B737-300 CREW HAD NMAC WITH A SAILPLANE ON THE ZIGGY STAR INTO ONT IN ZLA CLASS E.

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PART 121 SCHEDULED OPS B737-300. 320 KIAS DSCNT ON ZIGGY ARR; WHICH IS A BIT OF A SLAM DUNK. CAPT FLYING WHILE I WAS 'HEADS DOWN' PERFORMING COCKPIT TASKS. AS WE WERE APCHING DAWNA INTXN; DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 12600 FT MSL; I SPOTTED SOMETHING IN MY PERIPHERAL FIELD OF VISION. I LOOKED UP AND SPOTTED A HIGH PERFORMANCE SAILPLANE RIDGE SOARING ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAIN RANGE. THE TFC WAS ON A PERPENDICULAR COURSE; R TO L; AT APPROX 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 1/2 MI. THERE WAS SLIGHT RELATIVE MOTION WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD PASS SLIGHTLY BELOW AND BEHIND THE GLIDER. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUT THE TFC TO THE CAPT WHO; AFTER 1-2 SECONDS OF EVALUATION; INITIATED A HARD R; DOWNWARD BANK. HIS MANEUVER INCREASED SEPARATION TO THE EXTENT THAT WE PASSED 400-600 FT BELOW AND BEHIND THE GLIDER. THE MANEUVER WAS AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH THAT 2 FLT ATTENDANTS FELL TO THE GALLEY FLOOR; BUT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. HAD WE NOT TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION; THE ACFT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE PASSED WITHIN 100-200 FT OF ONE ANOTHER. WE RPTED THE INCIDENT TO ZLA AND SOCAL APCH; BUT THEY COULD NOT DETECT THE ACFT ON RADAR. CRITIQUE: THE INCIDENT IS ONE OF THOSE 'SEE AND AVOID' SCENARIOS WHERE NEITHER PARTY WAS OPERATING IMPROPERLY. WE HAD ALL ACFT LIGHTS ON AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHLY VISIBLE FROM A DISTANCE OF 20+ MI. WE COULD HAVE COMPLETED ALL APCH FUNCTIONS EARLIER AS TO ALLOW ALL ATTN OUTSIDE BELOW FL180. FINALLY; THE SAILPLANE PLT/CLUB/OPERATORS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE ALT AND LOCATION OF MAJOR APCH CORRIDORS AND THEY SHOULD AVOID THEM.