Narrative:

I had 2 jumpers going out at 7500' AGL. While headed approximately southbound 2 NM north of thompson field (private) quad city approach advised me of an inbound small aircraft at a direction east of me, same altitude. I told the controller I would be looking for the traffic; I should point out that on initial contact with quad city approach. I was cleared for 7500' and understood that I should advise him when my jumpers were out. Some controllers like a 1 min warning until jumpers are out, but I did not ask him (the controller) if he wanted that, so I acknowledged him. I turned onto jump run heading wbound approximately 1/2 mi north of thompson field. There was some conversation between the controller and the small aircraft. I can't recall exactly what it was, but to the best of my knowledge, I thought I heard the controller say to the inbound small aircraft that he would be given vectors around my position. I couldn't really talk to the controller at this time because of him talking to the small aircraft and my workload. I turned my airplane heading more nwbound, now looking for traffic. Still no small aircraft in sight. At this time I was about 1/2 mi northwest of thompson field and my jumpers made their exit. I called quad city approach and told them my jumpers were out. The controller wanted to know why I didn't advise him when I was 1 mi prior to jumpers away, and I told him that I understood him to say to advise when jumpers were out. At that time I saw the traffic, an small aircraft, fly over the 2 jumpers who were over the drop zone at thompson field, under canopy, and I told the controller this. He did say then that some controllers like 1 min prior to jump notification, although he said, 'that doesn't do a whole lot for me,' or I should keep my guys in the airplane until traffic's no longer a factor. He said he was probably confusing himself. I told him I would comply with whatever procedures he needed. In the future, I'll give more information to the controller, even if the controller doesn't ask for it. As I mentioned above, there was some communication between the controller and the small aircraft. I just didn't hear very well. I saw no traffic before the jumpers exited. About factors affecting human performance, don't take something for granted; if in doubt, ask for clarification!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER DROPS JUMPERS IN THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

Narrative: I HAD 2 JUMPERS GOING OUT AT 7500' AGL. WHILE HEADED APPROX SBND 2 NM N OF THOMPSON FIELD (PVT) QUAD CITY APCH ADVISED ME OF AN INBND SMA AT A DIRECTION E OF ME, SAME ALT. I TOLD THE CTLR I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR THE TFC; I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH QUAD CITY APCH. I WAS CLRED FOR 7500' AND UNDERSTOOD THAT I SHOULD ADVISE HIM WHEN MY JUMPERS WERE OUT. SOME CTLRS LIKE A 1 MIN WARNING UNTIL JUMPERS ARE OUT, BUT I DID NOT ASK HIM (THE CTLR) IF HE WANTED THAT, SO I ACKNOWLEDGED HIM. I TURNED ONTO JUMP RUN HDG WBOUND APPROX 1/2 MI N OF THOMPSON FIELD. THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION BTWN THE CTLR AND THE SMA. I CAN'T RECALL EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS, BUT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I THOUGHT I HEARD THE CTLR SAY TO THE INBND SMA THAT HE WOULD BE GIVEN VECTORS AROUND MY POS. I COULDN'T REALLY TALK TO THE CTLR AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF HIM TALKING TO THE SMA AND MY WORKLOAD. I TURNED MY AIRPLANE HDG MORE NWBOUND, NOW LOOKING FOR TFC. STILL NO SMA IN SIGHT. AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI NW OF THOMPSON FIELD AND MY JUMPERS MADE THEIR EXIT. I CALLED QUAD CITY APCH AND TOLD THEM MY JUMPERS WERE OUT. THE CTLR WANTED TO KNOW WHY I DIDN'T ADVISE HIM WHEN I WAS 1 MI PRIOR TO JUMPERS AWAY, AND I TOLD HIM THAT I UNDERSTOOD HIM TO SAY TO ADVISE WHEN JUMPERS WERE OUT. AT THAT TIME I SAW THE TFC, AN SMA, FLY OVER THE 2 JUMPERS WHO WERE OVER THE DROP ZONE AT THOMPSON FIELD, UNDER CANOPY, AND I TOLD THE CTLR THIS. HE DID SAY THEN THAT SOME CTLRS LIKE 1 MIN PRIOR TO JUMP NOTIFICATION, ALTHOUGH HE SAID, 'THAT DOESN'T DO A WHOLE LOT FOR ME,' OR I SHOULD KEEP MY GUYS IN THE AIRPLANE UNTIL TFC'S NO LONGER A FACTOR. HE SAID HE WAS PROBABLY CONFUSING HIMSELF. I TOLD HIM I WOULD COMPLY WITH WHATEVER PROCS HE NEEDED. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL GIVE MORE INFO TO THE CTLR, EVEN IF THE CTLR DOESN'T ASK FOR IT. AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, THERE WAS SOME COM BTWN THE CTLR AND THE SMA. I JUST DIDN'T HEAR VERY WELL. I SAW NO TFC BEFORE THE JUMPERS EXITED. ABOUT FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE, DON'T TAKE SOMETHING FOR GRANTED; IF IN DOUBT, ASK FOR CLARIFICATION!

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.