Narrative:

On jul/xx/96, at approximately XA30, a single engine GA aircraft made a missed approach to runway 23 at hyde field, clinton, md, and almost collided with a large crane that was adjacent to the right side of the runway. The right wingtip of the cessna came within approximately 50 ft of the crane. The pilot of the cessna had received a standard WX and NOTAMS briefing earlier that morning. The flight was being operated under 14 crash fire rescue equipment 91 and had originated at W00. The telephone briefing request was made to the '1-800' number from bowie, md, and had been off-loaded to an adjacent AFSS. Subsequent telephone interviews and an on-site investigation revealed the following: crane facts and circumstances: a crane had been erected alongside runway 5/23 at hyde field, and was being used to mine sand and gravel for commercial purposes. The crane at issue was well within the airport property. The crane did not appear to be in use at the time of the incident and, further, was in the near vertical position with the boom parallel to the runway centerline, facing northeast. There was a small flag on top of the crane, not at all visible from the cockpit. According to a local NOTAM, the crane was located approximately 150 ft northwest of taxiway 5/23. Subsequent 'pacing of' of the distance from the runway edge to the base if the crane confirmed a lateral separation distance of approximately 150 ft. The operator of the crane was unfamiliar with the FAA requirement that a request for hazard determination (FAA form 7460) needed to be filed with the FAA eastern region. Apparently, FAA form 7460 had not been filed with the FAA eastern region, and a hazard (or no hazard) determination had not been made by the FAA. Even with the crane in the lowered (or down) position, the supporting booms on top of the crane appeared to enter the runway protected zone and may in themselves be a flight hazard. The crane was unlighted and, on occasion, according to pilots at the airport, remained up unattended throughout the night. While the operator agreed to file a form 7460, the operator did not remove the crane from its present location nor agree to stop mining activity until a hazard determination could be made. FSS and NOTAMS issues: a local (left) NOTAM was in effect at the time of the incident which read: dca LMO414 W32 crane 100 AGL 150 ft northwest runway 5-23 dly sr-ss.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A TRAINING FLT IN A SEL CESSNA, THE ACFT CAME WITHIN APPROX 50 FT OF A CRANE OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY. THIS STARTLED THE PLTS SINCE THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CRANE EVEN THOUGH THEY DID HAVE A WX BRIEFING PRIOR TO FLT. THE RPTING INSTRUCTOR BELIEVES THAT THE NOTAM SHOULD BE BRIEFED BY THE FSS DURING WX BRIEFINGS AND THAT THE CRANE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED SO CLOSE TO THE RWY.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/96, AT APPROX XA30, A SINGLE ENG GA ACFT MADE A MISSED APCH TO RWY 23 AT HYDE FIELD, CLINTON, MD, AND ALMOST COLLIDED WITH A LARGE CRANE THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. THE R WINGTIP OF THE CESSNA CAME WITHIN APPROX 50 FT OF THE CRANE. THE PLT OF THE CESSNA HAD RECEIVED A STANDARD WX AND NOTAMS BRIEFING EARLIER THAT MORNING. THE FLT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 91 AND HAD ORIGINATED AT W00. THE TELEPHONE BRIEFING REQUEST WAS MADE TO THE '1-800' NUMBER FROM BOWIE, MD, AND HAD BEEN OFF-LOADED TO AN ADJACENT AFSS. SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS AND AN ON-SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CRANE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES: A CRANE HAD BEEN ERECTED ALONGSIDE RWY 5/23 AT HYDE FIELD, AND WAS BEING USED TO MINE SAND AND GRAVEL FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. THE CRANE AT ISSUE WAS WELL WITHIN THE ARPT PROPERTY. THE CRANE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND, FURTHER, WAS IN THE NEAR VERT POS WITH THE BOOM PARALLEL TO THE RWY CTRLINE, FACING NE. THERE WAS A SMALL FLAG ON TOP OF THE CRANE, NOT AT ALL VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT. ACCORDING TO A LCL NOTAM, THE CRANE WAS LOCATED APPROX 150 FT NW OF TXWY 5/23. SUBSEQUENT 'PACING OF' OF THE DISTANCE FROM THE RWY EDGE TO THE BASE IF THE CRANE CONFIRMED A LATERAL SEPARATION DISTANCE OF APPROX 150 FT. THE OPERATOR OF THE CRANE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FAA REQUIREMENT THAT A REQUEST FOR HAZARD DETERMINATION (FAA FORM 7460) NEEDED TO BE FILED WITH THE FAA EASTERN REGION. APPARENTLY, FAA FORM 7460 HAD NOT BEEN FILED WITH THE FAA EASTERN REGION, AND A HAZARD (OR NO HAZARD) DETERMINATION HAD NOT BEEN MADE BY THE FAA. EVEN WITH THE CRANE IN THE LOWERED (OR DOWN) POS, THE SUPPORTING BOOMS ON TOP OF THE CRANE APPEARED TO ENTER THE RWY PROTECTED ZONE AND MAY IN THEMSELVES BE A FLT HAZARD. THE CRANE WAS UNLIGHTED AND, ON OCCASION, ACCORDING TO PLTS AT THE ARPT, REMAINED UP UNATTENDED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. WHILE THE OPERATOR AGREED TO FILE A FORM 7460, THE OPERATOR DID NOT REMOVE THE CRANE FROM ITS PRESENT LOCATION NOR AGREE TO STOP MINING ACTIVITY UNTIL A HAZARD DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE. FSS AND NOTAMS ISSUES: A LCL (L) NOTAM WAS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WHICH READ: DCA LMO414 W32 CRANE 100 AGL 150 FT NW RWY 5-23 DLY SR-SS.

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.