Mid-Air Collision of Glider and Jet near Reno: ASG-29 vs. Hawker XP800 (Pictures)

Zawodny's Website ^ | 09-01-06 | Jeremy Zawodny

[kylaka]

Akihiro Hirao, a visiting pilot from Japan, towed out from the Minden-Tahoe airport in an ASG-29 (one of the hottest new German sailplanes, a similar one is pictured at the right). A few hours later, he collided with a Hawker XP800 (a fast business jet) around 15,000 feet (different reports have published numbers between 13,000 and 16,000) that was descending to land at the Reno after a brief flight up from San Diego.

The impact was dramatic. The Hawker was traveling at roughly 300 knots (well over 300 miles per hour) and it completely destroyed one wing of the glider as well as the nose cone of the jet. I've not seen any pictures posted of the glider wreckage yet (they'd look a lot worse since it eventually hit terrain at high speed). But here are shots of the jet, which managed to make a gear-up landing at the nearby Carson City airport.

See Source URL for more commentary and pictures.

[Abathar]

Glad to hear the gliders pilot was wearing a parachute and made it out ok. Flying that thing in a busy airspace without a transponder is pretty stupid though, its amazing that no one died in that accident.

[caseinpoint]

What happened to the pilots and passengers?

[Liberty Valance]

[kylaka]

Everybody made it out OK. The Hawker pilot had minor injuries. The glider pilot was uninjured, as were the rest of the Hawker passengers and copilot.

[Bigh4u2]

Wow!

That's amazing that the pilot was able to land that jet.

[kylaka]

Followup to previous thread.

[ccmay]

Sailplanes always have the right of way over jets. This jet pilot's career is over.

-ccm

[az_gila]

I would have thought so too...
However, this NTSB report of a similar accident at Truckee (just a bit SW of Reno) does seem to blame both pilots equally.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=LAX96LA343B&rpt=fi

[lionheart 247365]

A collision in flight can ruin your day .

[Vinnie]

Sailplanes always have the right of way over jets.

Yeah, and sailboats have the right-of-way over tankers also.

Exercising that right-of-way can be worse than foolish though.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Sailplanes always have the right of way over jets. This jet pilot's career is over.

---

No, the fact is that sailplanes have the right of way only on approach and landing. Everywhere else, they are equals.

And there is no reason to think that the jet pilot's career is over for hitting a transponder-less glider at 15000 feet. Not much different than hitting a goose.

Hopefully, what is over is the notion that wealthy gliding enthusiasts can recreate in busy airspace, and be exempt from carrying a $1500 gadget that makes them show up on the avionics displays and warning systems of the planes that carry me and my family members through that airspace.

(And if you think they can't operate electronics without a motor, I have one word for you: batteries.)

[Starwolf]

Not always and not in all cases. Being a sailplane does not relieve the pilot of the requirement to see and avoid while in VFR airsplace.

Also be interesting to know what class of airspace they were in at the time.

As for his career being toast, if the FAA does not pull his certificate, its fine.

[billorites]

Right of way rules presume that the aircraft see each other.

The low profile of sailplanes make them extremely difficult to see.

In the airport traffic pattern where I fly they may only be visible during a turn when their wings appear somewhat perpendicular to the horizon.

In level flight sailplanes tend to disappear.

[USNBandit]

I don't think this will be the case since the Hawker was probably on an IFR flight plan.

I was in a fighter two weeks ago and came within a 2 miles of a sailplane in the Reno approach airspace. This one had a transponder with no altitude equipment, but was flying on a VFR altitude opposite of the direction he was going. We were looking for the glider, but didn't see him until we were pretty close. It is kind of scary around the Minden/Carson/Tahoe area this time of year because there are so many gliders and it is amazing how far they get away from their airports.

The solution is to get these aircraft to get a Mode C transponder. If they were so equipped the controllers would be able to vector aircraft around them and TCAS would give the pilot of this Hawker an alert.

[cpdiii]

This jet pilot's career is over.

Not really. A glider against a bright blue sky is almost impossible to see until you are right on it. At 300 knots you have little time. Yes, the glider has the right of way. I doubt the FAA will impose any fine or sanction on the pilot of the Hawker.

[Atlas Sneezed]

I have heard that FAA rules prohibit a transponder from being turned off in flight. The rule may be that transponders must be operated at all times. This rule apparently makes it difficult for gliders, because their limited battery power may be inadequate to keep the beeper lit the whole flight. A simple rule change could allow gliders to operate without the transponder in remote areas, and light it up when anywhere near active airspace.

[Reeses]

300 knots (well over 300 miles per hour)

All the journalist needed to do is go to google and type: 300 knots to mph

300 knots = 345.233834 mph

See no actual journalism needed.

[USNBandit]

Another issue is that some glider pilots operate in areas where it may be legal, but it certainly isn't smart. This collision easily could have been between the glider and a large passenger aircraft since they take the same corridor as this Hawker into Reno.

[dljordan]

Is that a Stemme?