport, tri- cities, and using my second radio to remain in contact with the local frequency at rld. During the flight, approach control had not issued any traffic for me and I had no responses on the CTAF for local traffic at rld. During the descent, at an altitude of approximately 4500 ft, I saw a glider pass under the pilot side window passing from right to left. The glider was probably not in my line of sight until about 10 seconds before the near collision. Due to my angle of bank he was probably hidden by the nose of my aircraft. I was very shocked to see the glider so close. Approach control did not show any targets (primary or mode C) in the area. About 10 seconds after the incident an angry voice announced over CTAF, 'dehavilland! Did you see the glider you almost ran over?' I replied that I saw him as he went by. He then responded, 'you need to check your FARS. Gliders always have the right-of-way.' when the glider landed I went to talk to the pilot. He seemed to be incoherent and did not care that we nearly collided. He explained to me 'I am 76 yrs old and I'm dying of a chronic disease. I don't care if I die. I would sure hate to wreck these beautiful aircraft and you probably don't want to die.' he continued to say that he did see me coming and did not make a position report or take evasive action. I explained to him that gliders do have the right-of-way over pwred aircraft but that is only after the pilot fulfills his responsibility to see and avoid. We then discussed how we could prevent this from happening again. He came to the conclusion that he would use the radio when flying over the airport. He seemed very perturbed to have to make an effort. Contributing factors: lack of radio communication. Difficulty in seeing glider. Inability of radar to pick up glider. High descent rate of my aircraft. Glider pilot's poor attitude that he always has the right-of-way. Glider pilot's ability to self certify his medical certificate. It is my opinion that he would have difficulty passing a third class medical due to his mental condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE DROPPING SKYDIVERS OVER RLD THE RPTR WAS IN CONTACT WITH BOTH THE APCH CTL AND LISTENING ON CTAF. DURING THE DSCNT AT AN ALT OF 4500 FT THE RPTR SAW A GLIDER PASS UNDER THE PLT SIDE WINDOW FROM R TO L. THE GLIDER WAS PROBABLY HIDDEN BY THE NOSE. THERE WAS NO TA APCH CTL SHOWED NO PRIMARY OR MODE C TARGET FROM THE GLIDER. THE GLIDER PLT WAS UPSET THE RPTR DID NOT SEE AND AVOID THE GLIDER.

Narrative: WHILE DROPPING SKYDIVERS OVER THE RLD ARPT, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH BOTH THE APCH CTL FOR NEARBY ARPT, TRI- CITIES, AND USING MY SECOND RADIO TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE LCL FREQ AT RLD. DURING THE FLT, APCH CTL HAD NOT ISSUED ANY TFC FOR ME AND I HAD NO RESPONSES ON THE CTAF FOR LCL TFC AT RLD. DURING THE DSCNT, AT AN ALT OF APPROX 4500 FT, I SAW A GLIDER PASS UNDER THE PLT SIDE WINDOW PASSING FROM R TO L. THE GLIDER WAS PROBABLY NOT IN MY LINE OF SIGHT UNTIL ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE NEAR COLLISION. DUE TO MY ANGLE OF BANK HE WAS PROBABLY HIDDEN BY THE NOSE OF MY ACFT. I WAS VERY SHOCKED TO SEE THE GLIDER SO CLOSE. APCH CTL DID NOT SHOW ANY TARGETS (PRIMARY OR MODE C) IN THE AREA. ABOUT 10 SECONDS AFTER THE INCIDENT AN ANGRY VOICE ANNOUNCED OVER CTAF, 'DEHAVILLAND! DID YOU SEE THE GLIDER YOU ALMOST RAN OVER?' I REPLIED THAT I SAW HIM AS HE WENT BY. HE THEN RESPONDED, 'YOU NEED TO CHK YOUR FARS. GLIDERS ALWAYS HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.' WHEN THE GLIDER LANDED I WENT TO TALK TO THE PLT. HE SEEMED TO BE INCOHERENT AND DID NOT CARE THAT WE NEARLY COLLIDED. HE EXPLAINED TO ME 'I AM 76 YRS OLD AND I'M DYING OF A CHRONIC DISEASE. I DON'T CARE IF I DIE. I WOULD SURE HATE TO WRECK THESE BEAUTIFUL ACFT AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO DIE.' HE CONTINUED TO SAY THAT HE DID SEE ME COMING AND DID NOT MAKE A POS RPT OR TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT GLIDERS DO HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER PWRED ACFT BUT THAT IS ONLY AFTER THE PLT FULFILLS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE AND AVOID. WE THEN DISCUSSED HOW WE COULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. HE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT HE WOULD USE THE RADIO WHEN FLYING OVER THE ARPT. HE SEEMED VERY PERTURBED TO HAVE TO MAKE AN EFFORT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LACK OF RADIO COM. DIFFICULTY IN SEEING GLIDER. INABILITY OF RADAR TO PICK UP GLIDER. HIGH DSCNT RATE OF MY ACFT. GLIDER PLT'S POOR ATTITUDE THAT HE ALWAYS HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. GLIDER PLT'S ABILITY TO SELF CERTIFY HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HE WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY PASSING A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL DUE TO HIS MENTAL CONDITION.

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.