Narrative:

This incident took place during a local, recreational soaring flight from moriarty, NM (0e0). Conditions were partly cloudy, with a wind from the west at approximately 20 KTS. Roll clouds and lenticular clouds indicated strong mountain wave conditions were present aloft. After an aeronautical tow to approximately 3000 ft AGL (9200 ft MSL), I released in strong wave lift (800 FPM) approximately 5 mi west of the airport. By the time I had donned my oxygen mask and gloves, I was climbing through 12000 ft MSL. Another club aircraft had launched before me and was also in the area, slightly higher than me. At this time, I contacted abq approach and advised them that there would be intense glider activity at all altitudes, west of 0e0. The approach controller thanked me for the advisory. I then asked him to give me flight headings so he could mark my primary blip on his radar. He declined the offer, assuring me that he had us as primary targets. I then advised him I was changing frequencys. By this time, I was climbing through approximately 16000 ft MSL. Realizing that the lift would probably extend upwards of FL180, I contacted ZAB to coordination the activation of our 'soaring window,' an area available to us through an LOA with ZAB. The LOA allows us to fly sail planes above FL180 without xponders, in a specified area. All other traffic is supposed to be routed around the area. After initial contact, the center controller advised me to stand by while he verified the area was clear. After about 3 mins, he advised me the area was clear and activated the soaring window from FL180 to FL260. I advised him that I would be changing frequencys to advise the other pilots of the status of the soaring window. I was now approaching FL180, and proceeding northbound into the south end of the soaring window. The lift in this area was not as strong as it had been farther south, and about 3 or 4 mins after my last contact with center, I was approximately FL182 northbound (facing northwest, due to high winds, and a high crab angle), when I saw a twin-engine jet below me and about 3 mi to the west. At first I thought it was descending into abq, but quickly realized it was climbing toward me. It was obvious that I should take evasive action. I watched for a few seconds to determine its relative motion to be sure to evade the correct direction. There was no relative motion. The jet was coming straight at me. I immediately pushed to a vertical downline. The jet passed approximately 100 ft directly over me. I saw no indication of evasive maneuvers on his part. I recovered at 145 KTS, pushing very close to my vne. I continued the flight for approximately another 2 hours without incident. I believe the jet may have been in the 'handoff' between abq approach and ZAB, as it approached FL180. Expecting clearance to continue, the pilot probably never suspected glider activity, or any other sua that high. By the time he established contact with center, the incident was over, and he was out of the soaring window. It concerns me that so many commercial pilots feel that the concept of 'see and avoid' is no longer valid, relying instead of TCASII, radar, GPWS, etc. Despite all of the technology in a modern 'glass cockpit,' the most important glass is that above the instrument panel. Watch for traffic!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER OBTAINING ZAB AUTH TO ACTIVATE 'SOARING WINDOW' ABOVE FL180, GLIDER TAKES EVASIVE ACTION FROM CLBING CPR TWIN JET.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE DURING A LCL, RECREATIONAL SOARING FLT FROM MORIARTY, NM (0E0). CONDITIONS WERE PARTLY CLOUDY, WITH A WIND FROM THE W AT APPROX 20 KTS. ROLL CLOUDS AND LENTICULAR CLOUDS INDICATED STRONG MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT ALOFT. AFTER AN AERO TOW TO APPROX 3000 FT AGL (9200 FT MSL), I RELEASED IN STRONG WAVE LIFT (800 FPM) APPROX 5 MI W OF THE ARPT. BY THE TIME I HAD DONNED MY OXYGEN MASK AND GLOVES, I WAS CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT MSL. ANOTHER CLUB ACFT HAD LAUNCHED BEFORE ME AND WAS ALSO IN THE AREA, SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN ME. AT THIS TIME, I CONTACTED ABQ APCH AND ADVISED THEM THAT THERE WOULD BE INTENSE GLIDER ACTIVITY AT ALL ALTS, W OF 0E0. THE APCH CTLR THANKED ME FOR THE ADVISORY. I THEN ASKED HIM TO GIVE ME FLT HDGS SO HE COULD MARK MY PRIMARY BLIP ON HIS RADAR. HE DECLINED THE OFFER, ASSURING ME THAT HE HAD US AS PRIMARY TARGETS. I THEN ADVISED HIM I WAS CHANGING FREQS. BY THIS TIME, I WAS CLBING THROUGH APPROX 16000 FT MSL. REALIZING THAT THE LIFT WOULD PROBABLY EXTEND UPWARDS OF FL180, I CONTACTED ZAB TO COORD THE ACTIVATION OF OUR 'SOARING WINDOW,' AN AREA AVAILABLE TO US THROUGH AN LOA WITH ZAB. THE LOA ALLOWS US TO FLY SAIL PLANES ABOVE FL180 WITHOUT XPONDERS, IN A SPECIFIED AREA. ALL OTHER TFC IS SUPPOSED TO BE ROUTED AROUND THE AREA. AFTER INITIAL CONTACT, THE CTR CTLR ADVISED ME TO STAND BY WHILE HE VERIFIED THE AREA WAS CLR. AFTER ABOUT 3 MINS, HE ADVISED ME THE AREA WAS CLR AND ACTIVATED THE SOARING WINDOW FROM FL180 TO FL260. I ADVISED HIM THAT I WOULD BE CHANGING FREQS TO ADVISE THE OTHER PLTS OF THE STATUS OF THE SOARING WINDOW. I WAS NOW APCHING FL180, AND PROCEEDING NBOUND INTO THE S END OF THE SOARING WINDOW. THE LIFT IN THIS AREA WAS NOT AS STRONG AS IT HAD BEEN FARTHER S, AND ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS AFTER MY LAST CONTACT WITH CTR, I WAS APPROX FL182 NBOUND (FACING NW, DUE TO HIGH WINDS, AND A HIGH CRAB ANGLE), WHEN I SAW A TWIN-ENG JET BELOW ME AND ABOUT 3 MI TO THE W. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS DSNDING INTO ABQ, BUT QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS CLBING TOWARD ME. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I SHOULD TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. I WATCHED FOR A FEW SECONDS TO DETERMINE ITS RELATIVE MOTION TO BE SURE TO EVADE THE CORRECT DIRECTION. THERE WAS NO RELATIVE MOTION. THE JET WAS COMING STRAIGHT AT ME. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED TO A VERT DOWNLINE. THE JET PASSED APPROX 100 FT DIRECTLY OVER ME. I SAW NO INDICATION OF EVASIVE MANEUVERS ON HIS PART. I RECOVERED AT 145 KTS, PUSHING VERY CLOSE TO MY VNE. I CONTINUED THE FLT FOR APPROX ANOTHER 2 HRS WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE JET MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE 'HDOF' BTWN ABQ APCH AND ZAB, AS IT APCHED FL180. EXPECTING CLRNC TO CONTINUE, THE PLT PROBABLY NEVER SUSPECTED GLIDER ACTIVITY, OR ANY OTHER SUA THAT HIGH. BY THE TIME HE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH CTR, THE INCIDENT WAS OVER, AND HE WAS OUT OF THE SOARING WINDOW. IT CONCERNS ME THAT SO MANY COMMERCIAL PLTS FEEL THAT THE CONCEPT OF 'SEE AND AVOID' IS NO LONGER VALID, RELYING INSTEAD OF TCASII, RADAR, GPWS, ETC. DESPITE ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY IN A MODERN 'GLASS COCKPIT,' THE MOST IMPORTANT GLASS IS THAT ABOVE THE INST PANEL. WATCH FOR TFC!

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.