Narrative:

I was flying a glider in thermal lift along the mountains. I saw a few eagles and climbed in a shared thermal. I spotted a juvenile eagle at my 11 O'clock position at a 45 degree angle above me. I was sure not to fly below the bird as they have been known to startle and dive as a defensive maneuver. This bird; however; made an offensive high speed diving attack at me. I pushed my stick forward in an attempt to accelerate and dive away from him. He contacted the upper surface of my left wing at the main spar about 1 meter outboard of the fuselage. The glider was ok with only a small dent in the area surrounding the spar. I turned right and saw the bird fall in a ball of tumbling feathers and hit the mountain at about the 3000 ft level. I was at 4000 ft and decided to return home on a final glide. I was now concerned about my well-being and I did not feel well about the death of a soaring animal. Fortunately; the bird did not strike any control surfaces; flaps; or my canopy. With this impact; I could have had more problems. I have learned that juvenile eagles are like teenagers and do things that adult eagles with more experience would reconsider. The young eagle believing he is at the top of the food chain; perhaps decided to take me on. I have had many flights with soaring birds and I generally follow the same proximity rules that I use when I fly with my friends in their sailplanes. To prevent this from happening; I will give the birds more room when passing below. Juvenile raptors probably need more room. I am afraid in this case one was removed from the gene pool.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SGS 1-35 SAILPLANE PLT STRUCK BY A JUVENILE EAGLE WHILE SOARING IN A THERMAL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A GLIDER IN THERMAL LIFT ALONG THE MOUNTAINS. I SAW A FEW EAGLES AND CLBED IN A SHARED THERMAL. I SPOTTED A JUVENILE EAGLE AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AT A 45 DEG ANGLE ABOVE ME. I WAS SURE NOT TO FLY BELOW THE BIRD AS THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO STARTLE AND DIVE AS A DEFENSIVE MANEUVER. THIS BIRD; HOWEVER; MADE AN OFFENSIVE HIGH SPD DIVING ATTACK AT ME. I PUSHED MY STICK FORWARD IN AN ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE AND DIVE AWAY FROM HIM. HE CONTACTED THE UPPER SURFACE OF MY L WING AT THE MAIN SPAR ABOUT 1 METER OUTBOARD OF THE FUSELAGE. THE GLIDER WAS OK WITH ONLY A SMALL DENT IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE SPAR. I TURNED R AND SAW THE BIRD FALL IN A BALL OF TUMBLING FEATHERS AND HIT THE MOUNTAIN AT ABOUT THE 3000 FT LEVEL. I WAS AT 4000 FT AND DECIDED TO RETURN HOME ON A FINAL GLIDE. I WAS NOW CONCERNED ABOUT MY WELL-BEING AND I DID NOT FEEL WELL ABOUT THE DEATH OF A SOARING ANIMAL. FORTUNATELY; THE BIRD DID NOT STRIKE ANY CTL SURFACES; FLAPS; OR MY CANOPY. WITH THIS IMPACT; I COULD HAVE HAD MORE PROBS. I HAVE LEARNED THAT JUVENILE EAGLES ARE LIKE TEENAGERS AND DO THINGS THAT ADULT EAGLES WITH MORE EXPERIENCE WOULD RECONSIDER. THE YOUNG EAGLE BELIEVING HE IS AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN; PERHAPS DECIDED TO TAKE ME ON. I HAVE HAD MANY FLIGHTS WITH SOARING BIRDS AND I GENERALLY FOLLOW THE SAME PROXIMITY RULES THAT I USE WHEN I FLY WITH MY FRIENDS IN THEIR SAILPLANES. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING; I WILL GIVE THE BIRDS MORE ROOM WHEN PASSING BELOW. JUVENILE RAPTORS PROBABLY NEED MORE ROOM. I AM AFRAID IN THIS CASE ONE WAS REMOVED FROM THE GENE POOL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.