Narrative:

During banner tow operations I encountered MVFR conditions which caused me to pass over a crowded beach at less than the required 500 ft MSA as per FARS. How problem arose: the WX conditions locally on the south shore of long island deteriorated rapidly, conditions inland only some 4-5 mi away, remained VFR for the best part of the day (until late that evening). I monitored ATIS, tower, approach and local CTAF's during my banner operation. Contributing factors: conditions at departure airport (fok) remained IFR to MVFR all day. Thus conditions east of robert moses beach were likely to be worse. Perception that 'following the shoreline would help' caused me to keep heading east, from robert moses beach monument until conditions became marginal in less than a mi, 500 ft ceiling. In performing a 180 degree turn to head back west, I planned to locate the monument, turn inland, and head for republic airport. Company traffic was communicating with me, and was already at the monument, on the shore side, and at 500-600 ft AGL. When I located the monument the local conditions were basically IFR, I elected to turn inland, as I knew conditions were VFR, or at least better, only a 1/4 - 1/2 mi inland. During my turn inland I crossed a crowded beach at 200 ft, just below the ceiling. Once at the captree bridge I was able to climb to 800-1000 ft and encountered 3 mi plus visibility. Flight ended safely at frg. Looking back, I feel, terminating the shoreline portion of my flight would have been better at an earlier time, during conditions which would have given me more visibility and ceiling. My route of flight for that day took me wbound from fok (departure XA00) under SVFR, along the shore to jones beach, then eastbound along the coast at 300 ft AGL, as per normal banner operations, back to fok. During the wbound portion, up to jones beach, visibility was around 1-3 mi, and I was able to maintain 500 ft AGL. The sun was trying to break through a very thin but obstructing layer. There was a very strong perception on my part that as usually happens, the fog would burn off. There were many patches in the fog. Reports from company aircraft, well east of my position, at jones beach, foretold of debilitating WX. (1 aircraft actually had to land on the beach later that day, just after my occurrence.) other banner tow aircraft were all 'trying' to get there and continue the 'job' and I was admittedly influenced for a while by the same judgement- decision making process. Thus, in hindsight, at first indication of marginal WX, I shall head toward nearest known improving or improved/better WX, rather than try and 'get through,' putting myself in the situation I found myself in with few options out!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT -- LOW ALT CIVIL OP A BANNER TOW PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED IN FOG AND FLIES OVER A CROWDED BEACH AT 200 FT AGL.

Narrative: DURING BANNER TOW OPS I ENCOUNTERED MVFR CONDITIONS WHICH CAUSED ME TO PASS OVER A CROWDED BEACH AT LESS THAN THE REQUIRED 500 FT MSA AS PER FARS. HOW PROB AROSE: THE WX CONDITIONS LOCALLY ON THE S SHORE OF LONG ISLAND DETERIORATED RAPIDLY, CONDITIONS INLAND ONLY SOME 4-5 MI AWAY, REMAINED VFR FOR THE BEST PART OF THE DAY (UNTIL LATE THAT EVENING). I MONITORED ATIS, TWR, APCH AND LCL CTAF'S DURING MY BANNER OP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CONDITIONS AT DEP ARPT (FOK) REMAINED IFR TO MVFR ALL DAY. THUS CONDITIONS E OF ROBERT MOSES BEACH WERE LIKELY TO BE WORSE. PERCEPTION THAT 'FOLLOWING THE SHORELINE WOULD HELP' CAUSED ME TO KEEP HEADING E, FROM ROBERT MOSES BEACH MONUMENT UNTIL CONDITIONS BECAME MARGINAL IN LESS THAN A MI, 500 FT CEILING. IN PERFORMING A 180 DEG TURN TO HEAD BACK W, I PLANNED TO LOCATE THE MONUMENT, TURN INLAND, AND HEAD FOR REPUBLIC ARPT. COMPANY TFC WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ME, AND WAS ALREADY AT THE MONUMENT, ON THE SHORE SIDE, AND AT 500-600 FT AGL. WHEN I LOCATED THE MONUMENT THE LCL CONDITIONS WERE BASICALLY IFR, I ELECTED TO TURN INLAND, AS I KNEW CONDITIONS WERE VFR, OR AT LEAST BETTER, ONLY A 1/4 - 1/2 MI INLAND. DURING MY TURN INLAND I CROSSED A CROWDED BEACH AT 200 FT, JUST BELOW THE CEILING. ONCE AT THE CAPTREE BRIDGE I WAS ABLE TO CLB TO 800-1000 FT AND ENCOUNTERED 3 MI PLUS VISIBILITY. FLT ENDED SAFELY AT FRG. LOOKING BACK, I FEEL, TERMINATING THE SHORELINE PORTION OF MY FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER AT AN EARLIER TIME, DURING CONDITIONS WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME MORE VISIBILITY AND CEILING. MY RTE OF FLT FOR THAT DAY TOOK ME WBOUND FROM FOK (DEP XA00) UNDER SVFR, ALONG THE SHORE TO JONES BEACH, THEN EBOUND ALONG THE COAST AT 300 FT AGL, AS PER NORMAL BANNER OPS, BACK TO FOK. DURING THE WBOUND PORTION, UP TO JONES BEACH, VISIBILITY WAS AROUND 1-3 MI, AND I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 500 FT AGL. THE SUN WAS TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH A VERY THIN BUT OBSTRUCTING LAYER. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG PERCEPTION ON MY PART THAT AS USUALLY HAPPENS, THE FOG WOULD BURN OFF. THERE WERE MANY PATCHES IN THE FOG. RPTS FROM COMPANY ACFT, WELL E OF MY POS, AT JONES BEACH, FORETOLD OF DEBILITATING WX. (1 ACFT ACTUALLY HAD TO LAND ON THE BEACH LATER THAT DAY, JUST AFTER MY OCCURRENCE.) OTHER BANNER TOW ACFT WERE ALL 'TRYING' TO GET THERE AND CONTINUE THE 'JOB' AND I WAS ADMITTEDLY INFLUENCED FOR A WHILE BY THE SAME JUDGEMENT- DECISION MAKING PROCESS. THUS, IN HINDSIGHT, AT FIRST INDICATION OF MARGINAL WX, I SHALL HEAD TOWARD NEAREST KNOWN IMPROVING OR IMPROVED/BETTER WX, RATHER THAN TRY AND 'GET THROUGH,' PUTTING MYSELF IN THE SIT I FOUND MYSELF IN WITH FEW OPTIONS OUT!

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.