A C182 pilot finds that a non notamed fireworks show was being conducted near his destination. He wa...

Narrative:

Departed cgi runway 2. WX was VFR with no ceiling and unrestr visibility. Aircraft was a C182. Destination was sik, 19 mi south of cgi. Departure and climb out were normal. After turning to a heading of 175 degrees for sik, I observed a fireworks display in progress at a town about half way to sik. About 10 mi north of sik I observed another fireworks display near the sik airport. I announced my position (10 mi north) and intentions (landing at sik), on the CTAF frequency, 122.8 unicom. 5 mi north of sik it was evident that the fireworks show was very near the airport, with fireworks exploding in the left downwind to runway 2 at sik. In order to avoid that area, I elected to land straight-in on runway 20. 5 mi north of sik I again announced my position and intention. No reply was received from unicom to either of the 2 xmissions. Landing and rollout were normal. As I was taxiing to the tie-down area, I passed a group of about a dozen people sitting in lawn chairs on the ramp/taxiway watching the fireworks display. I had to maneuver around them. The fireworks were being launched from a city park adjacent to the southwest boundary of the airport. I had received 2 briefings for this flight, both from contel duat. One briefing was obtained the day before the flight, the other was obtained the day of the flight. Neither briefing contained a NOTAM about the fireworks display near the sik airport. If I had known of this event, I would have timed my arrival to miss it. My suggestions are: do not conduct fireworks displays close to an airport. If fireworks displays are conducted near airports, they should be notamed so that the information is available and schedules may be altered accordingly. Better crowd control is needed for events of this type so that spectators are not allowed on txwys. The unicom base station should have been in operation so that information about the fireworks could be given to arriving aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT FINDS THAT A NON NOTAMED FIREWORKS SHOW WAS BEING CONDUCTED NEAR HIS DEST. HE WAS FORCED TO ALTER HIS APCH TO AVOID THE DISPLAY AND HE HAD TO TAXI AROUND SPECTATORS SEATED ON THE RAMP AND TXWY.

Narrative: DEPARTED CGI RWY 2. WX WAS VFR WITH NO CEILING AND UNRESTR VISIBILITY. ACFT WAS A C182. DEST WAS SIK, 19 MI S OF CGI. DEP AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. AFTER TURNING TO A HDG OF 175 DEGS FOR SIK, I OBSERVED A FIREWORKS DISPLAY IN PROGRESS AT A TOWN ABOUT HALF WAY TO SIK. ABOUT 10 MI N OF SIK I OBSERVED ANOTHER FIREWORKS DISPLAY NEAR THE SIK ARPT. I ANNOUNCED MY POS (10 MI N) AND INTENTIONS (LNDG AT SIK), ON THE CTAF FREQ, 122.8 UNICOM. 5 MI N OF SIK IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE FIREWORKS SHOW WAS VERY NEAR THE ARPT, WITH FIREWORKS EXPLODING IN THE L DOWNWIND TO RWY 2 AT SIK. IN ORDER TO AVOID THAT AREA, I ELECTED TO LAND STRAIGHT-IN ON RWY 20. 5 MI N OF SIK I AGAIN ANNOUNCED MY POS AND INTENTION. NO REPLY WAS RECEIVED FROM UNICOM TO EITHER OF THE 2 XMISSIONS. LNDG AND ROLLOUT WERE NORMAL. AS I WAS TAXIING TO THE TIE-DOWN AREA, I PASSED A GROUP OF ABOUT A DOZEN PEOPLE SITTING IN LAWN CHAIRS ON THE RAMP/TXWY WATCHING THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY. I HAD TO MANEUVER AROUND THEM. THE FIREWORKS WERE BEING LAUNCHED FROM A CITY PARK ADJACENT TO THE SW BOUNDARY OF THE ARPT. I HAD RECEIVED 2 BRIEFINGS FOR THIS FLT, BOTH FROM CONTEL DUAT. ONE BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED THE DAY BEFORE THE FLT, THE OTHER WAS OBTAINED THE DAY OF THE FLT. NEITHER BRIEFING CONTAINED A NOTAM ABOUT THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY NEAR THE SIK ARPT. IF I HAD KNOWN OF THIS EVENT, I WOULD HAVE TIMED MY ARR TO MISS IT. MY SUGGESTIONS ARE: DO NOT CONDUCT FIREWORKS DISPLAYS CLOSE TO AN ARPT. IF FIREWORKS DISPLAYS ARE CONDUCTED NEAR ARPTS, THEY SHOULD BE NOTAMED SO THAT THE INFO IS AVAILABLE AND SCHEDULES MAY BE ALTERED ACCORDINGLY. BETTER CROWD CTL IS NEEDED FOR EVENTS OF THIS TYPE SO THAT SPECTATORS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON TXWYS. THE UNICOM BASE STATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN OP SO THAT INFO ABOUT THE FIREWORKS COULD BE GIVEN TO ARRIVING ACFT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	373133
Time
Date	199707
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sik
State Reference	MO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	373133
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

A C182 pilot finds that a non notamed fireworks show was being conducted near his destination. He was forced to alter his approach to avoid the display and he had to taxi around spectators seated on the ramp and taxiway.