Narrative:

WX was clear--visibility good. The trip was to be from vny to prb--a 'pop up' trip with no notice. At vny I tried to contact hawthorne FSS, but was put on hold. Cancelled that call and tried to contact FBO's in prb about airport conditions and the availability of jet fuel, power unit, etc. Using the 1989 AC-U-kwik I was unable to contact the # listed--it was an answering service who did not know the FBO was on the airport. I called information and obtained a # for a paso robles aviation. No answer at that #. Tried FSS once again and passenger arrived while again on hold. Departed vny VFR. Cruise at 16500'. We air filed IFR after and climbed to 24000'. Descending through 15000' we cancelled IFR. The copilot commenced calling prb unicom. No answer. We noted another airplane on the frequency downwind, so we called him to confirm runway 19 in use. He also advised us it was left traffic pattern. As we entered downwind on a 45 degree angle from the southeast we called our position and a female voice came over the radio saying caution for parachutists northwest of the field. We saw no indication of parachute activities at anytime during the traffic pattern or after landing. One of our passenger stated on leaving the aircraft that she had seen a parachutist on our right after we had touched down. The distance was unknown. Could there have been a conflict? I don't know. We (the crew) talked about the possibility. We had checked class ii NOTAMS (4/89) and no mention of parachuting in paso robles was made. We had called our position throughout the pattern and no mention was made of parachutists after our initial pattern entry call. The problem: no FSS briefing. Our original plan was to fly VFR, therefore making contact with FSS was not a major concern. My halfhearted attempts, allowing myself to feel rushed when the passenger showed, did not allow me to tap into any NOTAMS that could have been listed. I would have felt better if I had made contact with FSS. If parachutists were notamed, I would have known about it before beginning entering the pattern and would have known what to expect. The jumpers were northwest of the airport--we entered from the southeast. But, we could have entered from the northwest and someone could have been in trouble. A thorough preflight consists of NOTAMS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LTT ON VFR FLT HAD PROBLEM OBTAINING AN FSS BRIEFING ACCOUNT LINE BUSY. APCHING PRB PLT WAS CASUALLY ADVISED OF PARACHUTING ACTIVITY NORTHWEST OF THE ARPT. APCH WAS FROM THE SOUTHEAST.

Narrative: WX WAS CLEAR--VISIBILITY GOOD. THE TRIP WAS TO BE FROM VNY TO PRB--A 'POP UP' TRIP WITH NO NOTICE. AT VNY I TRIED TO CONTACT HAWTHORNE FSS, BUT WAS PUT ON HOLD. CANCELLED THAT CALL AND TRIED TO CONTACT FBO'S IN PRB ABOUT ARPT CONDITIONS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF JET FUEL, PWR UNIT, ETC. USING THE 1989 AC-U-KWIK I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE # LISTED--IT WAS AN ANSWERING SVC WHO DID NOT KNOW THE FBO WAS ON THE ARPT. I CALLED INFO AND OBTAINED A # FOR A PASO ROBLES AVIATION. NO ANSWER AT THAT #. TRIED FSS ONCE AGAIN AND PAX ARRIVED WHILE AGAIN ON HOLD. DEPARTED VNY VFR. CRUISE AT 16500'. WE AIR FILED IFR AFTER AND CLBED TO 24000'. DSNDING THROUGH 15000' WE CANCELLED IFR. THE COPLT COMMENCED CALLING PRB UNICOM. NO ANSWER. WE NOTED ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON THE FREQ DOWNWIND, SO WE CALLED HIM TO CONFIRM RWY 19 IN USE. HE ALSO ADVISED US IT WAS LEFT TFC PATTERN. AS WE ENTERED DOWNWIND ON A 45 DEG ANGLE FROM THE SE WE CALLED OUR POS AND A FEMALE VOICE CAME OVER THE RADIO SAYING CAUTION FOR PARACHUTISTS NW OF THE FIELD. WE SAW NO INDICATION OF PARACHUTE ACTIVITIES AT ANYTIME DURING THE TFC PATTERN OR AFTER LNDG. ONE OF OUR PAX STATED ON LEAVING THE ACFT THAT SHE HAD SEEN A PARACHUTIST ON OUR RIGHT AFTER WE HAD TOUCHED DOWN. THE DISTANCE WAS UNKNOWN. COULD THERE HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT? I DON'T KNOW. WE (THE CREW) TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY. WE HAD CHKED CLASS II NOTAMS (4/89) AND NO MENTION OF PARACHUTING IN PASO ROBLES WAS MADE. WE HAD CALLED OUR POS THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN AND NO MENTION WAS MADE OF PARACHUTISTS AFTER OUR INITIAL PATTERN ENTRY CALL. THE PROB: NO FSS BRIEFING. OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO FLY VFR, THEREFORE MAKING CONTACT WITH FSS WAS NOT A MAJOR CONCERN. MY HALFHEARTED ATTEMPTS, ALLOWING MYSELF TO FEEL RUSHED WHEN THE PAX SHOWED, DID NOT ALLOW ME TO TAP INTO ANY NOTAMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN LISTED. I WOULD HAVE FELT BETTER IF I HAD MADE CONTACT WITH FSS. IF PARACHUTISTS WERE NOTAMED, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT BEFORE BEGINNING ENTERING THE PATTERN AND WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO EXPECT. THE JUMPERS WERE NW OF THE ARPT--WE ENTERED FROM THE SE. BUT, WE COULD HAVE ENTERED FROM THE NW AND SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE. A THOROUGH PREFLT CONSISTS OF NOTAMS.

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.