A321 / LS 4 near miss — no glider transponder

Near Reinfeld during cruise cross-country, an Airbus A321 inbound IFR to Hamburg-Finkenwerder passed an LS 4 with only about 56 m horizontal and 46 ft vertical separation in Class E airspace; no one was injured and the glider landed safely. ATC had cleared the A321 to descend to 3,000 ft AMSL, below the protected Class C of Hamburg-Fuhlsbuettel. The glider had no transponder fitted and none was required, so TCAS and radar warnings were ineffective; the approach came from a sector unseen by either crew. FLARM does not warn against airliners.

1. Cruise cross-country: The LS 4, winch-launched earlier from Lübeck-Blankensee, was cruising VFR on a cross-country flight together with a second glider at about 3,600 ft AMSL in the Reinfeld area.
2. No transponder fitted: The LS 4 was not equipped with a transponder, so it could not be detected by the Airbus TCAS and was only weakly or intermittently visible as a primary radar target to ATC.
3. IFR descent below C airspace: To sequence traffic for Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel and Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Bremen Radar cleared the Airbus A321 early to descend to 3,000 ft AMSL, taking it into class E airspace used by VFR traffic near Reinfeld.
4. Airbus converges on glider: While the LS 4 was flying northwest over Reinfeld at about 3,600 ft AMSL, an Airbus A321 on approach appeared unexpectedly from behind and below on a nearly similar course, overtaking the glider on its right side at close range.
5. No time to avoid: The LS 4 pilot, who had not previously seen the Airbus, reported having no time or opportunity to take effective avoiding action before the airliner passed very close by.
6. Extremely close pass: The Airbus underflew and overtook the LS 4 with an actual minimum separation of about 56 m laterally and 46 ft vertically, constituting a serious loss of separation in class E airspace.
7. Safe landing: After the near miss, the LS 4 continued the flight without damage or injury and later landed safely at Lübeck-Blankensee.