Narrative:

At the new york ARTCC, area D, sector 92, there exists an unsafe situation over the ptw VOR. This fix is a primary transition fix for departure from the philadelphia airport, and their satellite airports. Less than 5 mi north of the ptw VOR is a VFR parachute jumping area at the new hanover airport, PA. This parachute jumping area is situated right in the middle of the primary departure route. There was a ucr filed on this situation in the mid 1970's when a jumbo jet reported a sky diver pass right in front of his #2 engine at 10000 ft. While providing ATC services at this sector, we have had so many unsafe situations arise in the past, that the facility has inscribed the skydiving area on our video map. The airplanes carrying the skydivers contact us and request VFR advisories. We try to provide this service as it fits with our duty priorities at the sector. These aircraft are VFR and are climbing to and leveling off at IFR altitudes so the skydiving can commence. The aircraft sometimes have to fly around in circles or fly on abrupt headings in order to maintain VFR, climb to the proper altitudes for the skydiving mission, and/or to maneuver over the proper drop zone area. At the same time, we are controling numerous departures from the philadelphia area along with our regular IFR traffic through these activities. I, as well as many other controllers and supervisors in my area, feel this situation is very unsafe. Just this past sat, I was controling this sector. I had on my frequency 5 VFR parajumping aircraft going to different IFR altitudes. I had numerous IFR departures from the philadelphia area heading over ptw. 2 of the VFR airplanes came within 1 mi of each other at the same altitude. After I issued numerous TA's, they advised that they never saw each other due to restr visibility in haze. A flight of 2 had to abort the jumping twice, due to the holes in the overcast moving too rapidly in order for the divers to jump through. The flight finally had to split up their formation, descend to a lower IFR altitude, and let the jumpers out. Attached is a copy of a local notice, ZNY north 7110.63 governing the control procedures for the skydiving activities. Procedures outlined in the notice are in direct contradiction to the national ATC manual 7110.65 pertaining to the following: duty priorities, VFR aircraft requesting radar flight following and TA's, and avoidance of prohibited and restr airspace. This local notice is mandating the controller to accept handoffs on this VFR traffic and provide all the essential services regardless of his/her other duty priorities. This local notice is also mandating the controller to provide radar vectors for non participating aircraft around an area depicted on the radar scope which is neither a prohibited nor restr area. It is merely known as the jump area. Although this area is indicated on the radar scope as a square (approximately 4.5 X 4.5 mi), in actuality the jump area can be as large or small as the participating aircraft need it to be. In order for a controller to avoid these airplanes it requires a lot of radar vectoring and radar monitoring. 5 mi to the west of the ptw VOR is the adjacent sector's boundary and a primary arrival fix for philadelphia inbound traffic. In order to turn aircraft to the west around the participating aircraft, it would require an extensive amount of coordination. If you need to turn the non participating aircraft to the east, or if you try to top the participating aircraft with altitudes, due to the levels of stratification this would also involve extensive coordination with other controllers. I have been told that there is nothing the facility can do to move the parachute jumping area. If this is the case, why can't the departure traffic be moved during the known times of this intensive skydiving. There is also a departure route which would take traffic out over the mxe VOR (modena), completely south of the parajumpers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 ACFT IN JUMP ZONE COME IN CLOSE PROX. CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT FACILITY PROCS.

Narrative: AT THE NEW YORK ARTCC, AREA D, SECTOR 92, THERE EXISTS AN UNSAFE SITUATION OVER THE PTW VOR. THIS FIX IS A PRIMARY TRANSITION FIX FOR DEP FROM THE PHILADELPHIA ARPT, AND THEIR SATELLITE ARPTS. LESS THAN 5 MI N OF THE PTW VOR IS A VFR PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA AT THE NEW HANOVER ARPT, PA. THIS PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA IS SITUATED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRIMARY DEP RTE. THERE WAS A UCR FILED ON THIS SITUATION IN THE MID 1970'S WHEN A JUMBO JET RPTED A SKY DIVER PASS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS #2 ENG AT 10000 FT. WHILE PROVIDING ATC SVCS AT THIS SECTOR, WE HAVE HAD SO MANY UNSAFE SITUATIONS ARISE IN THE PAST, THAT THE FACILITY HAS INSCRIBED THE SKYDIVING AREA ON OUR VIDEO MAP. THE AIRPLANES CARRYING THE SKYDIVERS CONTACT US AND REQUEST VFR ADVISORIES. WE TRY TO PROVIDE THIS SVC AS IT FITS WITH OUR DUTY PRIORITIES AT THE SECTOR. THESE ACFT ARE VFR AND ARE CLBING TO AND LEVELING OFF AT IFR ALTS SO THE SKYDIVING CAN COMMENCE. THE ACFT SOMETIMES HAVE TO FLY AROUND IN CIRCLES OR FLY ON ABRUPT HDGS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR, CLB TO THE PROPER ALTS FOR THE SKYDIVING MISSION, AND/OR TO MANEUVER OVER THE PROPER DROP ZONE AREA. AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE CTLING NUMEROUS DEPS FROM THE PHILADELPHIA AREA ALONG WITH OUR REGULAR IFR TFC THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES. I, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER CTLRS AND SUPVRS IN MY AREA, FEEL THIS SITUATION IS VERY UNSAFE. JUST THIS PAST SAT, I WAS CTLING THIS SECTOR. I HAD ON MY FREQ 5 VFR PARAJUMPING ACFT GOING TO DIFFERENT IFR ALTS. I HAD NUMEROUS IFR DEPS FROM THE PHILADELPHIA AREA HDG OVER PTW. 2 OF THE VFR AIRPLANES CAME WITHIN 1 MI OF EACH OTHER AT THE SAME ALT. AFTER I ISSUED NUMEROUS TA'S, THEY ADVISED THAT THEY NEVER SAW EACH OTHER DUE TO RESTR VISIBILITY IN HAZE. A FLT OF 2 HAD TO ABORT THE JUMPING TWICE, DUE TO THE HOLES IN THE OVCST MOVING TOO RAPIDLY IN ORDER FOR THE DIVERS TO JUMP THROUGH. THE FLT FINALLY HAD TO SPLIT UP THEIR FORMATION, DSND TO A LOWER IFR ALT, AND LET THE JUMPERS OUT. ATTACHED IS A COPY OF A LCL NOTICE, ZNY N 7110.63 GOVERNING THE CTL PROCS FOR THE SKYDIVING ACTIVITIES. PROCS OUTLINED IN THE NOTICE ARE IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO THE NATIONAL ATC MANUAL 7110.65 PERTAINING TO THE FOLLOWING: DUTY PRIORITIES, VFR ACFT REQUESTING RADAR FLT FOLLOWING AND TA'S, AND AVOIDANCE OF PROHIBITED AND RESTR AIRSPACE. THIS LCL NOTICE IS MANDATING THE CTLR TO ACCEPT HDOFS ON THIS VFR TFC AND PROVIDE ALL THE ESSENTIAL SVCS REGARDLESS OF HIS/HER OTHER DUTY PRIORITIES. THIS LCL NOTICE IS ALSO MANDATING THE CTLR TO PROVIDE RADAR VECTORS FOR NON PARTICIPATING ACFT AROUND AN AREA DEPICTED ON THE RADAR SCOPE WHICH IS NEITHER A PROHIBITED NOR RESTR AREA. IT IS MERELY KNOWN AS THE JUMP AREA. ALTHOUGH THIS AREA IS INDICATED ON THE RADAR SCOPE AS A SQUARE (APPROX 4.5 X 4.5 MI), IN ACTUALITY THE JUMP AREA CAN BE AS LARGE OR SMALL AS THE PARTICIPATING ACFT NEED IT TO BE. IN ORDER FOR A CTLR TO AVOID THESE AIRPLANES IT REQUIRES A LOT OF RADAR VECTORING AND RADAR MONITORING. 5 MI TO THE W OF THE PTW VOR IS THE ADJACENT SECTOR'S BOUNDARY AND A PRIMARY ARR FIX FOR PHILADELPHIA INBOUND TFC. IN ORDER TO TURN ACFT TO THE W AROUND THE PARTICIPATING ACFT, IT WOULD REQUIRE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF COORD. IF YOU NEED TO TURN THE NON PARTICIPATING ACFT TO THE E, OR IF YOU TRY TO TOP THE PARTICIPATING ACFT WITH ALTS, DUE TO THE LEVELS OF STRATIFICATION THIS WOULD ALSO INVOLVE EXTENSIVE COORD WITH OTHER CTLRS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THE FACILITY CAN DO TO MOVE THE PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA. IF THIS IS THE CASE, WHY CAN'T THE DEP TFC BE MOVED DURING THE KNOWN TIMES OF THIS INTENSIVE SKYDIVING. THERE IS ALSO A DEP RTE WHICH WOULD TAKE TFC OUT OVER THE MXE VOR (MODENA), COMPLETELY S OF THE PARAJUMPERS.

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.