Narrative:

After my 'jumpers' exit, I descended back to N62 airport. When I was asked by manifest if I would take 1 more load up. I said 'maybe, if they are ready to go immediately, I would take them as high as possible prior to sunset (XB00 local)'. During a brief ground delay (jumpers were not ready) I decided not to go as my watch read XA56. Another pilot for the club, who had been hanging around all day -- not flying, asked if I would mind if he used the aircraft to take the jumpers up. I said 'it's your license, go ahead if you want to risk it'. He replied that the visiting pilot of another aircraft and also a jumper wanted to jump and he was in a parachute ready to go, etc. Also, he joked(?) that he would announce 'jumpers away' prior to sunset (to avoid far violation) regardless of when they jumped. I had been paid and was getting into my car. I could see the aircraft still climbing. Perhaps, though I think it unlikely, they did not jump, so there was no violation. If they did jump, without lights at night, I will be investigated because the transponder was still squawking the transponder code I had been using all afternoon. My failure was in not doing more to discourage this safety infraction. As a good citizen, to say nothing of my even greater responsibility as a CFI, I should have done by utmost to stop them. Having failed to stop them in any case, I should have at least changed the transponder to 1200 thereby distancing myself from the violation. The motivation of the pilot who flew the jumpers after dark can only be guessed at. My bet is that he saw very little physical danger -- the moon was large, the sky still bright and an opportunity to do a favor for the visiting pilot and thereby earn from him a favor in return, perhaps a recommendation from him to his employer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES ANOTHER PLT FLEW PARACHUTE JUMPERS FOR A PAST SUNSET JUMP.

Narrative: AFTER MY 'JUMPERS' EXIT, I DSNDED BACK TO N62 ARPT. WHEN I WAS ASKED BY MANIFEST IF I WOULD TAKE 1 MORE LOAD UP. I SAID 'MAYBE, IF THEY ARE READY TO GO IMMEDIATELY, I WOULD TAKE THEM AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE PRIOR TO SUNSET (XB00 LCL)'. DURING A BRIEF GND DELAY (JUMPERS WERE NOT READY) I DECIDED NOT TO GO AS MY WATCH READ XA56. ANOTHER PLT FOR THE CLUB, WHO HAD BEEN HANGING AROUND ALL DAY -- NOT FLYING, ASKED IF I WOULD MIND IF HE USED THE ACFT TO TAKE THE JUMPERS UP. I SAID 'IT'S YOUR LICENSE, GO AHEAD IF YOU WANT TO RISK IT'. HE REPLIED THAT THE VISITING PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT AND ALSO A JUMPER WANTED TO JUMP AND HE WAS IN A PARACHUTE READY TO GO, ETC. ALSO, HE JOKED(?) THAT HE WOULD ANNOUNCE 'JUMPERS AWAY' PRIOR TO SUNSET (TO AVOID FAR VIOLATION) REGARDLESS OF WHEN THEY JUMPED. I HAD BEEN PAID AND WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR. I COULD SEE THE ACFT STILL CLBING. PERHAPS, THOUGH I THINK IT UNLIKELY, THEY DID NOT JUMP, SO THERE WAS NO VIOLATION. IF THEY DID JUMP, WITHOUT LIGHTS AT NIGHT, I WILL BE INVESTIGATED BECAUSE THE TRANSPONDER WAS STILL SQUAWKING THE TRANSPONDER CODE I HAD BEEN USING ALL AFTERNOON. MY FAILURE WAS IN NOT DOING MORE TO DISCOURAGE THIS SAFETY INFRACTION. AS A GOOD CITIZEN, TO SAY NOTHING OF MY EVEN GREATER RESPONSIBILITY AS A CFI, I SHOULD HAVE DONE BY UTMOST TO STOP THEM. HAVING FAILED TO STOP THEM IN ANY CASE, I SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST CHANGED THE TRANSPONDER TO 1200 THEREBY DISTANCING MYSELF FROM THE VIOLATION. THE MOTIVATION OF THE PLT WHO FLEW THE JUMPERS AFTER DARK CAN ONLY BE GUESSED AT. MY BET IS THAT HE SAW VERY LITTLE PHYSICAL DANGER -- THE MOON WAS LARGE, THE SKY STILL BRIGHT AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A FAVOR FOR THE VISITING PLT AND THEREBY EARN FROM HIM A FAVOR IN RETURN, PERHAPS A RECOMMENDATION FROM HIM TO HIS EMPLOYER.

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.