Narrative:

Towing a banner on a routine route of the gulf shores public beach, my aircraft came close to a parasail with 2 people soaring through the sky. I, as always, was keeping a watchful eye for other aircraft, parasailing boats, swimmers and helicopters. A parasail approached me from below (with 900 ft of line out) missed the aircraft and caught the banner I was towing. The banner disconnected as it should, with a broken safety link. I banked away from the sail, but flying as slow as possible (50 KTS) never made it clear of the sail. When the banner disconnected, I circled and found there was no need for panic and watched as the people were lowered into the water. No one was hurt and I continued back to the field to make appropriate phone calls. I was a safe distance from the beach and had spacing to allow for 500 ft minimum away from persons, boats, houses, objects. In my opinion, there needs to be some type of regulation that would hinder such occurrences. These boats carry enough line to take people up to 1000-1200 ft. If a NOTAM is required for an unlit tower and every tower is charted, shouldn't there be some way for pilots to know about parasails at 1000 ft? I have debriefed with the military, but they say they have no jurisdiction. I pride myself on being a safe pilot, but how can I avoid what I don't see and have no idea where it might pop up, in this case from underneath the aircraft. All radio calls were properly made along the beach giving altitude, direction, and location. These boats do not carry radios to listen. Not only do aircraft with banners fly along the beach, but so do scenic flts, military helicopters and a variety of other aircraft in close distance from the large base in pensacola.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 BANNER TOW PLT FAILED TO SEE A PARASAIL RESULTING IN THE BANNER TO BE CAUGHT UP WITH THE PARASAIL LINE. NO ONE WAS HURT.

Narrative: TOWING A BANNER ON A ROUTINE RTE OF THE GULF SHORES PUBLIC BEACH, MY ACFT CAME CLOSE TO A PARASAIL WITH 2 PEOPLE SOARING THROUGH THE SKY. I, AS ALWAYS, WAS KEEPING A WATCHFUL EYE FOR OTHER ACFT, PARASAILING BOATS, SWIMMERS AND HELIS. A PARASAIL APCHED ME FROM BELOW (WITH 900 FT OF LINE OUT) MISSED THE ACFT AND CAUGHT THE BANNER I WAS TOWING. THE BANNER DISCONNECTED AS IT SHOULD, WITH A BROKEN SAFETY LINK. I BANKED AWAY FROM THE SAIL, BUT FLYING AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE (50 KTS) NEVER MADE IT CLR OF THE SAIL. WHEN THE BANNER DISCONNECTED, I CIRCLED AND FOUND THERE WAS NO NEED FOR PANIC AND WATCHED AS THE PEOPLE WERE LOWERED INTO THE WATER. NO ONE WAS HURT AND I CONTINUED BACK TO THE FIELD TO MAKE APPROPRIATE PHONE CALLS. I WAS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE BEACH AND HAD SPACING TO ALLOW FOR 500 FT MINIMUM AWAY FROM PERSONS, BOATS, HOUSES, OBJECTS. IN MY OPINION, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF REG THAT WOULD HINDER SUCH OCCURRENCES. THESE BOATS CARRY ENOUGH LINE TO TAKE PEOPLE UP TO 1000-1200 FT. IF A NOTAM IS REQUIRED FOR AN UNLIT TWR AND EVERY TWR IS CHARTED, SHOULDN'T THERE BE SOME WAY FOR PLTS TO KNOW ABOUT PARASAILS AT 1000 FT? I HAVE DEBRIEFED WITH THE MIL, BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE NO JURISDICTION. I PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING A SAFE PLT, BUT HOW CAN I AVOID WHAT I DON'T SEE AND HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT MIGHT POP UP, IN THIS CASE FROM UNDERNEATH THE ACFT. ALL RADIO CALLS WERE PROPERLY MADE ALONG THE BEACH GIVING ALT, DIRECTION, AND LOCATION. THESE BOATS DO NOT CARRY RADIOS TO LISTEN. NOT ONLY DO ACFT WITH BANNERS FLY ALONG THE BEACH, BUT SO DO SCENIC FLTS, MIL HELIS AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ACFT IN CLOSE DISTANCE FROM THE LARGE BASE IN PENSACOLA.

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.