Narrative:

The purpose of the flight was a training flight for a student. One of the airports was lodi, ca (103), which I personally have not flown into for more than 10 yrs, but was aware of the parachuting activity there. In preparation for the flight, I was careful to examine the current sectional chart (san francisco, 46TH edition) and the current airport facilities directory for each of the airports of intended landing, with special consideration for information about parachute jumping at lodi. The sectional had a parachute symbol located approximately 2.5 NM north of the airport, while the facilities directory simply described the jump zone as 1 NM radius at the airport. The sacramento FSS briefer did not have any NOTAM information when specifically asked about jumping activity at lodi. Cruised to lodi, were communicating on and monitoring 122.9, which is common to both franklin field and lodi. Although I periodically heard transmissions from aircraft in the pattern at lodi, I never did hear any jump announcements over the radio, even though I was specifically listening for those announcements the entire time we were tuned to 122.9. While 3-5 mi west of lodi, at 2000 ft MSL, an attempt was made to contact unicom with no response. I was being especially alert for signs of jumping activity as we cautiously approached the airport to assess the landing pattern. Suddenly, with no prior warning in the form of a radio announcement, parachutes started opening approximately 2000 ft ahead of us, right at our altitude. I immediately took control of the aircraft from the student and executed a 60 degree bank, 2 G turn to reverse course and exited the area. After approximately 1 min, someone announced on the radio that parachuting was in progress and to remain clear of the airport area. We did not attempt to return to the airport to land. In my mind there are 2 major factors that led up to this event: lack of detailed data on the parachuting activity, and failure of the parachute business operator or pilot to adequately announce the fact that jumping was currently in progress. With respect to the former, the description of the jumping activity in the airport facilities directory was inadequate in describing the jump zone (see attached copy). Specifically, there should be detailed information such as which side of the airport jumps occur and perhaps a recommended approach procedure such as 'drop zone north of runway 08-26, approach from the south'. Furthermore, the parachute symbol on the sectional chart should be collocated with the airport symbol when jumping occurs on the airport, providing a more accurate representation of the location. It would be easy for a person to overlook that symbol while planning a cross country flight through the area, resulting in an inadvertent flight through the drop zone which extends to 15000 ft MSL. In retrospect, I now realize that I did not have extremely detailed information and I should have attempted to contact the jump operator by telephone prior to flight and specifically asked for detailed information. With respect to radio communication, I don't know what the requirements are for a permit to operate a jumping business, but it should be absolutely required that 2-WAY radio communication be maintained during jumping activities, and blind broadcasts made on the published unicom frequency for that airport. A simple announcement in itself would have prevented out close encounter with the skydivers. There was an announcement after we had already executed a 180 and were well on our way out of the area, but that was too late. Summary of recommendations: 1) provide a more detailed description of the jumping activities in the facilities directory. Include recommended pattern entry during jumping activities. 2) locate the parachute symbol on the sectional charts closer to the actual geographic location of the jump zone to avoid confusion. 3) require that all commercial parachute operators must announce jumps prior to jumpers exiting the aircraft. Updates every min would probably be prudent where jumps include long free falls. Also, a ground-based unicom operator should also be required to provide information to arriving aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OCCURS BTWN SMA PLT AND PARACHUTE JUMPERS WITHIN 3 MI OF LODI ARPT WHEN JUMPERS APPEAR AT ACFT ALT WITHOUT A RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS A TRAINING FLT FOR A STUDENT. ONE OF THE ARPTS WAS LODI, CA (103), WHICH I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT FLOWN INTO FOR MORE THAN 10 YRS, BUT WAS AWARE OF THE PARACHUTING ACTIVITY THERE. IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLT, I WAS CAREFUL TO EXAMINE THE CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART (SAN FRANCISCO, 46TH EDITION) AND THE CURRENT ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY FOR EACH OF THE ARPTS OF INTENDED LNDG, WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR INFO ABOUT PARACHUTE JUMPING AT LODI. THE SECTIONAL HAD A PARACHUTE SYMBOL LOCATED APPROX 2.5 NM N OF THE ARPT, WHILE THE FACILITIES DIRECTORY SIMPLY DESCRIBED THE JUMP ZONE AS 1 NM RADIUS AT THE ARPT. THE SACRAMENTO FSS BRIEFER DID NOT HAVE ANY NOTAM INFO WHEN SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT JUMPING ACTIVITY AT LODI. CRUISED TO LODI, WERE COMMUNICATING ON AND MONITORING 122.9, WHICH IS COMMON TO BOTH FRANKLIN FIELD AND LODI. ALTHOUGH I PERIODICALLY HEARD TRANSMISSIONS FROM ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT LODI, I NEVER DID HEAR ANY JUMP ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER THE RADIO, EVEN THOUGH I WAS SPECIFICALLY LISTENING FOR THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE TUNED TO 122.9. WHILE 3-5 MI W OF LODI, AT 2000 FT MSL, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CONTACT UNICOM WITH NO RESPONSE. I WAS BEING ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR SIGNS OF JUMPING ACTIVITY AS WE CAUTIOUSLY APCHED THE ARPT TO ASSESS THE LNDG PATTERN. SUDDENLY, WITH NO PRIOR WARNING IN THE FORM OF A RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT, PARACHUTES STARTED OPENING APPROX 2000 FT AHEAD OF US, RIGHT AT OUR ALT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FROM THE STUDENT AND EXECUTED A 60 DEG BANK, 2 G TURN TO REVERSE COURSE AND EXITED THE AREA. AFTER APPROX 1 MIN, SOMEONE ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO THAT PARACHUTING WAS IN PROGRESS AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARPT AREA. WE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE ARPT TO LAND. IN MY MIND THERE ARE 2 MAJOR FACTORS THAT LED UP TO THIS EVENT: LACK OF DETAILED DATA ON THE PARACHUTING ACTIVITY, AND FAILURE OF THE PARACHUTE BUSINESS OPERATOR OR PLT TO ADEQUATELY ANNOUNCE THE FACT THAT JUMPING WAS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS. WITH RESPECT TO THE FORMER, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE JUMPING ACTIVITY IN THE ARPT FACILITIES DIRECTORY WAS INADEQUATE IN DESCRIBING THE JUMP ZONE (SEE ATTACHED COPY). SPECIFICALLY, THERE SHOULD BE DETAILED INFO SUCH AS WHICH SIDE OF THE ARPT JUMPS OCCUR AND PERHAPS A RECOMMENDED APCH PROC SUCH AS 'DROP ZONE N OF RWY 08-26, APCH FROM THE S'. FURTHERMORE, THE PARACHUTE SYMBOL ON THE SECTIONAL CHART SHOULD BE COLLOCATED WITH THE ARPT SYMBOL WHEN JUMPING OCCURS ON THE ARPT, PROVIDING A MORE ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF THE LOCATION. IT WOULD BE EASY FOR A PERSON TO OVERLOOK THAT SYMBOL WHILE PLANNING A XCOUNTRY FLT THROUGH THE AREA, RESULTING IN AN INADVERTENT FLT THROUGH THE DROP ZONE WHICH EXTENDS TO 15000 FT MSL. IN RETROSPECT, I NOW REALIZE THAT I DID NOT HAVE EXTREMELY DETAILED INFO AND I SHOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE JUMP OPERATOR BY TELEPHONE PRIOR TO FLT AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR DETAILED INFO. WITH RESPECT TO RADIO COM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR A PERMIT TO OPERATE A JUMPING BUSINESS, BUT IT SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED THAT 2-WAY RADIO COM BE MAINTAINED DURING JUMPING ACTIVITIES, AND BLIND BROADCASTS MADE ON THE PUBLISHED UNICOM FREQ FOR THAT ARPT. A SIMPLE ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITSELF WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OUT CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE SKYDIVERS. THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER WE HAD ALREADY EXECUTED A 180 AND WERE WELL ON OUR WAY OUT OF THE AREA, BUT THAT WAS TOO LATE. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE JUMPING ACTIVITIES IN THE FACILITIES DIRECTORY. INCLUDE RECOMMENDED PATTERN ENTRY DURING JUMPING ACTIVITIES. 2) LOCATE THE PARACHUTE SYMBOL ON THE SECTIONAL CHARTS CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THE JUMP ZONE TO AVOID CONFUSION. 3) REQUIRE THAT ALL COMMERCIAL PARACHUTE OPERATORS MUST ANNOUNCE JUMPS PRIOR TO JUMPERS EXITING THE ACFT. UPDATES EVERY MIN WOULD PROBABLY BE PRUDENT WHERE JUMPS INCLUDE LONG FREE FALLS. ALSO, A GND-BASED UNICOM OPERATOR SHOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE INFO TO ARRIVING ACFT.

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.