Narrative:

Passing through 1700', I switched from local advisory to sea approach to check in and inform them I was on my way up with another load of sky divers. Approach acknowledged my transmission and soon reported me, 'in radar contact.' the ceiling east of the field was 2700', but there was a widespread area over and west of the field where ceilings were at or near 5000'. Climbing to 4000' I announced to sea I was, '1 min to drop,' as requested by sea earlier. After the skydivers exited the aircraft, I began a spiraling slow descent back to the airport. The controller seeing my mode C readout unwinding asked if I was finished, to which I responded affirmative and followed up with, 'that was the last load of the day, we'll go 1200, thanks.' whereupon I changed from my discrete code of the day to 1200. I continued to circle and descend slowly, maintaining VFR minimums from the aforementioned cloud buildups to the east. I was looking for parachute gear that had landed in the trees after a successful reserve deployment earlier in the day, so was not maintaining my usual descent profile. Shortly after squawking 1200, I heard approach control an mlt out of an unknown higher altitude down to 3000'. I began looking for the mlt while I continued to circle. About 1 min later the mlt broke out of the buildup 500-700' below me and approximately 3/4 mi north. Prior to this time approach had not informed either of us of the proximity of the other while I was on the discrete code or after going to 1200. No evasive action was taken by either aircraft, but the alarmed crew of the aircraft called sea to see if they knew about me. Sea responded they saw a VFR target in their vicinity and called me back up. I reported their VFR target was me, and I had the mlt in sight. The blame for this can't in my estimation lie on any 1 factor like so many other incident. Many factors enter in: lapse of attention or possibly computer tracking time of sea TRACON were a contributing factor. My not following a normal descent profile after the jump run may have contributed if controller attention lapse entered in. 250 KTS may be too fast for descent through areas of high VFR traffic. And if 250 KTS isn't too fast, then maybe VFR minimums aren't enough to keep traffic separated anymore.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF JUMP ACFT SEES MLT DESCEND THROUGH CLOUDS THREE FOURTHS OF A MILE AWAY.

Narrative: PASSING THROUGH 1700', I SWITCHED FROM LCL ADVISORY TO SEA APCH TO CHK IN AND INFORM THEM I WAS ON MY WAY UP WITH ANOTHER LOAD OF SKY DIVERS. APCH ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AND SOON RPTED ME, 'IN RADAR CONTACT.' THE CEILING E OF THE FIELD WAS 2700', BUT THERE WAS A WIDESPREAD AREA OVER AND W OF THE FIELD WHERE CEILINGS WERE AT OR NEAR 5000'. CLBING TO 4000' I ANNOUNCED TO SEA I WAS, '1 MIN TO DROP,' AS REQUESTED BY SEA EARLIER. AFTER THE SKYDIVERS EXITED THE ACFT, I BEGAN A SPIRALING SLOW DSNT BACK TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR SEEING MY MODE C READOUT UNWINDING ASKED IF I WAS FINISHED, TO WHICH I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE AND FOLLOWED UP WITH, 'THAT WAS THE LAST LOAD OF THE DAY, WE'LL GO 1200, THANKS.' WHEREUPON I CHANGED FROM MY DISCRETE CODE OF THE DAY TO 1200. I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE AND DSND SLOWLY, MAINTAINING VFR MINIMUMS FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED CLOUD BUILDUPS TO THE E. I WAS LOOKING FOR PARACHUTE GEAR THAT HAD LANDED IN THE TREES AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RESERVE DEPLOYMENT EARLIER IN THE DAY, SO WAS NOT MAINTAINING MY USUAL DSNT PROFILE. SHORTLY AFTER SQUAWKING 1200, I HEARD APCH CTL AN MLT OUT OF AN UNKNOWN HIGHER ALT DOWN TO 3000'. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE MLT WHILE I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER THE MLT BROKE OUT OF THE BUILDUP 500-700' BELOW ME AND APPROX 3/4 MI N. PRIOR TO THIS TIME APCH HAD NOT INFORMED EITHER OF US OF THE PROX OF THE OTHER WHILE I WAS ON THE DISCRETE CODE OR AFTER GOING TO 1200. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY EITHER ACFT, BUT THE ALARMED CREW OF THE ACFT CALLED SEA TO SEE IF THEY KNEW ABOUT ME. SEA RESPONDED THEY SAW A VFR TARGET IN THEIR VICINITY AND CALLED ME BACK UP. I RPTED THEIR VFR TARGET WAS ME, AND I HAD THE MLT IN SIGHT. THE BLAME FOR THIS CAN'T IN MY ESTIMATION LIE ON ANY 1 FACTOR LIKE SO MANY OTHER INCIDENT. MANY FACTORS ENTER IN: LAPSE OF ATTN OR POSSIBLY COMPUTER TRACKING TIME OF SEA TRACON WERE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. MY NOT FOLLOWING A NORMAL DSNT PROFILE AFTER THE JUMP RUN MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED IF CTLR ATTN LAPSE ENTERED IN. 250 KTS MAY BE TOO FAST FOR DSNT THROUGH AREAS OF HIGH VFR TFC. AND IF 250 KTS ISN'T TOO FAST, THEN MAYBE VFR MINIMUMS AREN'T ENOUGH TO KEEP TFC SEPARATED ANYMORE.

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.