Narrative:

Cleared to cross the dingo intersection at 14000' to maintain 11000' and to contact tus approach. ZAB also advised us of a mlt dropping troops at 17500'. I asked him to keep us advised and he said the next controller would have that information. We checked in with tus approach and asked about the mlt. The approach controller indicated the mlt wouldn't be a factor. We then acquired the mlt visually crossing in front and above us. We then observed 10-20 open parachutes above us and slightly to our left. I initially considered a hard right turn to avoid flying through the chutes. It soon became obvious I would pass under the chutes west/O conflict so no evasive action was taken. When I queried the controller about the drop he ignored me--twice. It was obvious that coordination between the mlt and the approach controller totally broke down. It is very uncomfortable to be underneath parachutists who appears to present a hazard to your aircraft. In a conversation with the tus approach supervisor he pointed out that coordination with this unit was frequently a problem and that cooperation on the part of the military was poor. He indicated the drop was made at dingo intersection with the intent that the troops would drift several mi to their intended landing at a country airport. The drop was made directly above dingo which I crossed a very short time later. In short, it's really poor coordination that the military is dropping parachutists on top of approach gates being crossed by civil airliners west/O coordination as required by law.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OBSERVED PARACHUTE DROP TOO CLOSE TO HIS ACFT.

Narrative: CLRED TO CROSS THE DINGO INTXN AT 14000' TO MAINTAIN 11000' AND TO CONTACT TUS APCH. ZAB ALSO ADVISED US OF A MLT DROPPING TROOPS AT 17500'. I ASKED HIM TO KEEP US ADVISED AND HE SAID THE NEXT CTLR WOULD HAVE THAT INFO. WE CHKED IN WITH TUS APCH AND ASKED ABOUT THE MLT. THE APCH CTLR INDICATED THE MLT WOULDN'T BE A FACTOR. WE THEN ACQUIRED THE MLT VISUALLY XING IN FRONT AND ABOVE US. WE THEN OBSERVED 10-20 OPEN PARACHUTES ABOVE US AND SLIGHTLY TO OUR LEFT. I INITIALLY CONSIDERED A HARD RIGHT TURN TO AVOID FLYING THROUGH THE CHUTES. IT SOON BECAME OBVIOUS I WOULD PASS UNDER THE CHUTES W/O CONFLICT SO NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. WHEN I QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT THE DROP HE IGNORED ME--TWICE. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT COORD BTWN THE MLT AND THE APCH CTLR TOTALLY BROKE DOWN. IT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO BE UNDERNEATH PARACHUTISTS WHO APPEARS TO PRESENT A HAZARD TO YOUR ACFT. IN A CONVERSATION WITH THE TUS APCH SUPVR HE POINTED OUT THAT COORD WITH THIS UNIT WAS FREQUENTLY A PROB AND THAT COOPERATION ON THE PART OF THE MIL WAS POOR. HE INDICATED THE DROP WAS MADE AT DINGO INTXN WITH THE INTENT THAT THE TROOPS WOULD DRIFT SEVERAL MI TO THEIR INTENDED LNDG AT A COUNTRY ARPT. THE DROP WAS MADE DIRECTLY ABOVE DINGO WHICH I CROSSED A VERY SHORT TIME LATER. IN SHORT, IT'S REALLY POOR COORD THAT THE MIL IS DROPPING PARACHUTISTS ON TOP OF APCH GATES BEING CROSSED BY CIVIL AIRLINERS W/O COORD AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

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.