An MD90 flight crew receives a TCASII TA from a glider operating in the vicinity.

Attributes
ACN	587741
Time
Date	200307
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dag.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 15800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : pom
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Sail Plane
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 10788 flight time type : 3446
ASRS Report	587741
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure FAA
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

While climbing on the POM6, dag transition, a TA occurs at 15800 MSL. Check radar screen for target, then visually acquire a glider low and right of the nose. Time elapsed between TA alert and visual acquisition of target was approximately 2 seconds. Glider was heading approximately 40-60 degrees relative to our heading. We were on a vector of 060 degrees. Notified ATC of near miss. Controller informed us that he showed no radar contact in our vicinity and we were never issued a TA prior to the event. If glider activity is common over the san gabriel mountains, then jet departures flying POM6 dag transition will be transitioning a hazardous area due to the lack of a radar return from gliders and ATC not able to issue a TA. Either stop the glider flying over the san gabriel mountains in the dag transition or change the path of the transition away from the mountains.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD90 FLT CREW RECEIVES A TCASII TA FROM A GLIDER OPERATING IN THE VICINITY.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING ON THE POM6, DAG TRANSITION, A TA OCCURS AT 15800 MSL. CHK RADAR SCREEN FOR TARGET, THEN VISUALLY ACQUIRE A GLIDER LOW AND R OF THE NOSE. TIME ELAPSED BTWN TA ALERT AND VISUAL ACQUISITION OF TARGET WAS APPROX 2 SECONDS. GLIDER WAS HDG APPROX 40-60 DEGS RELATIVE TO OUR HDG. WE WERE ON A VECTOR OF 060 DEGS. NOTIFIED ATC OF NEAR MISS. CTLR INFORMED US THAT HE SHOWED NO RADAR CONTACT IN OUR VICINITY AND WE WERE NEVER ISSUED A TA PRIOR TO THE EVENT. IF GLIDER ACTIVITY IS COMMON OVER THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS, THEN JET DEPS FLYING POM6 DAG TRANSITION WILL BE TRANSITIONING A HAZARDOUS AREA DUE TO THE LACK OF A RADAR RETURN FROM GLIDERS AND ATC NOT ABLE TO ISSUE A TA. EITHER STOP THE GLIDER FLYING OVER THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS IN THE DAG TRANSITION OR CHANGE THE PATH OF THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS.

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.