CLOSE PROX ACR-MLG GA-SMA FLYING BANNER TOW.

Narrative

ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10R AT CMH I WAS ADVISED OF A BANNER TOWING ACFT 2-3 MI AHEAD WHO WOULD STAY N OF THE APCH COURSE. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND WITHOUT THE ASSURANCE THAT I HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT 1000 FT I SPOTTED THE TFC ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD AND TO MY L. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY THE FO WHO WAS AT THE CTLS DID A KNEE JERK TURN TO THE R TO CLR THE OTHER ACFT. IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT WE COULD HAVE BRUSHED THE BANNER WITHOUT THE QUICK RESPONSE. THE TWR CTLR'S RESPONSE WHEN I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE INCIDENT WAS THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS NO FACTOR; THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER WE WERE APCHING THE OTHER ACFT FROM HIS 7 O'CLOCK POS SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER ACFT SAW ME EITHER. WE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I COULD EASILY DETERMINE THAT HE WAS A WHITE HIGH WING ACFT WITH 'N' NUMBER. IF I HAD HAD ANOTHER SECOND I COULD HAVE WRITTEN IT DOWN. WHEN I TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF ON THE GND HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS WORKING GND CTL AND HAD AN EAR ON OUR CONVERSATION. HE INFORMED ME THAT WHEN HE SAW ME; THAT WE LOOKED OK; ALTHOUGH HE SAID HE MISSED OUR EVASIVE MANEUVER. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE TWR HAD AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THE AGRICULTURE OUTFIT THAT TOWED THE BANNER. THEY AGREED TO STAY N OR S OF THE APCH COURSE. WHEN I ASKED HOW FAR; HE SAID NO SPECIFIED DISTANCE. 2 THINGS BOTHER ME MOST ABOUT THIS; THAT I COULDN'T SPOT THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL I WAS ALMOST ON TOP OF HIM. I BELIEVE THAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE OTHER ACFT WAS WHAT WE CALL IN THE NAVY AS A 'CBDR' (CONSTANT BEARING DECREASING RANGE) WITH NO RELATIVE MOTION. HE WAS ALSO; I BELIEVE; BEHIND THE POST L OF MY WINDSCREEN. I JUST COULDN'T FIND HIM AND BASED ON THE REACTION OF THE TWR PERSONNEL THAT THIS WAS NO BIG DEAL; THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.