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Small aircraft enters the restr area with balloon on cable at night. Strobe lights were above the cloud layer.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 282175 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199409 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sty airport : cty |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 282175 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | Other |
Narrative:
I was flying VFR from cdk to tlh. Since we were in a single engine airplane we flew nnw of horseshoe beach to avoid flying over water. The problem occurred at this point while looking for restr area R-2938. The chart reads 'strobe lights and unmarked balloon on cable to 15000 MSL.' I interpreted the caution as having strobe lights placed on the cable with a unmarked balloon attached to it. The result was flying too close to this restr area as we (myself and 3 passenger) could not see the strobes on the cable. As we passed this area to the south we did see what we thought was a strobe above us in the clouds. My suggestion would be to place strobes every 500 or 1000 MSL so that it will be highly visible when there are clouds below 3000 ft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states when he made the left down to tlh he and passenger saw the balloon on the ground. They had no reference to what the cable looked like or where the strobes were located. Returning at night he figured the lights would be all along the cable. Instead there was a light flashing above the cloud level, 3000 ft. He feels the lights should be lower, starting at 500 ft and spaced on up the cable for visibility and safety.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ENTERS THE RESTR AREA WITH BALLOON ON CABLE AT NIGHT. STROBE LIGHTS WERE ABOVE THE CLOUD LAYER.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM CDK TO TLH. SINCE WE WERE IN A SINGLE ENG AIRPLANE WE FLEW NNW OF HORSESHOE BEACH TO AVOID FLYING OVER WATER. THE PROB OCCURRED AT THIS POINT WHILE LOOKING FOR RESTR AREA R-2938. THE CHART READS 'STROBE LIGHTS AND UNMARKED BALLOON ON CABLE TO 15000 MSL.' I INTERPRETED THE CAUTION AS HAVING STROBE LIGHTS PLACED ON THE CABLE WITH A UNMARKED BALLOON ATTACHED TO IT. THE RESULT WAS FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THIS RESTR AREA AS WE (MYSELF AND 3 PAX) COULD NOT SEE THE STROBES ON THE CABLE. AS WE PASSED THIS AREA TO THE S WE DID SEE WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A STROBE ABOVE US IN THE CLOUDS. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO PLACE STROBES EVERY 500 OR 1000 MSL SO THAT IT WILL BE HIGHLY VISIBLE WHEN THERE ARE CLOUDS BELOW 3000 FT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES WHEN HE MADE THE L DOWN TO TLH HE AND PAX SAW THE BALLOON ON THE GND. THEY HAD NO REF TO WHAT THE CABLE LOOKED LIKE OR WHERE THE STROBES WERE LOCATED. RETURNING AT NIGHT HE FIGURED THE LIGHTS WOULD BE ALL ALONG THE CABLE. INSTEAD THERE WAS A LIGHT FLASHING ABOVE THE CLOUD LEVEL, 3000 FT. HE FEELS THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE LOWER, STARTING AT 500 FT AND SPACED ON UP THE CABLE FOR VISIBILITY AND SAFETY.
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.