Narrative:

There was a monday night sports event involving local team and the city of cleveland was all lit up, making it an impressive sight at night. There were several aircraft in the area including one lighter-than-air aircraft Z. I was advised by lakefront tower that traffic was making left turns about the stadium and city area at 1600 and 1700' MSL. There was 1 aircraft Y slightly lower and making its turns to the right. The Z was in the general area of the waterfront and the stadium. During 1 pass by the stadium, aircraft Y and I were on a close to head-on converging course which caused me to alter my course to the right. This course change was corrected as soon as aircraft Y passed to my left. As the Z was also in the area I immediately turned a quick left, then a right to provide adequate sep. After reviewing this incident I have a few suggestions which would enhance safety in the situation where a sporting event or other attraction causes increased air traffic. A pre-reservation call-in could be set up in advance with the ATC facility to prevent too many aircraft occupying the area at the same time. Standard turns would help avoid confusion and converging aircraft. Aircraft in the area are difficult to see due to city lights in the background and should have strobes and landing lights on. Also, lighter-than-air flts should not take precedence over all other traffic just because they are advertising their products to a captive audience and videotaping the action below. I love the aircraft Z type. It's principle of the issue I object to. An example of my suggestions can be found in and around niagara falls, where ATC advises fixed wing aircraft to fly right turns at a specific altitude and rotary wing aircraft are to be at a lower altitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter was unable to give quantitative estimates of miss distances for the 2 conflicts, but finally said '500' or more' in both cases. He also said the misses were 'comfortable' in that the evasive actions were taken in plenty of time and the situation was under control at all times. He said he has been flying actively for over 20 yrs, owns his aircraft, and associates with several other doctors and attorneys in the same status. He complained at length about the current enforcement policy of the FAA which he believes is counter-productive as far as promoting safety is concerned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA, CIRCLING AT NIGHT OVER SPORTS STADIUM DURING HIGHLY PUBLICIZED EVENT, EXPERIENCES 2, LESS SEVERE CONFLICTS IN QUICK SUCCESSION, ONE WITH A LIGHTER-THAN-AIR COMMERCIAL ACFT.

Narrative: THERE WAS A MONDAY NIGHT SPORTS EVENT INVOLVING LCL TEAM AND THE CITY OF CLEVELAND WAS ALL LIT UP, MAKING IT AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT AT NIGHT. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT IN THE AREA INCLUDING ONE LIGHTER-THAN-AIR ACFT Z. I WAS ADVISED BY LAKEFRONT TWR THAT TFC WAS MAKING LEFT TURNS ABOUT THE STADIUM AND CITY AREA AT 1600 AND 1700' MSL. THERE WAS 1 ACFT Y SLIGHTLY LOWER AND MAKING ITS TURNS TO THE RIGHT. THE Z WAS IN THE GENERAL AREA OF THE WATERFRONT AND THE STADIUM. DURING 1 PASS BY THE STADIUM, ACFT Y AND I WERE ON A CLOSE TO HEAD-ON CONVERGING COURSE WHICH CAUSED ME TO ALTER MY COURSE TO THE RIGHT. THIS COURSE CHANGE WAS CORRECTED AS SOON AS ACFT Y PASSED TO MY LEFT. AS THE Z WAS ALSO IN THE AREA I IMMEDIATELY TURNED A QUICK LEFT, THEN A RIGHT TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SEP. AFTER REVIEWING THIS INCIDENT I HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS WHICH WOULD ENHANCE SAFETY IN THE SITUATION WHERE A SPORTING EVENT OR OTHER ATTRACTION CAUSES INCREASED AIR TFC. A PRE-RESERVATION CALL-IN COULD BE SET UP IN ADVANCE WITH THE ATC FAC TO PREVENT TOO MANY ACFT OCCUPYING THE AREA AT THE SAME TIME. STANDARD TURNS WOULD HELP AVOID CONFUSION AND CONVERGING ACFT. ACFT IN THE AREA ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO CITY LIGHTS IN THE BACKGROUND AND SHOULD HAVE STROBES AND LNDG LIGHTS ON. ALSO, LIGHTER-THAN-AIR FLTS SHOULD NOT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER ALL OTHER TFC JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE ADVERTISING THEIR PRODUCTS TO A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE AND VIDEOTAPING THE ACTION BELOW. I LOVE THE ACFT Z TYPE. IT'S PRINCIPLE OF THE ISSUE I OBJECT TO. AN EXAMPLE OF MY SUGGESTIONS CAN BE FOUND IN AND AROUND NIAGARA FALLS, WHERE ATC ADVISES FIXED WING ACFT TO FLY RIGHT TURNS AT A SPECIFIC ALT AND ROTARY WING ACFT ARE TO BE AT A LOWER ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WAS UNABLE TO GIVE QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATES OF MISS DISTANCES FOR THE 2 CONFLICTS, BUT FINALLY SAID '500' OR MORE' IN BOTH CASES. HE ALSO SAID THE MISSES WERE 'COMFORTABLE' IN THAT THE EVASIVE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN IN PLENTY OF TIME AND THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CONTROL AT ALL TIMES. HE SAID HE HAS BEEN FLYING ACTIVELY FOR OVER 20 YRS, OWNS HIS ACFT, AND ASSOCIATES WITH SEVERAL OTHER DOCTORS AND ATTORNEYS IN THE SAME STATUS. HE COMPLAINED AT LENGTH ABOUT THE CURRENT ENFORCEMENT POLICY OF THE FAA WHICH HE BELIEVES IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE AS FAR AS PROMOTING SAFETY IS CONCERNED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.