Narrative:

The captain was talking to myrtle beach tower, I was flying the leg. Tower told us to look for a banner tow aircraft as we turned left base for runway 35 about 3 or 4 mi from the runway. As I started to turn final, the captain told me he could see a banner tower out the left window. At this point the flight visibility was maybe 3 or 4 mi due to the haze. As we joined the localizer and GS (visual approach) about a mi from the runway we saw another banner tow aircraft directly in our path. I elected to pitch down and go underneath it, the other aircraft then pitched up, evidently having just seen us. We missed each other by about 200 ft vertically. The entire maneuver required immediate, but not abrupt, control inputs. We were able to continue with a normal landing. In my opinion it is unsafe for banner towers to be crossing the runway centerline along the beach at myr. Their cruising altitude puts them directly in the path of arrs for runway 35 as well as departures off runway 17. This was not the only near miss I've seen at myr, just the closest. We told the tower controller what had happened, and he expressed frustration at not being able to do much about the problem, asking us to please file a NASA report. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was flying a BAE146- 200 type aircraft and had just turned final when the banner towing aircraft (high wing single engine) pulling a banner appeared coming from the right to left at approximately his same altitude. He descended underneath and the tow aircraft climbed. He reconfirmed that he briefly talked to the tower after landing and was told that the banner towers are frequently out there and it in effect makes traffic control more difficult. He has been going into the myr airport for the last 5 yrs and the banner towing aircraft are becoming more frequently observed since the town has grown and big hotels are now built near the beach right under the short final course. Banner towing is used for advertisement across the short final area at approximately the same altitude, just off the beach, that an aircraft on final would normally be located.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN MLG ON SHORT FINAL AND A BANNER TOWING ACFT XING ACFT XING THROUGH THE FINAL JUST OFF THE BEACH.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO MYRTLE BEACH TWR, I WAS FLYING THE LEG. TWR TOLD US TO LOOK FOR A BANNER TOW ACFT AS WE TURNED L BASE FOR RWY 35 ABOUT 3 OR 4 MI FROM THE RWY. AS I STARTED TO TURN FINAL, THE CAPT TOLD ME HE COULD SEE A BANNER TOWER OUT THE L WINDOW. AT THIS POINT THE FLT VISIBILITY WAS MAYBE 3 OR 4 MI DUE TO THE HAZE. AS WE JOINED THE LOC AND GS (VISUAL APCH) ABOUT A MI FROM THE RWY WE SAW ANOTHER BANNER TOW ACFT DIRECTLY IN OUR PATH. I ELECTED TO PITCH DOWN AND GO UNDERNEATH IT, THE OTHER ACFT THEN PITCHED UP, EVIDENTLY HAVING JUST SEEN US. WE MISSED EACH OTHER BY ABOUT 200 FT VERTLY. THE ENTIRE MANEUVER REQUIRED IMMEDIATE, BUT NOT ABRUPT, CTL INPUTS. WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH A NORMAL LNDG. IN MY OPINION IT IS UNSAFE FOR BANNER TOWERS TO BE XING THE RWY CTRLINE ALONG THE BEACH AT MYR. THEIR CRUISING ALT PUTS THEM DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF ARRS FOR RWY 35 AS WELL AS DEPS OFF RWY 17. THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY NEAR MISS I'VE SEEN AT MYR, JUST THE CLOSEST. WE TOLD THE TWR CTLR WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND HE EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION AT NOT BEING ABLE TO DO MUCH ABOUT THE PROB, ASKING US TO PLEASE FILE A NASA RPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING A BAE146- 200 TYPE ACFT AND HAD JUST TURNED FINAL WHEN THE BANNER TOWING ACFT (HIGH WING SINGLE ENG) PULLING A BANNER APPEARED COMING FROM THE R TO L AT APPROX HIS SAME ALT. HE DSNDED UNDERNEATH AND THE TOW ACFT CLBED. HE RECONFIRMED THAT HE BRIEFLY TALKED TO THE TWR AFTER LNDG AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BANNER TOWERS ARE FREQUENTLY OUT THERE AND IT IN EFFECT MAKES TFC CTL MORE DIFFICULT. HE HAS BEEN GOING INTO THE MYR ARPT FOR THE LAST 5 YRS AND THE BANNER TOWING ACFT ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENTLY OBSERVED SINCE THE TOWN HAS GROWN AND BIG HOTELS ARE NOW BUILT NEAR THE BEACH RIGHT UNDER THE SHORT FINAL COURSE. BANNER TOWING IS USED FOR ADVERTISEMENT ACROSS THE SHORT FINAL AREA AT APPROX THE SAME ALT, JUST OFF THE BEACH, THAT AN ACFT ON FINAL WOULD NORMALLY BE LOCATED.

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.