Narrative:

Late the afternoon of june, our banner towing company received a call complaining of a banner snagging a parasail over the beach. None of us pilots knew anything of the matter. None experienced a tug in flight, nor the loss of a banner due to a safety fuse releasing. The alleged complaint stated the parasail was brought safely down, and there was no injuries. If there is truth to the allegations, I was one of the pilots flying all day, and wish to set the record straight. We fly over open water at 300' MSL. Innumerable times parasail pwrboats, west/O looking up will firewall the huge outboards, crossing under our flight path, and hauling the kite-like chutes to 400' MSL. I timed one that was at altitude in less then 6 second. The banner aircraft is not maneuverable just above stall speed and we find ourselves slaloming around polypropylene lines that often jink toward us, even during evasive action. All of us have had to try to climb full power out to sea trying to evade sudden launchings under us, where visibility is poor and the decision was made that because the boat was dead in the water and the chute was flat in the sand, it was safe to fly by and consider the next one. I submit this information, because at around that time of day, I had to take such evasive action when a tow boat sat idle, and upon my passage raced out under my aircraft, pulling his rider up toward my towline and banner. After completing my hard climbing turn out to sea, I looked back, and the parasail was still aloft. I later found out that the complainant thought it was a local banner, but had not noted the side number. Several of these banners were towed that day, two of them at that approximately time. If indeed I snagged the canopy of a parasail, I am unaware of it. However I feel it is an area that must be addressed, for the safety of the tourists and definitely the pilot as well. Far 91.79C states the obvious people /structure clrncs, but the parasail is a kite towed behind a surface veh, as such it should be interpreted under part 101.1. It is far more maneuverable than a banner aircraft, and should not interfere with safe operation of aircraft. This is a very vague area in both maritime rules of the road, as well as far's , and as such is an accident waiting to happen on all our coasts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BANNER TOWING ACFT ALLEGEDLY HAD NMAC WITH TETHERED FLT PARASAIL.

Narrative: LATE THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE, OUR BANNER TOWING COMPANY RECEIVED A CALL COMPLAINING OF A BANNER SNAGGING A PARASAIL OVER THE BEACH. NONE OF US PLTS KNEW ANYTHING OF THE MATTER. NONE EXPERIENCED A TUG IN FLT, NOR THE LOSS OF A BANNER DUE TO A SAFETY FUSE RELEASING. THE ALLEGED COMPLAINT STATED THE PARASAIL WAS BROUGHT SAFELY DOWN, AND THERE WAS NO INJURIES. IF THERE IS TRUTH TO THE ALLEGATIONS, I WAS ONE OF THE PLTS FLYING ALL DAY, AND WISH TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. WE FLY OVER OPEN WATER AT 300' MSL. INNUMERABLE TIMES PARASAIL PWRBOATS, W/O LOOKING UP WILL FIREWALL THE HUGE OUTBOARDS, XING UNDER OUR FLT PATH, AND HAULING THE KITE-LIKE CHUTES TO 400' MSL. I TIMED ONE THAT WAS AT ALT IN LESS THEN 6 SEC. THE BANNER ACFT IS NOT MANEUVERABLE JUST ABOVE STALL SPD AND WE FIND OURSELVES SLALOMING AROUND POLYPROPYLENE LINES THAT OFTEN JINK TOWARD US, EVEN DURING EVASIVE ACTION. ALL OF US HAVE HAD TO TRY TO CLB FULL PWR OUT TO SEA TRYING TO EVADE SUDDEN LAUNCHINGS UNDER US, WHERE VISIBILITY IS POOR AND THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT BECAUSE THE BOAT WAS DEAD IN THE WATER AND THE CHUTE WAS FLAT IN THE SAND, IT WAS SAFE TO FLY BY AND CONSIDER THE NEXT ONE. I SUBMIT THIS INFO, BECAUSE AT AROUND THAT TIME OF DAY, I HAD TO TAKE SUCH EVASIVE ACTION WHEN A TOW BOAT SAT IDLE, AND UPON MY PASSAGE RACED OUT UNDER MY ACFT, PULLING HIS RIDER UP TOWARD MY TOWLINE AND BANNER. AFTER COMPLETING MY HARD CLBING TURN OUT TO SEA, I LOOKED BACK, AND THE PARASAIL WAS STILL ALOFT. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE COMPLAINANT THOUGHT IT WAS A LCL BANNER, BUT HAD NOT NOTED THE SIDE NUMBER. SEVERAL OF THESE BANNERS WERE TOWED THAT DAY, TWO OF THEM AT THAT APPROX TIME. IF INDEED I SNAGGED THE CANOPY OF A PARASAIL, I AM UNAWARE OF IT. HOWEVER I FEEL IT IS AN AREA THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE TOURISTS AND DEFINITELY THE PLT AS WELL. FAR 91.79C STATES THE OBVIOUS PEOPLE /STRUCTURE CLRNCS, BUT THE PARASAIL IS A KITE TOWED BEHIND A SURFACE VEH, AS SUCH IT SHOULD BE INTERPRETED UNDER PART 101.1. IT IS FAR MORE MANEUVERABLE THAN A BANNER ACFT, AND SHOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH SAFE OPERATION OF ACFT. THIS IS A VERY VAGUE AREA IN BOTH MARITIME RULES OF THE ROAD, AS WELL AS FAR'S , AND AS SUCH IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN ON ALL OUR COASTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.