Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	238867
Time
Date	199304
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yqg
State Reference	ON
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 435 flight time type : 65
ASRS Report	238867
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Picked up banner from windsor airport. On climb out, noticed very sluggish performance. Climb was 100 FPM or less and experienced several settling sessions as if a very long banner was being towed. After debating releasing the banner, was able to work altitude up to 600 ft AGL. Headed for stadium area experienced substantial (150-200 ft) loss of altitude over river and initiated a gradual turn to return to windsor airport. 2/3 of way through turn I observed a helicopter pass to my right about 200 ft below me and 200 ft away. This did not alarm me because, in towing banners around stadiums, we fly in close proximity to other aircraft. About 1 min afterwards, I had informed windsor that I was returning and immediately the helicopter contacted the tower and told them that we had nearly collided. The pilot of the helicopter was very rude in his radio manners. He had alleged I had tried to run him over. At the time, a blind, wounded bird would have been able to get away from me due to lack of performance of the aircraft. I have towed many banners longer than the one involved on warmer days, and never had any problem. This banner was returned, released and 2 smaller banners successfully towed. Later in the day, another banner nearly the same length was attempted with the same results, except that I did not venture out of the immediate airport area. Aircraft will be inspected to determine reason(south) for lack of performance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: PICKED UP BANNER FROM WINDSOR ARPT. ON CLBOUT, NOTICED VERY SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE. CLB WAS 100 FPM OR LESS AND EXPERIENCED SEVERAL SETTLING SESSIONS AS IF A VERY LONG BANNER WAS BEING TOWED. AFTER DEBATING RELEASING THE BANNER, WAS ABLE TO WORK ALT UP TO 600 FT AGL. HEADED FOR STADIUM AREA EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIAL (150-200 FT) LOSS OF ALT OVER RIVER AND INITIATED A GRADUAL TURN TO RETURN TO WINDSOR ARPT. 2/3 OF WAY THROUGH TURN I OBSERVED A HELI PASS TO MY R ABOUT 200 FT BELOW ME AND 200 FT AWAY. THIS DID NOT ALARM ME BECAUSE, IN TOWING BANNERS AROUND STADIUMS, WE FLY IN CLOSE PROX TO OTHER ACFT. ABOUT 1 MIN AFTERWARDS, I HAD INFORMED WINDSOR THAT I WAS RETURNING AND IMMEDIATELY THE HELI CONTACTED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD NEARLY COLLIDED. THE PLT OF THE HELI WAS VERY RUDE IN HIS RADIO MANNERS. HE HAD ALLEGED I HAD TRIED TO RUN HIM OVER. AT THE TIME, A BLIND, WOUNDED BIRD WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET AWAY FROM ME DUE TO LACK OF PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT. I HAVE TOWED MANY BANNERS LONGER THAN THE ONE INVOLVED ON WARMER DAYS, AND NEVER HAD ANY PROB. THIS BANNER WAS RETURNED, RELEASED AND 2 SMALLER BANNERS SUCCESSFULLY TOWED. LATER IN THE DAY, ANOTHER BANNER NEARLY THE SAME LENGTH WAS ATTEMPTED WITH THE SAME RESULTS, EXCEPT THAT I DID NOT VENTURE OUT OF THE IMMEDIATE ARPT AREA. ACFT WILL BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE REASON(S) FOR LACK OF PERFORMANCE.

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.