Close proximity air carrier-medium large transport GA-small aircraft flying banner tow.

Attributes
ACN	184744
Time
Date	199107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cmh
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cmh tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	184744
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On a visual approach to runway 10R at cmh I was advised of a banner towing aircraft 2-3 mi ahead who would stay north of the approach course. I was then cleared to land without the assurance that I had the aircraft in sight. At about 1000 ft I spotted the traffic about 1/2 mi ahead and to my left. Almost simultaneously the first officer who was at the controls did a knee jerk turn to the right to clear the other aircraft. It is conceivable that we could have brushed the banner without the quick response. The tower controller's response when I told him about the incident was that the other aircraft was no factor, that he had me in sight. At the time of the close encounter we were approaching the other aircraft from his 7 O'clock position so I don't believe that the other aircraft saw me either. We got close enough that I could easily determine that he was a white high wing aircraft with 'north' number. If I had had another second I could have written it down. When I talked to the tower chief on the ground he told me that he was working ground control and had an ear on our conversation. He informed me that when he saw me, that we looked ok, although he said he missed our evasive maneuver. He also told me that the tower had an arrangement with the agriculture outfit that towed the banner. They agreed to stay north or south of the approach course. When I asked how far, he said no specified distance. 2 things bother me most about this; that I couldn't spot the other aircraft until I was almost on top of him. I believe that this happened because the other aircraft was what we call in the navy as a 'cbdr' (constant bearing decreasing range) with no relative motion. He was also, I believe, behind the post left of my windscreen. I just couldn't find him and based on the reaction of the tower personnel that this was no big deal, that this could happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA FLYING BANNER TOW.

Narrative: ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10R AT CMH I WAS ADVISED OF A BANNER TOWING ACFT 2-3 MI AHEAD WHO WOULD STAY N OF THE APCH COURSE. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND WITHOUT THE ASSURANCE THAT I HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT 1000 FT I SPOTTED THE TFC ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD AND TO MY L. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY THE FO WHO WAS AT THE CTLS DID A KNEE JERK TURN TO THE R TO CLR THE OTHER ACFT. IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT WE COULD HAVE BRUSHED THE BANNER WITHOUT THE QUICK RESPONSE. THE TWR CTLR'S RESPONSE WHEN I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE INCIDENT WAS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS NO FACTOR, THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER WE WERE APCHING THE OTHER ACFT FROM HIS 7 O'CLOCK POS SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER ACFT SAW ME EITHER. WE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I COULD EASILY DETERMINE THAT HE WAS A WHITE HIGH WING ACFT WITH 'N' NUMBER. IF I HAD HAD ANOTHER SECOND I COULD HAVE WRITTEN IT DOWN. WHEN I TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF ON THE GND HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS WORKING GND CTL AND HAD AN EAR ON OUR CONVERSATION. HE INFORMED ME THAT WHEN HE SAW ME, THAT WE LOOKED OK, ALTHOUGH HE SAID HE MISSED OUR EVASIVE MANEUVER. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE TWR HAD AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THE AGRICULTURE OUTFIT THAT TOWED THE BANNER. THEY AGREED TO STAY N OR S OF THE APCH COURSE. WHEN I ASKED HOW FAR, HE SAID NO SPECIFIED DISTANCE. 2 THINGS BOTHER ME MOST ABOUT THIS; THAT I COULDN'T SPOT THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL I WAS ALMOST ON TOP OF HIM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE OTHER ACFT WAS WHAT WE CALL IN THE NAVY AS A 'CBDR' (CONSTANT BEARING DECREASING RANGE) WITH NO RELATIVE MOTION. HE WAS ALSO, I BELIEVE, BEHIND THE POST L OF MY WINDSCREEN. I JUST COULDN'T FIND HIM AND BASED ON THE REACTION OF THE TWR PERSONNEL THAT THIS WAS NO BIG DEAL, THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.