Controller reporter witnessed a near midair collision between a parachute jumper and aircraft on an ...

Attributes
ACN	171425
Time
Date	199102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v485
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	171425
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 20
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Small transport X routine is to call for advisories for parachute jumping in tres pinos jump zone southeast of hollister. Usually from 6000' or 12000' some free fall some not. Jump zone is on V485 and san jose 30L localizer. Alot of traffic is inbound on the route to sjc. Moderately busy a time of incident. Usual procedure is to advise small transport X and any conflicting traffic of each other. We leave actual release of parachutist to jump plane. On this day one aircraft in front of small transport X was vectored around jump zone and jump aircraft made another pass. Second time around the jumpers went out but another aircraft was right under. No advisory to the second aircraft on the localizer at 8000'. I believe the jump aircraft knew another aircraft was close by but released the jumpers anyway. This is not unusual. Pilot and jumper called center to say they missed by 20' at most. The jump zone should not be so close to the to sjc which is on V485 and the localizer overlies the arwy. An advisory should have been issued but workload was high for the radar controller. Sector 11 has been idented as a busy sector that needs close monitoring for overload. This high workload activity at times can just be too much to provide advisories for jump aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER WITNESSED A NMAC BETWEEN A PARACHUTE JUMPER AND ACFT ON AN ARWY.

Narrative: SMT X ROUTINE IS TO CALL FOR ADVISORIES FOR PARACHUTE JUMPING IN TRES PINOS JUMP ZONE SE OF HOLLISTER. USUALLY FROM 6000' OR 12000' SOME FREE FALL SOME NOT. JUMP ZONE IS ON V485 AND SAN JOSE 30L LOC. ALOT OF TFC IS INBND ON THE RTE TO SJC. MODERATELY BUSY A TIME OF INCIDENT. USUAL PROC IS TO ADVISE SMT X AND ANY CONFLICTING TFC OF EACH OTHER. WE LEAVE ACTUAL RELEASE OF PARACHUTIST TO JUMP PLANE. ON THIS DAY ONE ACFT IN FRONT OF SMT X WAS VECTORED AROUND JUMP ZONE AND JUMP ACFT MADE ANOTHER PASS. SEC TIME AROUND THE JUMPERS WENT OUT BUT ANOTHER ACFT WAS RIGHT UNDER. NO ADVISORY TO THE SEC ACFT ON THE LOC AT 8000'. I BELIEVE THE JUMP ACFT KNEW ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLOSE BY BUT RELEASED THE JUMPERS ANYWAY. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL. PLT AND JUMPER CALLED CTR TO SAY THEY MISSED BY 20' AT MOST. THE JUMP ZONE SHOULD NOT BE SO CLOSE TO THE TO SJC WHICH IS ON V485 AND THE LOC OVERLIES THE ARWY. AN ADVISORY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED BUT WORKLOAD WAS HIGH FOR THE RADAR CTLR. SECTOR 11 HAS BEEN IDENTED AS A BUSY SECTOR THAT NEEDS CLOSE MONITORING FOR OVERLOAD. THIS HIGH WORKLOAD ACTIVITY AT TIMES CAN JUST BE TOO MUCH TO PROVIDE ADVISORIES FOR JUMP ACFT.

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.

Controller reporter witnessed a near midair collision between a parachute jumper and aircraft on an arwy.