Narrative:

While being vectored around a slower aircraft on the ROCK14.ekr departure from the boulder jefferson county airport; we experienced a near miss with a sailplane. We were assigned on a 240 degree heading; cleared to FL230 from denver departure control on the 126.1 MHZ frequency; and climbing at 280 KTS cas at 2000 FPM. At exactly 16000 ft MSL; we were startled by the sighting of the glider at about our 1 O'clock position and a quarter mile distant. The glider was flying at approximately the same heading in straight and level flight so he was unaware of us at that moment. I made no evasive maneuver and the glider passed our starboard wing about two seconds later. My guess is that the glider was about a football field length horizontally away -- close enough to see the pilot clearly. I can only guess that the pilot of this glider was equally startled by the sight and sound of our passing closely at a high rate of speed and thrust. We mentioned the near miss situation to departure control and he responded to us that he had no radar or radio contact with the glider. Glider aircraft; outside of class a; B; and C airspace; are exempt from transponder/altitude reporting equipment under far 91.215(b)(5). A week ago a hawker hs-125 jet collided with a glider near mev in a similar circumstance with no casualties except for the total destruction of the sailplane and serious damage to the jet. I believe it would be prudent for sailplane pilots to carry a handheld transceiver and possibly a mode 3/a or C transponder to communicate with ATC for safety and survival reasons. Carrying aboard portable systems would not be difficult. Size; cost; and weight would pose very little problem. This incident impressed on me and my first officer of the importance of 'see-and avoid' on an IFR clearance in VMC. In speculation; if the glider had been directly in our path; I'm confident that we could have evaded a collision at the initial sighting with a quarter mile separation. It would have been very close requiring an abrupt pull-up maneuver. If we had not been watching; in this same scenario; I have nightmares contemplating the result.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C560 CLBING OUT OF BJC EXPERIENCED A NEAR MISS WITH A SAILPLANE AT 16000 FT.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED AROUND A SLOWER ACFT ON THE ROCK14.EKR DEP FROM THE BOULDER JEFFERSON COUNTY ARPT; WE EXPERIENCED A NEAR MISS WITH A SAILPLANE. WE WERE ASSIGNED ON A 240 DEG HDG; CLRED TO FL230 FROM DENVER DEP CTL ON THE 126.1 MHZ FREQ; AND CLBING AT 280 KTS CAS AT 2000 FPM. AT EXACTLY 16000 FT MSL; WE WERE STARTLED BY THE SIGHTING OF THE GLIDER AT ABOUT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POSITION AND A QUARTER MILE DISTANT. THE GLIDER WAS FLYING AT APPROX THE SAME HDG IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT SO HE WAS UNAWARE OF US AT THAT MOMENT. I MADE NO EVASIVE MANEUVER AND THE GLIDER PASSED OUR STARBOARD WING ABOUT TWO SECONDS LATER. MY GUESS IS THAT THE GLIDER WAS ABOUT A FOOTBALL FIELD LENGTH HORIZONTALLY AWAY -- CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE PLT CLEARLY. I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT THE PLT OF THIS GLIDER WAS EQUALLY STARTLED BY THE SIGHT AND SOUND OF OUR PASSING CLOSELY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD AND THRUST. WE MENTIONED THE NEAR MISS SITUATION TO DEP CTL AND HE RESPONDED TO US THAT HE HAD NO RADAR OR RADIO CONTACT WITH THE GLIDER. GLIDER ACFT; OUTSIDE OF CLASS A; B; AND C AIRSPACE; ARE EXEMPT FROM XPONDER/ALT REPORTING EQUIP UNDER FAR 91.215(b)(5). A WEEK AGO A HAWKER HS-125 JET COLLIDED WITH A GLIDER NEAR MEV IN A SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCE WITH NO CASUALTIES EXCEPT FOR THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE SAILPLANE AND SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE JET. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR SAILPLANE PLTS TO CARRY A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER AND POSSIBLY A MODE 3/A OR C XPONDER TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC FOR SAFETY AND SURVIVAL REASONS. CARRYING ABOARD PORTABLE SYSTEMS WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT. SIZE; COST; AND WT WOULD POSE VERY LITTLE PROBLEM. THIS INCIDENT IMPRESSED ON ME AND MY FO OF THE IMPORTANCE OF 'SEE-AND AVOID' ON AN IFR CLRNC IN VMC. IN SPECULATION; IF THE GLIDER HAD BEEN DIRECTLY IN OUR PATH; I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE COULD HAVE EVADED A COLLISION AT THE INITIAL SIGHTING WITH A QUARTER MILE SEPARATION. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE REQUIRING AN ABRUPT PULL-UP MANEUVER. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN WATCHING; IN THIS SAME SCENARIO; I HAVE NIGHTMARES CONTEMPLATING THE RESULT.

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.