BANNER TOWING PLT FAILS TO NOTIFY THE LCL FSDO OFFICE IN WHOSE AREA HE IS OPERATING.

Date: 1995-09 · Aircraft: PA-18/19 Super Cub

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

BANNER TOWING PLT FAILS TO NOTIFY THE LCL FSDO OFFICE IN WHOSE AREA HE IS OPERATING.

Narrative

THINKING THAT THE OP WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE WAIVER LISTING MYSELF AND MY AIRPLANE THAT IS FILED AT ANOTHER FSDO IN THE S; I TOWED A BANNER ON SEP/SUN/95 USING MY 1970 PIPER SUPERCUB. I HAVE AT LEAST 600 HRS TOWING BANNERS IN OTHER AREAS. THE AIRPLANE HAD A RECENT (LESS THAN 100 HRS) MAJOR OVERHAUL OF THE ENG; WAS IN ANNUAL AND 100 HR INSPECTION. THE AIRFRAME WAS RECOVERED 2 YRS AGO. THE BANNER EQUIP; AND FLYING TACKLE; IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE; MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER OPS I HAVE SEEN. THE GND CREW CONSISTED OF A BANNER PLT WITH OVER 4000 HRS BANNER TOWING. THE PICKUP AND DROP AREA IS MILES FROM THE NEAREST ARPT AND HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE LCL FSDO. LCL ATC WAS CALLED AND INFORMED OF THE UPCOMING FLT. HARRISBURG APCH HAD NO PROBS WITH THE FLT AND WERE VERY ACCOMMODATING AND PROFESSIONAL. DURING THE FLT ALL FARS WERE ADHERED TO AND DUE CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO AVOIDING THE QUIETER NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONCENTRATING ON HIGH VOLUME TFC AREAS AND FOOTBALL GAMES. THE FLT WAS TIMED TO AVOID OPS AFTER SUNSET. NO CIVIL COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED. IN SHORT THE WHOLE OP WAS DONE WITH CARE AND WITH AN EYE TOWARD SAFETY BY EXPERIENCED PEOPLE USING SUPERIOR EQUIP; ALL PREVIOUSLY GIVEN FAA APPROVAL (IN OTHER DISTRICTS). THE POINT OF THIS RPT IS THROUGH UNOFFICIAL CHANNELS (INSIDE INFO) I FOUND OUT THAT AN FAA FSDO EMPLOYEE; PERHAPS AN OPS INSPECTOR; SAW THE AIRPLANE TOWING THE BANNER AND EXPRESSED INTEREST IN FINDING OUT WHO THAT WAS FLYING THE BANNER. MY INFORMANT TOLD ME THE INSPECTOR SUSPECTED THE FLT WASN'T 'APPROVED' AND WANTED TO CATCH SOMEONE IN THE ACT. I BELIEVE THAT ON THAT DAY MYSELF AND MY PLANE WERE ADDED TO ANOTHER WAIVER IN THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT OFFICE. WAS THE FLT IN VIOLATION OF SOME RULE OR REG? AT THE TIME I DIDN'T THINK SO; BUT AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE FSDO EMPLOYEE I STARTED CHKING AND NOW IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THERE WAS SOME SORT OF PROCEDURAL SHORTCOMING; PAPERWORK WISE; ON MY PART. STILL; ONE CAN SEE I'M NO OUTLAW. I HAD NO INTENTION OF CIRCUMVENTING ANY RULES AND DID EVERYTHING I COULD THINK OF TO ENSURE A SAFE AND LEGAL FLT. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A NEED TO CONTACT THE LCL FSDO.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.