737 FLC ENCOUNTERS HANG GLIDER AT 9000 FT. NMAC.

Narrative

FLYING 737-200 ON KARLO ARR INTO PHOENIX; I WAS WITH APCH AND HAD ENTERED TCA FROM ABOVE DSNDING AS INSTRUCTED FROM 10000-8000 FT AT INSTRUCTED AIRSPD OF 250 KTS. THE FO WAS DSNDING THROUGH 9000 FT WHEN I NOTICED SOMETHING AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIRD (HANG GLIDER WAS GOING SAME DIRECTION AS WE WERE OVERTAKING IT.) I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED IT WAS NOT A BIRD AS IT RAPIDLY GOT LARGER. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT AND TURNED L IMMEDIATELY (ABOUT 30 DEGS BANK). THE HANG GLIDER WAS SLIGHTLY R OF OUR ACFT. THE FO GOT A VERY GOOD LOOK AT IT AS WE TURNED. HE WAS PROBABLY JUST OFF OUR R WING. IT WAS A DARK BLUE UNPWRED HANG GLIDER. WE TOLD APCH IMMEDIATELY AND RESUMED COURSE. FROM THE TIME I NOTICED THE OBJECT UNTIL I TURNED WAS 2-3 SECONDS. FROM OUR POS OF OVERTAKING IT; IT DID NOT PRESENT MUCH OF AN OUTLINE TO SEE IT. I FILLED OUT A NEAR MISS WITH PHOENIX APCH. IT WAS PHOENIX FIRST 100 DEGS ON A SATURDAY AND THAT AREA IS NOTORIOUS FOR GLIDERS; BUT I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE A HANG GLIDER AT 9000 FT. I LATER LEARNED THAT 4 HANG GLIDERS HAD GOTTEN TO 14000 FT THAT DAY. MOVING AT OUR SPD AND WITH THE SITE AND DIRECTION OF THE HANG GLIDER; WE WERE LUCKY TO IDENT IT BEFORE A POSSIBLE IMPACT. CURE: EDUCATE HANG GLIDERS TO STAY AWAY FROM AIRWAYS.