Narrative:

It was the last jump of the day, the coveted 'sunset jump' and the 5 skydivers were taking longer than usual to get to the plane. I decided to review my short field procedures, required runway lengths, vertical speeds. They arrived at XA40 and I taxied midfield for takeoff. The small aircraft required 2800 ft to clear a 50 ft obstacle (trees, for me) and I had 4500 ft ahead and the plane had been running strong and cool all day. I thought it was a fairly safe decision. We were climbing through 4000 before I started to have doubts. Sunset was at XB00 and I had to drop them as high as I could and still get down and parked by sunset as the airport is unlighted. All of a sudden clouds, twring cumulus, were rolling in getting taller and faster (towards the runway) at an unusual rate. There were 2 planes above me doing the same thing for their jumpers and instead of asking for a WX report/tops at 11000 ft their altitude, I decided that if they were operating then there must be legal holes up there somewhere. I also figured that it was moving so fast that by the time I was at 7000 (my estimate to make my landing legal) it would have cleared. The other 2 pilots (friends) heard me climbing and didn't issue any caution -- another assumption that it would be ok. By 7000 ft all my assuming had put me in an uncomfortable position. I made 1 pass over the drop zone and the jumpers said clouds were there but moving fast and to go around for a second try. I knew this flight was tight but I felt bad for them and did a quick go around. Cloud clearance was still illegal and I started descending immediately. I thought I could drop them out at 2000 ft (base 2600 ft) as I flew a pattern for runway 8 (winds ene 20-30 higher) but as I descended below the clouds I could see that the sun had almost set and darkness had fallen. I told them to tighten their seatbelts as I was going to descend for runway 26 as it would be faster -- no time for jumping. At 1500 my windshield started to fog up, I realized my landing light had gone out and it was hard to see the runway with no depth perception/lighting anywhere. I advised my passenger that it might be a hard landing and to hold on. We landed long with the tailwind and we taxied to the ramp without incident. Looking up, all the clouds had left the area -- clear skies, sun down, stars starting to peek out at XB08. What caused the problem? Me. If I hadn't been so excited to get my jumpers out for their special jump, I could have seen the warning signs. I had 2 pilots above me that could have told me WX was closing in and I could have let them out around 4000 ft. Also, since the aircraft was day VFR only, I only checked the lights at the beginning of each month. I never thought I'd actually need them. I also found on the ground that the beacon had gone out. Lastly, the windshield fogging up wouldn't have been as big a problem if I had cleaned the windshield that morning. All I was thinking was how high I could legally get my skydivers. Just because they don't pay me on the ground doesn't mean that I can be lazy or neglectful on the ground (lights, windshield).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TOOK OFF 20 MINS BEFORE SUNSET FOR 1 LAST SUNSET PARACHUTE JUMP IN AN ACFT CERTIFICATED DAY VFR ONLY.

Narrative: IT WAS THE LAST JUMP OF THE DAY, THE COVETED 'SUNSET JUMP' AND THE 5 SKYDIVERS WERE TAKING LONGER THAN USUAL TO GET TO THE PLANE. I DECIDED TO REVIEW MY SHORT FIELD PROCS, REQUIRED RWY LENGTHS, VERT SPDS. THEY ARRIVED AT XA40 AND I TAXIED MIDFIELD FOR TKOF. THE SMA REQUIRED 2800 FT TO CLR A 50 FT OBSTACLE (TREES, FOR ME) AND I HAD 4500 FT AHEAD AND THE PLANE HAD BEEN RUNNING STRONG AND COOL ALL DAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS A FAIRLY SAFE DECISION. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 4000 BEFORE I STARTED TO HAVE DOUBTS. SUNSET WAS AT XB00 AND I HAD TO DROP THEM AS HIGH AS I COULD AND STILL GET DOWN AND PARKED BY SUNSET AS THE ARPT IS UNLIGHTED. ALL OF A SUDDEN CLOUDS, TWRING CUMULUS, WERE ROLLING IN GETTING TALLER AND FASTER (TOWARDS THE RWY) AT AN UNUSUAL RATE. THERE WERE 2 PLANES ABOVE ME DOING THE SAME THING FOR THEIR JUMPERS AND INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR A WX RPT/TOPS AT 11000 FT THEIR ALT, I DECIDED THAT IF THEY WERE OPERATING THEN THERE MUST BE LEGAL HOLES UP THERE SOMEWHERE. I ALSO FIGURED THAT IT WAS MOVING SO FAST THAT BY THE TIME I WAS AT 7000 (MY ESTIMATE TO MAKE MY LNDG LEGAL) IT WOULD HAVE CLRED. THE OTHER 2 PLTS (FRIENDS) HEARD ME CLBING AND DIDN'T ISSUE ANY CAUTION -- ANOTHER ASSUMPTION THAT IT WOULD BE OK. BY 7000 FT ALL MY ASSUMING HAD PUT ME IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE POS. I MADE 1 PASS OVER THE DROP ZONE AND THE JUMPERS SAID CLOUDS WERE THERE BUT MOVING FAST AND TO GAR FOR A SECOND TRY. I KNEW THIS FLT WAS TIGHT BUT I FELT BAD FOR THEM AND DID A QUICK GAR. CLOUD CLRNC WAS STILL ILLEGAL AND I STARTED DSNDING IMMEDIATELY. I THOUGHT I COULD DROP THEM OUT AT 2000 FT (BASE 2600 FT) AS I FLEW A PATTERN FOR RWY 8 (WINDS ENE 20-30 HIGHER) BUT AS I DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUDS I COULD SEE THAT THE SUN HAD ALMOST SET AND DARKNESS HAD FALLEN. I TOLD THEM TO TIGHTEN THEIR SEATBELTS AS I WAS GOING TO DSND FOR RWY 26 AS IT WOULD BE FASTER -- NO TIME FOR JUMPING. AT 1500 MY WINDSHIELD STARTED TO FOG UP, I REALIZED MY LNDG LIGHT HAD GONE OUT AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE THE RWY WITH NO DEPTH PERCEPTION/LIGHTING ANYWHERE. I ADVISED MY PAX THAT IT MIGHT BE A HARD LNDG AND TO HOLD ON. WE LANDED LONG WITH THE TAILWIND AND WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT INCIDENT. LOOKING UP, ALL THE CLOUDS HAD LEFT THE AREA -- CLR SKIES, SUN DOWN, STARS STARTING TO PEEK OUT AT XB08. WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM? ME. IF I HADN'T BEEN SO EXCITED TO GET MY JUMPERS OUT FOR THEIR SPECIAL JUMP, I COULD HAVE SEEN THE WARNING SIGNS. I HAD 2 PLTS ABOVE ME THAT COULD HAVE TOLD ME WX WAS CLOSING IN AND I COULD HAVE LET THEM OUT AROUND 4000 FT. ALSO, SINCE THE ACFT WAS DAY VFR ONLY, I ONLY CHKED THE LIGHTS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH. I NEVER THOUGHT I'D ACTUALLY NEED THEM. I ALSO FOUND ON THE GND THAT THE BEACON HAD GONE OUT. LASTLY, THE WINDSHIELD FOGGING UP WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS BIG A PROBLEM IF I HAD CLEANED THE WINDSHIELD THAT MORNING. ALL I WAS THINKING WAS HOW HIGH I COULD LEGALLY GET MY SKYDIVERS. JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T PAY ME ON THE GND DOESN'T MEAN THAT I CAN BE LAZY OR NEGLECTFUL ON THE GND (LIGHTS, WINDSHIELD).

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.