Skydivers jump when field reported IFR. Obs claims descended through clouds.

Attributes
ACN	182195
Time
Date	199106
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tpl
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10100 msl bound upper : 10100
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : grk
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	182195
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

How the problem arose: observer on the ground at a distance for the parachuters filed a complaint with the san angelo, tx FAA office stating the parachuters descended through clouds upon arrival to the drop zone on the airport premises. As pilot of the skydive aircraft, I made periodic calls to gray approach in killeen, tx, which is approximately 20 mi to the southwest of temple airport. The first call was to establish contact with gray approach and tell intentions concerning the skydive flight. Then I made a 2 min 'prior to jump' call to gray approach and gave a position report and '2 mins prior to jump' call on the CTAF, temple unicom frequency. Stating all intentions concerning the jump. Then I called gray approach when jumpers are exiting the aircraft and I call temple again to announce 'jumpers away' over the temple traffic MEA and descending. It was not until I made the '2 mins prior to jump' call that I was told the temple airport was reporting IFR conditions. Gray approach at killeen gave me this information. At this point I replied back to gray approach that I was looking at scattered clouds and had visibility contact of the temple airport environment. At this point I told the jump master the conditions at temple airport. The jump master replied he had the airport environment in sight. The skydive was made at this pint. In my judgement, temple airport was never fully IFR conditions. I had the airport environment in sight at all times. The jump master with the skydive group involved is also a commercial rated pilot. The jump master's judgement concerning the clouds being scattered are incline with my decision, also. In closing, I would like to say clouds move in and out very quickly this time of yr in tx. What 1 WX observer at an uncontrolled airport calls IFR can be very different from a pilot's perception. The field was not IFR prior to this time frame nor after. My intentions are to follow part 105 far's to the utmost ability to ensure safety for the skydivers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states there has been no follow up of any kind. Problem is personality/business conflict between observer and owner of skydive operation. Reporter feels he is caught in the middle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SKYDIVERS JUMP WHEN FIELD REPORTED IFR. OBS CLAIMS DESCENDED THROUGH CLOUDS.

Narrative: HOW THE PROB AROSE: OBSERVER ON THE GND AT A DISTANCE FOR THE PARACHUTERS FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE SAN ANGELO, TX FAA OFFICE STATING THE PARACHUTERS DSNDED THROUGH CLOUDS UPON ARR TO THE DROP ZONE ON THE ARPT PREMISES. AS PLT OF THE SKYDIVE ACFT, I MADE PERIODIC CALLS TO GRAY APCH IN KILLEEN, TX, WHICH IS APPROX 20 MI TO THE SW OF TEMPLE ARPT. THE FIRST CALL WAS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH GRAY APCH AND TELL INTENTIONS CONCERNING THE SKYDIVE FLT. THEN I MADE A 2 MIN 'PRIOR TO JUMP' CALL TO GRAY APCH AND GAVE A POS RPT AND '2 MINS PRIOR TO JUMP' CALL ON THE CTAF, TEMPLE UNICOM FREQ. STATING ALL INTENTIONS CONCERNING THE JUMP. THEN I CALLED GRAY APCH WHEN JUMPERS ARE EXITING THE ACFT AND I CALL TEMPLE AGAIN TO ANNOUNCE 'JUMPERS AWAY' OVER THE TEMPLE TFC MEA AND DSNDING. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I MADE THE '2 MINS PRIOR TO JUMP' CALL THAT I WAS TOLD THE TEMPLE ARPT WAS RPTING IFR CONDITIONS. GRAY APCH AT KILLEEN GAVE ME THIS INFO. AT THIS POINT I REPLIED BACK TO GRAY APCH THAT I WAS LOOKING AT SCATTERED CLOUDS AND HAD VIS CONTACT OF THE TEMPLE ARPT ENVIRONMENT. AT THIS POINT I TOLD THE JUMP MASTER THE CONDITIONS AT TEMPLE ARPT. THE JUMP MASTER REPLIED HE HAD THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT IN SIGHT. THE SKYDIVE WAS MADE AT THIS PINT. IN MY JUDGEMENT, TEMPLE ARPT WAS NEVER FULLY IFR CONDITIONS. I HAD THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. THE JUMP MASTER WITH THE SKYDIVE GROUP INVOLVED IS ALSO A COMMERCIAL RATED PLT. THE JUMP MASTER'S JUDGEMENT CONCERNING THE CLOUDS BEING SCATTERED ARE INCLINE WITH MY DECISION, ALSO. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY CLOUDS MOVE IN AND OUT VERY QUICKLY THIS TIME OF YR IN TX. WHAT 1 WX OBSERVER AT AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT CALLS IFR CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM A PLT'S PERCEPTION. THE FIELD WAS NOT IFR PRIOR TO THIS TIME FRAME NOR AFTER. MY INTENTIONS ARE TO FOLLOW PART 105 FAR'S TO THE UTMOST ABILITY TO ENSURE SAFETY FOR THE SKYDIVERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW UP OF ANY KIND. PROB IS PERSONALITY/BUSINESS CONFLICT BTWN OBSERVER AND OWNER OF SKYDIVE OPERATION. RPTR FEELS HE IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

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.