Flight crew of B727 breaking out of base of clouds sights 3 sail planes about 500 ft below and 1 mi ...

Attributes
ACN	370660
Time
Date	199706
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dhp airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	370660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 250
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were flying the duvall 3 arrival descending from 10000 ft to 4000 ft. We had just cleared the cloud layer bottoms when I saw 3 sail planes in my 11 O'clock position on an opposite heading. Lateral separation was approximately 1 mi. Vertical separation was '0' to 500 ft. We advised approach control. Approach seemed to have no idea of their presence. After landing, we further advised ground to insure the aircraft information was relayed. The sail planes were all identical white bodies with a red tip on the tail.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 BREAKING OUT OF BASE OF CLOUDS SIGHTS 3 SAIL PLANES ABOUT 500 FT BELOW AND 1 MI LATERALLY.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING THE DUVALL 3 ARR DSNDING FROM 10000 FT TO 4000 FT. WE HAD JUST CLRED THE CLOUD LAYER BOTTOMS WHEN I SAW 3 SAIL PLANES IN MY 11 O'CLOCK POS ON AN OPPOSITE HDG. LATERAL SEPARATION WAS APPROX 1 MI. VERT SEPARATION WAS '0' TO 500 FT. WE ADVISED APCH CTL. APCH SEEMED TO HAVE NO IDEA OF THEIR PRESENCE. AFTER LNDG, WE FURTHER ADVISED GND TO INSURE THE ACFT INFO WAS RELAYED. THE SAIL PLANES WERE ALL IDENTICAL WHITE BODIES WITH A RED TIP ON THE TAIL.

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.

Flight crew of B727 breaking out of base of clouds sights 3 sail planes about 500 ft below and 1 mi laterally.