Narrative:

I am an employee of a banner tow operator in myrtle beach, sc. I was ramp checked on jun/thu/00. I fly a PA12. There were a few things found wrong which were fixed that day and signed off by a&P, chief pilot and owner of operation. We were ramp checked by 2 agents from columbia, sc. The mae west coast guard life preserver was brought into question. I was asked how I was trained according to the special provisions waiver with operator. Chief pilot and owner advised there was no need to wear mae west as long as it was stowed in the aircraft. I read the special provisions before training began and it clearly said to wear. I myself wore the mae west, if nothing else, out of common sense. I felt flying over the ocean, even with the beach in sight was a good rule. I towed banners jun/thu/00, and part of the day jun/fri/00. On jun/fri/00, I landed operator at XA45 pm after dropping banner. I then fueled the aircraft and oil checked, the usual check over before the next banner tow. At approximately XB30 pm I was informed, by one of the ground crew boys, that he had just received a phone call from the FAA wanting to know if we were towing banners that day. The agent from the FAA asked if operator had received a facsimile that morning stating operator waiver for banner towing had been revoked and no banner towing business was to be conducted. I had no knowledge whatsoever of this event until told me of the telephone call, nor did anyone else on the ground crew. Owner was not present. I immediately shut down and tied the aircraft down. Owner was called and when he arrived he unlocked the office, checked the facsimile machine, and found that operator had indeed been shut down. I had no way of getting into the office, nor would I have gone through his mail. I then advised owner I would no longer be working for him. As far as I knew the repairs on small aircraft had been made and returned to service and were still in operation. I am sending you copies of aircraft logs and engine logs pertaining to the 100 hour check off, the annual and the repair sign off. Owner signed all repairs off on jun/thu/00 and jun/fri/00. I was totally unaware of the time of the revocation of operator special provisions waiver concerning banner towing in the north myrtle beach area until XC30 pm jun/fri/00. I believe if someone had been taking care of the office, we would have been informed that morning before operations began.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BANNER TOWING PA12 LEARNED DURING PREFLT FOR ANOTHER BANNER TOWING FLT THAT HIS COMPANY'S BANNER TOWING CERTIFICATE HAD BEEN REVOKED BY THE FAA THAT MORNING PRIOR TO HIS PREVIOUS FLT THAT DAY.

Narrative: I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF A BANNER TOW OPERATOR IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC. I WAS RAMP CHKED ON JUN/THU/00. I FLY A PA12. THERE WERE A FEW THINGS FOUND WRONG WHICH WERE FIXED THAT DAY AND SIGNED OFF BY A&P, CHIEF PLT AND OWNER OF OP. WE WERE RAMP CHKED BY 2 AGENTS FROM COLUMBIA, SC. THE MAE WEST COAST GUARD LIFE PRESERVER WAS BROUGHT INTO QUESTION. I WAS ASKED HOW I WAS TRAINED ACCORDING TO THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS WAIVER WITH OPERATOR. CHIEF PLT AND OWNER ADVISED THERE WAS NO NEED TO WEAR MAE WEST AS LONG AS IT WAS STOWED IN THE ACFT. I READ THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS BEFORE TRAINING BEGAN AND IT CLRLY SAID TO WEAR. I MYSELF WORE THE MAE WEST, IF NOTHING ELSE, OUT OF COMMON SENSE. I FELT FLYING OVER THE OCEAN, EVEN WITH THE BEACH IN SIGHT WAS A GOOD RULE. I TOWED BANNERS JUN/THU/00, AND PART OF THE DAY JUN/FRI/00. ON JUN/FRI/00, I LANDED OPERATOR AT XA45 PM AFTER DROPPING BANNER. I THEN FUELED THE ACFT AND OIL CHKED, THE USUAL CHK OVER BEFORE THE NEXT BANNER TOW. AT APPROX XB30 PM I WAS INFORMED, BY ONE OF THE GND CREW BOYS, THAT HE HAD JUST RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE FAA WANTING TO KNOW IF WE WERE TOWING BANNERS THAT DAY. THE AGENT FROM THE FAA ASKED IF OPERATOR HAD RECEIVED A FAX THAT MORNING STATING OPERATOR WAIVER FOR BANNER TOWING HAD BEEN REVOKED AND NO BANNER TOWING BUSINESS WAS TO BE CONDUCTED. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER OF THIS EVENT UNTIL TOLD ME OF THE TELEPHONE CALL, NOR DID ANYONE ELSE ON THE GND CREW. OWNER WAS NOT PRESENT. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN AND TIED THE ACFT DOWN. OWNER WAS CALLED AND WHEN HE ARRIVED HE UNLOCKED THE OFFICE, CHKED THE FAX MACHINE, AND FOUND THAT OPERATOR HAD INDEED BEEN SHUT DOWN. I HAD NO WAY OF GETTING INTO THE OFFICE, NOR WOULD I HAVE GONE THROUGH HIS MAIL. I THEN ADVISED OWNER I WOULD NO LONGER BE WORKING FOR HIM. AS FAR AS I KNEW THE REPAIRS ON SMA HAD BEEN MADE AND RETURNED TO SVC AND WERE STILL IN OP. I AM SENDING YOU COPIES OF ACFT LOGS AND ENG LOGS PERTAINING TO THE 100 HR CHK OFF, THE ANNUAL AND THE REPAIR SIGN OFF. OWNER SIGNED ALL REPAIRS OFF ON JUN/THU/00 AND JUN/FRI/00. I WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE TIME OF THE REVOCATION OF OPERATOR SPECIAL PROVISIONS WAIVER CONCERNING BANNER TOWING IN THE N MYRTLE BEACH AREA UNTIL XC30 PM JUN/FRI/00. I BELIEVE IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN TAKING CARE OF THE OFFICE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT MORNING BEFORE OPS BEGAN.

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.