Banner tow flew low over boats on a lake.

Attributes
ACN	122207
Time
Date	198909
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n22
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	122207
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While ferrying home from an aerial advertising mission, I flew down keuker lake over what I thought was open water. Due to the biplane confign of the small aircraft and the fact that this particular airplane is modified with a 600 hp engine (originally equipped with a 220 hp engine, the 600 hp version is considerably wider), I came across some boats and may have inadvertently come closer than 500' to them. I pulled up and away as soon as I noticed them. Pilots flying this type of airplane with its restrictive visibility should be extra vigilant in looking for obstructions, persons and property on the ground, and for traffic in the air.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BANNER TOW FLEW LOW OVER BOATS ON A LAKE.

Narrative: WHILE FERRYING HOME FROM AN AERIAL ADVERTISING MISSION, I FLEW DOWN KEUKER LAKE OVER WHAT I THOUGHT WAS OPEN WATER. DUE TO THE BIPLANE CONFIGN OF THE SMA AND THE FACT THAT THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE IS MODIFIED WITH A 600 HP ENGINE (ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH A 220 HP ENGINE, THE 600 HP VERSION IS CONSIDERABLY WIDER), I CAME ACROSS SOME BOATS AND MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY COME CLOSER THAN 500' TO THEM. I PULLED UP AND AWAY AS SOON AS I NOTICED THEM. PLTS FLYING THIS TYPE OF AIRPLANE WITH ITS RESTRICTIVE VISIBILITY SHOULD BE EXTRA VIGILANT IN LOOKING FOR OBSTRUCTIONS, PERSONS AND PROPERTY ON THE GND, AND FOR TFC IN THE AIR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.