Narrative:

At the time of the incident I was preparing to drop a load of 4 sky divers over 59F, which is located 12 NM northwest of scurry VOR on the 305 degree right. We had a published NOTAM for parachute operations in effect at the time which is for altitudes from the surface up to 12500' MSL. The WX was clear. I have flown hundreds of loads of jumpers and am very familiar with the procedure and with the area traffic. I was climbing to a requested altitude of 10500' MSL and was under control of dfw TRACON on frequency 119.05. I was squawking the assigned transponder code with mode C reporting altitude. I was on a base leg going east about 1/4 south of the airport and about to turn north on jump run at an indicated altitude of 10500' MSL when I gave controller a 1 min advisory before jumpers away. The controller said there was traffic at 4 mi nwbnd at 11000'. I had no previous warning of this traffic, which obviously was very near my altitude, fast moving and only 4 mi away. I immediately said that I would hold until the traffic passed and I continued east looking for the traffic. After 30-40 seconds I suddenly saw an large transport Y coming almost head-on at about 1/2 mi. Since he was moving slightly to my right. I immediately made an emergency hard left bank to avoid what was sure to be a close encounter. He passed to my right at approximately 150 yds which was way too close for my part and certainly too close for him as he made known immediately on the radio. The controller told him I had reported him in sight (which I had not) and that I was supposed to be at 10500' (which I was indicating). The controller then told me I was supposed to be at 10500'. He gave me the altimeter setting of 30.13 which I adjusted to and indicated even lower at 10400'. He insisted I was reporting 11000'. I then reduced my altitude by 500', came on jump run. Gave another 1 min advisory and when given clearance I dropped the jumpers. I am not an expert on ATC duties or procedures except from a pilot's point of view. Yet I feel that this near tragedy could have been avoided by: earlier notification of traffic, altitude verifications, vectors for sep and/or altitude hold. Even west/O an altitude discrepancy, we would have been too near the same altitude (500') to be allowed to pass that close., the fact that he said I was reporting the same altitude as the large transport Y should have made him take notice even more so. I will have this experience as a constant reminder that even when under control of an ATC facility and on radar a pilot must always assume the responsibility of ever being alert for other traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SKYDIVING JUMP ACFT SEES LGT PASS IN CLOSE PROX, SAYS NMAC. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS PREPARING TO DROP A LOAD OF 4 SKY DIVERS OVER 59F, WHICH IS LOCATED 12 NM NW OF SCURRY VOR ON THE 305 DEG R. WE HAD A PUBLISHED NOTAM FOR PARACHUTE OPS IN EFFECT AT THE TIME WHICH IS FOR ALTS FROM THE SURFACE UP TO 12500' MSL. THE WX WAS CLR. I HAVE FLOWN HUNDREDS OF LOADS OF JUMPERS AND AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROC AND WITH THE AREA TFC. I WAS CLBING TO A REQUESTED ALT OF 10500' MSL AND WAS UNDER CTL OF DFW TRACON ON FREQ 119.05. I WAS SQUAWKING THE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE WITH MODE C RPTING ALT. I WAS ON A BASE LEG GOING E ABOUT 1/4 S OF THE ARPT AND ABOUT TO TURN N ON JUMP RUN AT AN INDICATED ALT OF 10500' MSL WHEN I GAVE CTLR A 1 MIN ADVISORY BEFORE JUMPERS AWAY. THE CTLR SAID THERE WAS TFC AT 4 MI NWBND AT 11000'. I HAD NO PREVIOUS WARNING OF THIS TFC, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WAS VERY NEAR MY ALT, FAST MOVING AND ONLY 4 MI AWAY. I IMMEDIATELY SAID THAT I WOULD HOLD UNTIL THE TFC PASSED AND I CONTINUED E LOOKING FOR THE TFC. AFTER 30-40 SECS I SUDDENLY SAW AN LGT Y COMING ALMOST HEAD-ON AT ABOUT 1/2 MI. SINCE HE WAS MOVING SLIGHTLY TO MY RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY MADE AN EMER HARD LEFT BANK TO AVOID WHAT WAS SURE TO BE A CLOSE ENCOUNTER. HE PASSED TO MY RIGHT AT APPROX 150 YDS WHICH WAS WAY TOO CLOSE FOR MY PART AND CERTAINLY TOO CLOSE FOR HIM AS HE MADE KNOWN IMMEDIATELY ON THE RADIO. THE CTLR TOLD HIM I HAD RPTED HIM IN SIGHT (WHICH I HAD NOT) AND THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 10500' (WHICH I WAS INDICATING). THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 10500'. HE GAVE ME THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.13 WHICH I ADJUSTED TO AND INDICATED EVEN LOWER AT 10400'. HE INSISTED I WAS RPTING 11000'. I THEN REDUCED MY ALT BY 500', CAME ON JUMP RUN. GAVE ANOTHER 1 MIN ADVISORY AND WHEN GIVEN CLRNC I DROPPED THE JUMPERS. I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON ATC DUTIES OR PROCS EXCEPT FROM A PLT'S POINT OF VIEW. YET I FEEL THAT THIS NEAR TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY: EARLIER NOTIFICATION OF TFC, ALT VERIFICATIONS, VECTORS FOR SEP AND/OR ALT HOLD. EVEN W/O AN ALT DISCREPANCY, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO NEAR THE SAME ALT (500') TO BE ALLOWED TO PASS THAT CLOSE., THE FACT THAT HE SAID I WAS RPTING THE SAME ALT AS THE LGT Y SHOULD HAVE MADE HIM TAKE NOTICE EVEN MORE SO. I WILL HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE AS A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT EVEN WHEN UNDER CTL OF AN ATC FAC AND ON RADAR A PLT MUST ALWAYS ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVER BEING ALERT FOR OTHER TFC.

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