B737 flight crew reports TCAS RA with glider at 14000 ft 25 NM southwest of rno.

Attributes
ACN	751929
Time
Date	200708
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rno.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100
ASRS Report	751929
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

14000 ft southwest of rno; approach advised traffic with transponder at or near our altitude. The traffic quickly became a TA and then an RA. I followed conflict guidance with a descent and then the RA quickly commanded a 'climb; climb now.' I quickly start climbing with maximum power and then decided to turn off course to the west. A glider passed off our right/east side approximately 200 ft coming head on. The TA/RA issues were the glider was climbing and descending which caused the TA/RA to reverse its conflict call from descend to climb. Approach in rno is very upset with these gliders and we need some restrs on their airspace to avoid this conflict. These maneuvers were aggressive and I personally feel if they had not been followed; a worse situation would have occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW RPTS TCAS RA WITH GLIDER AT 14000 FT 25 NM SW OF RNO.

Narrative: 14000 FT SW OF RNO; APCH ADVISED TFC WITH XPONDER AT OR NEAR OUR ALT. THE TFC QUICKLY BECAME A TA AND THEN AN RA. I FOLLOWED CONFLICT GUIDANCE WITH A DSCNT AND THEN THE RA QUICKLY COMMANDED A 'CLB; CLB NOW.' I QUICKLY START CLBING WITH MAX POWER AND THEN DECIDED TO TURN OFF COURSE TO THE WEST. A GLIDER PASSED OFF OUR R/EAST SIDE APPROX 200 FT COMING HEAD ON. THE TA/RA ISSUES WERE THE GLIDER WAS CLBING AND DSNDING WHICH CAUSED THE TA/RA TO REVERSE ITS CONFLICT CALL FROM DSND TO CLB. APCH IN RNO IS VERY UPSET WITH THESE GLIDERS AND WE NEED SOME RESTRS ON THEIR AIRSPACE TO AVOID THIS CONFLICT. THESE MANEUVERS WERE AGGRESSIVE AND I PERSONALLY FEEL IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED; A WORSE SITUATION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED.

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.