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Banner tow plane encounters fog and turns back toward land. His banner collides with second tow plane.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 311110 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199507 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hya |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-25 Pawnee |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 875 |
| ASRS Report | 311110 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 275 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During a banner tow operation over the ocean on cape cod, my aircraft towing a 30 ft by 100 ft billboard was involved in a collision with my boss's aircraft. The visibility was poor and deteriorating in haze and fog. I was the lead aircraft with my boss approximately 1 mi in trail. We decided that we were going to terminate the tow on the south side of the cape and climb up to 1000 ft and get vectors to the north side of the cape to get as much of our original route done as possible. After passing one particular beach, I was to turn right out over the ocean, then turn left over land (visibility was better 1/4 - 1/2 mi inland). I entered a fog bank hidden by the haze. At that point I lost all outside visual references. While struggling to stay upright due to very limited instrumentation in a PA-25, I called my boss to tell him I had lost all idea of my location. I continued my right turn to get back out of the fog. I did not regain any visual references until I was on a course perpendicular and approaching the beach. I again radioed my boss to tell him that I was coming back at the beach which was not what he expected me to do. I went to full power trying to climb above his expected flight path. At that point his aircraft collided with my banner. Two rope hooks and a banner were taken off my aircraft. The billboard impacted the C-172's right wing and shredded into 2 pieces, 1 above and below the wing. He dropped his banner to lighten his drag load. He was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing on an unoccupied part of the beach with no injuries or major damage to the aircraft. I was pressured to continue when I felt uncomfortable and I should have been more forceful about turning back earlier. I should have climbed above 500 ft and turned left toward better visibility and greater definition between land and sky. Needed better radio communication and coordination. He never heard the 2 important calls. Was probably talking at the same time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BANNER TOW PLANE ENCOUNTERS FOG AND TURNS BACK TOWARD LAND. HIS BANNER COLLIDES WITH SECOND TOW PLANE.
Narrative: DURING A BANNER TOW OP OVER THE OCEAN ON CAPE COD, MY ACFT TOWING A 30 FT BY 100 FT BILLBOARD WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH MY BOSS'S ACFT. THE VISIBILITY WAS POOR AND DETERIORATING IN HAZE AND FOG. I WAS THE LEAD ACFT WITH MY BOSS APPROX 1 MI IN TRAIL. WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO TERMINATE THE TOW ON THE S SIDE OF THE CAPE AND CLB UP TO 1000 FT AND GET VECTORS TO THE N SIDE OF THE CAPE TO GET AS MUCH OF OUR ORIGINAL RTE DONE AS POSSIBLE. AFTER PASSING ONE PARTICULAR BEACH, I WAS TO TURN R OUT OVER THE OCEAN, THEN TURN L OVER LAND (VISIBILITY WAS BETTER 1/4 - 1/2 MI INLAND). I ENTERED A FOG BANK HIDDEN BY THE HAZE. AT THAT POINT I LOST ALL OUTSIDE VISUAL REFS. WHILE STRUGGLING TO STAY UPRIGHT DUE TO VERY LIMITED INSTRUMENTATION IN A PA-25, I CALLED MY BOSS TO TELL HIM I HAD LOST ALL IDEA OF MY LOCATION. I CONTINUED MY R TURN TO GET BACK OUT OF THE FOG. I DID NOT REGAIN ANY VISUAL REFS UNTIL I WAS ON A COURSE PERPENDICULAR AND APCHING THE BEACH. I AGAIN RADIOED MY BOSS TO TELL HIM THAT I WAS COMING BACK AT THE BEACH WHICH WAS NOT WHAT HE EXPECTED ME TO DO. I WENT TO FULL PWR TRYING TO CLB ABOVE HIS EXPECTED FLT PATH. AT THAT POINT HIS ACFT COLLIDED WITH MY BANNER. TWO ROPE HOOKS AND A BANNER WERE TAKEN OFF MY ACFT. THE BILLBOARD IMPACTED THE C-172'S R WING AND SHREDDED INTO 2 PIECES, 1 ABOVE AND BELOW THE WING. HE DROPPED HIS BANNER TO LIGHTEN HIS DRAG LOAD. HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND MADE A FORCED LNDG ON AN UNOCCUPIED PART OF THE BEACH WITH NO INJURIES OR MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I WAS PRESSURED TO CONTINUE WHEN I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FORCEFUL ABOUT TURNING BACK EARLIER. I SHOULD HAVE CLBED ABOVE 500 FT AND TURNED L TOWARD BETTER VISIBILITY AND GREATER DEFINITION BTWN LAND AND SKY. NEEDED BETTER RADIO COM AND COORD. HE NEVER HEARD THE 2 IMPORTANT CALLS. WAS PROBABLY TALKING AT THE SAME TIME.
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.