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A C188 agwagon pilot towing a banner is unable to maintain the regulation altitude over a stadium due to thermals.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 404640 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hou |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hou |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Ag Wagon 188/Ag Truck/Ag Husky |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 404640 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Over rice stadium, we were encountering heavy thermal activity with associated sink intermittently around our flight path. Power adjustments to 0% to 100% were occurring to maintain proper altitude. Density altitude was high due to temperature and climb performance was degraded, which made slow corrective action upon entering an area of sink, especially when just leaving a thermal with high rate of climb and associated low power setting. This set up a situation where I descended below MSA because of slow corrective action and poor performance from the aircraft and high rate of sink. An associated factor which slowed my corrective action was that due to excessive noise concerns I tried to keep the propeller to a fairly low RPM setting and went to higher RPM only when necessary. Corrective safety action by pilot: on jun/mon/98, I expressed my concerns and problems in a safety meeting and it was decided that: full climb power RPM will be maintained in this aircraft, we would avoid using this aircraft 'in noise sensitive areas,' avoid towing high drag banners, and replace this aircraft with one more suitable to our requirements at first opportunity.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C188 AGWAGON PLT TOWING A BANNER IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE REG ALT OVER A STADIUM DUE TO THERMALS.
Narrative: OVER RICE STADIUM, WE WERE ENCOUNTERING HVY THERMAL ACTIVITY WITH ASSOCIATED SINK INTERMITTENTLY AROUND OUR FLT PATH. PWR ADJUSTMENTS TO 0% TO 100% WERE OCCURRING TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALT. DENSITY ALT WAS HIGH DUE TO TEMP AND CLB PERFORMANCE WAS DEGRADED, WHICH MADE SLOW CORRECTIVE ACTION UPON ENTERING AN AREA OF SINK, ESPECIALLY WHEN JUST LEAVING A THERMAL WITH HIGH RATE OF CLB AND ASSOCIATED LOW PWR SETTING. THIS SET UP A SIT WHERE I DSNDED BELOW MSA BECAUSE OF SLOW CORRECTIVE ACTION AND POOR PERFORMANCE FROM THE ACFT AND HIGH RATE OF SINK. AN ASSOCIATED FACTOR WHICH SLOWED MY CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS THAT DUE TO EXCESSIVE NOISE CONCERNS I TRIED TO KEEP THE PROP TO A FAIRLY LOW RPM SETTING AND WENT TO HIGHER RPM ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. CORRECTIVE SAFETY ACTION BY PLT: ON JUN/MON/98, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS AND PROBS IN A SAFETY MEETING AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT: FULL CLB PWR RPM WILL BE MAINTAINED IN THIS ACFT, WE WOULD AVOID USING THIS ACFT 'IN NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS,' AVOID TOWING HIGH DRAG BANNERS, AND REPLACE THIS ACFT WITH ONE MORE SUITABLE TO OUR REQUIREMENTS AT FIRST OPPORTUNITY.
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.