Narrative:

In preparation for a flight to blm on aug/sat/98, I checked the pilot group airport directory which listed banner towing operations, as well as helicopter and intensive student pilot training operations there. I was the PIC for the trip. The copilot was getting ready to do his upgrade to captain, so he flew both sectors. We departed iad at XX56 aug/sat/98, as scheduled. WX at destination was clear with a flew clouds at 3000 ft and visibility over 8 mi. After handoff to mcguire approach control we asked for vectors to the localizer runway 14 at blm. I had obtained the current surface data at blm from the AWOS. Mcguire advised unable on the localizer, but would vector us for the VOR approach. We decided to just do a visual arrival. Every 5 mi, from 30 mi out, I reported on the allaire unicom frequency our arrival time and intentions for a left visual circuit to runway 14. We canceled IFR with mcguire approximately 5-7 mi out. TCASII was picking up multiple targets in our vicinity. Circuit altitude for blm for heavy aircraft is 1204 ft. We called overhead, joining left downwind at 1700 ft. Normal circuit altitude is 1009 ft, and we felt uncomfortable in that we would be too close and did not want to take the chance of overflying another aircraft and 'waking' them. Other aircraft in the circuit called their position, and we were able to identify all the players. We were configured and slowed to within 10 KTS vref of 128 KIAS. We called turning left base, then rolled onto a 3 mi final, which I called. As we stabilized, a small aircraft turned base to final ahead and below us. We called the aircraft and asked their intentions. No response. We were rapidly overtaking this aircraft and the PF called for a go around. We climbed back to 1700 ft and remained in the circuit. There was no TA or RA from the TCASII and we were in no danger as we had the offending traffic in sight. We felt the culprit to be an errant student pilot not listening on the radio. As we were about to turn base there was a C150 just turning final. He called us and said he would proceed on a sbound heading and allow us to land ahead of him. This was a very sharp student or flight instructor flying this aircraft. We thanked him and landed. We refueled immediately at the FBO. The FBO personnel discussed the incident with me saying it was a banner towing aircraft that had cut in front of us. The banner towing operation is conducted off to the left side of runway 14. They indicated that the pilots should have been monitoring their radio. As we taxied out for departure there was a noticeable increase of unicom xmissions coming from the banner towing group as they reported their position and intentions in the circuit. We departed on runway 14 making left traffic and when radar idented were turned left over the airport to depart the area by mcguire approach. Had this incident occurred and it was a student pilot not listening on the radio I would not bother to do a write-up. However, this was an operation conducted by a 'professional' pilot. I would imagine that it takes a great deal of energy and concentration in getting the banner towing aircraft lined up, plus controling speed and rate of descent while diving towards the ground to pick up an advertising banner. Nevertheless, these pilots obviously know the correct procedure and should have used their radio to call their position and intentions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: G4 CREW EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AFTER BEING CUT OUT OF THE PATTERN AT AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT TO BLM ON AUG/SAT/98, I CHKED THE PLT GROUP ARPT DIRECTORY WHICH LISTED BANNER TOWING OPS, AS WELL AS HELI AND INTENSIVE STUDENT PLT TRAINING OPS THERE. I WAS THE PIC FOR THE TRIP. THE COPLT WAS GETTING READY TO DO HIS UPGRADE TO CAPT, SO HE FLEW BOTH SECTORS. WE DEPARTED IAD AT XX56 AUG/SAT/98, AS SCHEDULED. WX AT DEST WAS CLR WITH A FLEW CLOUDS AT 3000 FT AND VISIBILITY OVER 8 MI. AFTER HDOF TO MCGUIRE APCH CTL WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE LOC RWY 14 AT BLM. I HAD OBTAINED THE CURRENT SURFACE DATA AT BLM FROM THE AWOS. MCGUIRE ADVISED UNABLE ON THE LOC, BUT WOULD VECTOR US FOR THE VOR APCH. WE DECIDED TO JUST DO A VISUAL ARR. EVERY 5 MI, FROM 30 MI OUT, I RPTED ON THE ALLAIRE UNICOM FREQ OUR ARR TIME AND INTENTIONS FOR A L VISUAL CIRCUIT TO RWY 14. WE CANCELED IFR WITH MCGUIRE APPROX 5-7 MI OUT. TCASII WAS PICKING UP MULTIPLE TARGETS IN OUR VICINITY. CIRCUIT ALT FOR BLM FOR HVY ACFT IS 1204 FT. WE CALLED OVERHEAD, JOINING L DOWNWIND AT 1700 FT. NORMAL CIRCUIT ALT IS 1009 FT, AND WE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE IN THAT WE WOULD BE TOO CLOSE AND DID NOT WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE OF OVERFLYING ANOTHER ACFT AND 'WAKING' THEM. OTHER ACFT IN THE CIRCUIT CALLED THEIR POS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO IDENT ALL THE PLAYERS. WE WERE CONFIGURED AND SLOWED TO WITHIN 10 KTS VREF OF 128 KIAS. WE CALLED TURNING L BASE, THEN ROLLED ONTO A 3 MI FINAL, WHICH I CALLED. AS WE STABILIZED, A SMALL ACFT TURNED BASE TO FINAL AHEAD AND BELOW US. WE CALLED THE ACFT AND ASKED THEIR INTENTIONS. NO RESPONSE. WE WERE RAPIDLY OVERTAKING THIS ACFT AND THE PF CALLED FOR A GAR. WE CLBED BACK TO 1700 FT AND REMAINED IN THE CIRCUIT. THERE WAS NO TA OR RA FROM THE TCASII AND WE WERE IN NO DANGER AS WE HAD THE OFFENDING TFC IN SIGHT. WE FELT THE CULPRIT TO BE AN ERRANT STUDENT PLT NOT LISTENING ON THE RADIO. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO TURN BASE THERE WAS A C150 JUST TURNING FINAL. HE CALLED US AND SAID HE WOULD PROCEED ON A SBOUND HEADING AND ALLOW US TO LAND AHEAD OF HIM. THIS WAS A VERY SHARP STUDENT OR FLT INSTRUCTOR FLYING THIS ACFT. WE THANKED HIM AND LANDED. WE REFUELED IMMEDIATELY AT THE FBO. THE FBO PERSONNEL DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH ME SAYING IT WAS A BANNER TOWING ACFT THAT HAD CUT IN FRONT OF US. THE BANNER TOWING OP IS CONDUCTED OFF TO THE L SIDE OF RWY 14. THEY INDICATED THAT THE PLTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING THEIR RADIO. AS WE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE INCREASE OF UNICOM XMISSIONS COMING FROM THE BANNER TOWING GROUP AS THEY RPTED THEIR POS AND INTENTIONS IN THE CIRCUIT. WE DEPARTED ON RWY 14 MAKING L TFC AND WHEN RADAR IDENTED WERE TURNED L OVER THE ARPT TO DEPART THE AREA BY MCGUIRE APCH. HAD THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AND IT WAS A STUDENT PLT NOT LISTENING ON THE RADIO I WOULD NOT BOTHER TO DO A WRITE-UP. HOWEVER, THIS WAS AN OP CONDUCTED BY A 'PROFESSIONAL' PLT. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF ENERGY AND CONCENTRATION IN GETTING THE BANNER TOWING ACFT LINED UP, PLUS CTLING SPD AND RATE OF DSCNT WHILE DIVING TOWARDS THE GND TO PICK UP AN ADVERTISING BANNER. NEVERTHELESS, THESE PLTS OBVIOUSLY KNOW THE CORRECT PROC AND SHOULD HAVE USED THEIR RADIO TO CALL THEIR POS AND INTENTIONS.

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.