Near Miss Between Airbus A319 and Motor Glider Near Heilbronn

Incident Overview and Location On August 7, 2015, at approximately 16:05:30 local time, a serious incident occurred near Heilbronn at Flight Level 100, which is the boundary between Class C and Class E airspace. The event involved an Airbus A319-112 operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and a Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2cM motor glider operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The investigation was conducted by the German Federal Aviation Accident Investigation Office (BFU) and was closed summarily under § 18 FlUUG, focusing exclusively on the facts. No personal, material, or third-party damage was reported. ## Sequence of Events The Airbus A319 was on an IFR flight from Berlin-Tegel to Stuttgart, carrying five crew members and 131 passengers. At 16:03:00, the crew received clearance from Langen Radar to descend to FL 100. At 16:05:12, the crew reported a glider at twelve o'clock at the same altitude. The controller responded that any turn was approved and climbing was permitted, with no traffic above. The crew then reported having made a left turn and passed the glider on their right. The copilot spotted the motor glider ahead and to the right at FL 100, appearing to be on a similar heading. The copilot deactivated the autopilot and initiated a left turn to avoid a collision. The motor glider turned right, and the aircraft separated. The pilot in command only established visual contact after the evasive maneuver had begun. The motor glider was not displayed on the Airbus's TCAS. The pilot in command stated that a collision would have occurred without the evasive action. ## Aircraft and Crew Details The Airbus A319-112 is a twin-engine jet airliner used primarily for short- and medium-haul routes. It was registered in Germany and operated by a German airline. The pilot in command was a 46-year-old ATPL(A) holder with over 8,553 hours of experience. The copilot was a 34-year-old CPL(A) holder with over 2,220 hours. The Ventus-2cM is a mid-wing motor glider with a folding engine. It was equipped with a transponder, registered in Germany, and privately owned. The pilot was a 73-year-old PPL(A) holder with approximately 11,460 hours of glider experience and 270 hours of powered flight. ## Contributing Factors The motor glider was flying without an active transponder, making it invisible to air traffic control and undetectable by the Airbus's TCAS. Radar data showed a primary radar echo near the Airbus's flight path until about one minute before the closest approach and again about one minute after, but no echo was displayed at the time of closest approach. The controller confirmed the motor glider was not visible on their radar display. ## Outcome The Airbus landed at Stuttgart Airport, and the motor glider continued its flight to Hahnweide airfield, where it landed. The investigation was conducted in accordance with EU Regulation 996/2010 and the German FlUUG, with the sole objective of preventing future accidents and incidents.