Narrative:

During this operation an approved banner tow aircraft was holding over the adjacent stadium area. The aircraft was instructed to remain: 1) VFR; 2) north of the runway 26 arrival corridor; 3) east of the runway 35 departure corridor; 4) at or below 1000 ft. The visibility was reported as 7 mi; however slant visibility was more obscured due to haze. I was unable to visually acquire the aircraft without the assistance of binoculars. The skyline of the city was visible; but broken due to the haze. This operation is permitted in the philadelphia class B airspace permitted the WX conditions are VFR. However I do not believe this to be in keeping with the separation standards of the 7110.65. The stadium area is located in an area which aircraft descending inbound to philadelphia international on the runway 9R localizer are at co-altitude with the banner tow aircraft. The banner tow aircraft is not 1 1/2 mi from the inbound traffic. Although TA's are provided to each inbound aircraft to phl the aircraft are unable to visually acquire the banner tow until inside of 3 mi from it; and will eventually pass the traffic and completely lose sight of it. This means that even though visual separation is being applied it is not being applied correctly since approved separation was not applied both before and after its application. The orbiting traffic is also unable to provide correct application of visual separation. It may be able to see the larger jets from further away; but its maneuvers will cause it to lose sight from the aircraft and once again visual separation is improperly applied. All of this is in addition to the added burden and increased workload that these operations bring on an already task saturated sector at a busy international airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING BANNER TOW OPS OVER ADJACENT STADIUM.

Narrative: DURING THIS OP AN APPROVED BANNER TOW ACFT WAS HOLDING OVER THE ADJACENT STADIUM AREA. THE ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN: 1) VFR; 2) N OF THE RWY 26 ARR CORRIDOR; 3) E OF THE RWY 35 DEP CORRIDOR; 4) AT OR BELOW 1000 FT. THE VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS 7 MI; HOWEVER SLANT VISIBILITY WAS MORE OBSCURED DUE TO HAZE. I WAS UNABLE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE ACFT WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF BINOCULARS. THE SKYLINE OF THE CITY WAS VISIBLE; BUT BROKEN DUE TO THE HAZE. THIS OP IS PERMITTED IN THE PHILADELPHIA CLASS B AIRSPACE PERMITTED THE WX CONDITIONS ARE VFR. HOWEVER I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE IN KEEPING WITH THE SEPARATION STANDARDS OF THE 7110.65. THE STADIUM AREA IS LOCATED IN AN AREA WHICH ACFT DSNDING INBOUND TO PHILADELPHIA INTL ON THE RWY 9R LOC ARE AT CO-ALT WITH THE BANNER TOW ACFT. THE BANNER TOW ACFT IS NOT 1 1/2 MI FROM THE INBOUND TFC. ALTHOUGH TA'S ARE PROVIDED TO EACH INBOUND ACFT TO PHL THE ACFT ARE UNABLE TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE BANNER TOW UNTIL INSIDE OF 3 MI FROM IT; AND WILL EVENTUALLY PASS THE TFC AND COMPLETELY LOSE SIGHT OF IT. THIS MEANS THAT EVEN THOUGH VISUAL SEPARATION IS BEING APPLIED IT IS NOT BEING APPLIED CORRECTLY SINCE APPROVED SEPARATION WAS NOT APPLIED BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER ITS APPLICATION. THE ORBITING TFC IS ALSO UNABLE TO PROVIDE CORRECT APPLICATION OF VISUAL SEPARATION. IT MAY BE ABLE TO SEE THE LARGER JETS FROM FURTHER AWAY; BUT ITS MANEUVERS WILL CAUSE IT TO LOSE SIGHT FROM THE ACFT AND ONCE AGAIN VISUAL SEPARATION IS IMPROPERLY APPLIED. ALL OF THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE ADDED BURDEN AND INCREASED WORKLOAD THAT THESE OPS BRING ON AN ALREADY TASK SATURATED SECTOR AT A BUSY INTL ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.