TRACON radar gave an air carrier mdt primary return information on an small aircraft towing an spn. This information prepared the mdt for less than standard separation.

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Attributes
ACN	245816
Time
Date	199307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 2300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : buf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	245816
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Buf approach gave us a very good advisory for a VFR primary target at our 2 O'clock position and 1 mi or so. No transponder mode C. We saw what initially looked like a flight of 2. It was an small aircraft and an spn (yellow and white, respectively). We were just breaking out of overcast at 2500 ft. After calling the tower after landing, I decided that they were not in the arsa because they were probably below the floor by 200 ft or so, but they were barely below the cloud bases, and without a mode C in the 10 mi range of buf airport. As a cfig and tow plane pilot in my spare time, I recognized the very stupid position that they were in. They were less than 2 mi west of the localizer 23 at an altitude at or close to interception of the GS. With just a small difference in timing and position, a midair would result. What made this so dangerous was the proximity of the tow/glider to the cloud bases, localizer, and GS intercept altitude, and the fact that we were just coming out of the cloud bases in his flight path.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON RADAR GAVE AN ACR MDT PRIMARY RETURN INFO ON AN SMA TOWING AN SPN. THIS INFO PREPARED THE MDT FOR LTSS.

Narrative: BUF APCH GAVE US A VERY GOOD ADVISORY FOR A VFR PRIMARY TARGET AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 1 MI OR SO. NO XPONDER MODE C. WE SAW WHAT INITIALLY LOOKED LIKE A FLT OF 2. IT WAS AN SMA AND AN SPN (YELLOW AND WHITE, RESPECTIVELY). WE WERE JUST BREAKING OUT OF OVCST AT 2500 FT. AFTER CALLING THE TWR AFTER LNDG, I DECIDED THAT THEY WERE NOT IN THE ARSA BECAUSE THEY WERE PROBABLY BELOW THE FLOOR BY 200 FT OR SO, BUT THEY WERE BARELY BELOW THE CLOUD BASES, AND WITHOUT A MODE C IN THE 10 MI RANGE OF BUF ARPT. AS A CFIG AND TOW PLANE PLT IN MY SPARE TIME, I RECOGNIZED THE VERY STUPID POS THAT THEY WERE IN. THEY WERE LESS THAN 2 MI W OF THE LOC 23 AT AN ALT AT OR CLOSE TO INTERCEPTION OF THE GS. WITH JUST A SMALL DIFFERENCE IN TIMING AND POS, A MIDAIR WOULD RESULT. WHAT MADE THIS SO DANGEROUS WAS THE PROX OF THE TOW/GLIDER TO THE CLOUD BASES, LOC, AND GS INTERCEPT ALT, AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE JUST COMING OUT OF THE CLOUD BASES IN HIS FLT PATH.

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.