Narrative:

Problem: jump school flight procedures tailored to produce shortest time from jumper release to landing. Practice in use involves descending turn onto downwind leg and or 45 degree entry leg. Training FBO of az requires compliance with aim. FBO flies all 45 degree entry legs level at pattern altitude from 3-4 mi out from pattern at buckeye airport. Contributing factors: small aircraft from FBO reported entering on standard 45 degree leg entry point for right downwind runway 17 at bxk. This call was not heard by pilot of jump aircraft. Small aircraft called entering downwind and a few seconds later jump aircraft called entering same downwind leg. Both aircraft were at the approximately midfield point when jump aircraft descended plus/minus 300 ft in front of small aircraft. Asked if jump plane had small aircraft on downwind in sight. Jump aircraft responded negative. Chief of jump school observed incident from the ground and stated he heard both downwind calls but no 45 degree entry call from small aircraft. Incident also observed by FBO instructor pilot, while on the ramp taxiway at buckeye airport. Corrective action: pilot of small aircraft went to jump school the next day to discuss procedures in use and possible compromises in the interest of safety. Chief of school took the position that their descending entries were business essential for rapid turn around of aircraft with jumpers. He felt communication between aircraft was the solution and changing their method of entering the pattern need not be changed. He also maintained that the structured 'glide approach' patterns from 3000 MSL (2000 AGL) resulted in FBO aircraft letting down on other aircraft below and in the pattern. This is not the case, as claimed, because of calls made by FBO aircraft making these glide approachs involve 'extending upwind for glide approach,' 'high downwind,' 'low key 3000 MSL,' 'high base,' and 'final approach' position radio calls. By virtue of starting the glide 1000 ft higher than the normal pattern altitude, the base turn is started 500 ft above normal pattern altitude and the base leg is much wider than a normal pattern. Recommendation: 1. Require all jump school aircraft to enter traffic patterns from a level 45 degree leg or at least be at pattern altitude with wings level before entering any leg of a landing pattern at uncontrolled airports. 2. Aim 4-54 and 55 stipulate acceptable entry pattern flight paths to be followed by GA aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS TFC PATTERN, HAS NMAC WITH JUMP ACFT DSNDING INTO PATTERN WITH A HIGH GLIDING ENTRY.

Narrative: PROBLEM: JUMP SCHOOL FLT PROCS TAILORED TO PRODUCE SHORTEST TIME FROM JUMPER RELEASE TO LNDG. PRACTICE IN USE INVOLVES DSNDING TURN ONTO DOWNWIND LEG AND OR 45 DEG ENTRY LEG. TRAINING FBO OF AZ REQUIRES COMPLIANCE WITH AIM. FBO FLIES ALL 45 DEG ENTRY LEGS LEVEL AT PATTERN ALT FROM 3-4 MI OUT FROM PATTERN AT BUCKEYE ARPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SMA FROM FBO RPTED ENTERING ON STANDARD 45 DEG LEG ENTRY POINT FOR R DOWNWIND RWY 17 AT BXK. THIS CALL WAS NOT HEARD BY PLT OF JUMP ACFT. SMA CALLED ENTERING DOWNWIND AND A FEW SECONDS LATER JUMP ACFT CALLED ENTERING SAME DOWNWIND LEG. BOTH ACFT WERE AT THE APPROX MIDFIELD POINT WHEN JUMP ACFT DSNDED PLUS/MINUS 300 FT IN FRONT OF SMA. ASKED IF JUMP PLANE HAD SMA ON DOWNWIND IN SIGHT. JUMP ACFT RESPONDED NEGATIVE. CHIEF OF JUMP SCHOOL OBSERVED INCIDENT FROM THE GND AND STATED HE HEARD BOTH DOWNWIND CALLS BUT NO 45 DEG ENTRY CALL FROM SMA. INCIDENT ALSO OBSERVED BY FBO INSTRUCTOR PLT, WHILE ON THE RAMP TAXIWAY AT BUCKEYE ARPT. CORRECTIVE ACTION: PLT OF SMA WENT TO JUMP SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY TO DISCUSS PROCS IN USE AND POSSIBLE COMPROMISES IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. CHIEF OF SCHOOL TOOK THE POS THAT THEIR DSNDING ENTRIES WERE BUSINESS ESSENTIAL FOR RAPID TURN AROUND OF ACFT WITH JUMPERS. HE FELT COM BTWN ACFT WAS THE SOLUTION AND CHANGING THEIR METHOD OF ENTERING THE PATTERN NEED NOT BE CHANGED. HE ALSO MAINTAINED THAT THE STRUCTURED 'GLIDE APCH' PATTERNS FROM 3000 MSL (2000 AGL) RESULTED IN FBO ACFT LETTING DOWN ON OTHER ACFT BELOW AND IN THE PATTERN. THIS IS NOT THE CASE, AS CLAIMED, BECAUSE OF CALLS MADE BY FBO ACFT MAKING THESE GLIDE APCHS INVOLVE 'EXTENDING UPWIND FOR GLIDE APCH,' 'HIGH DOWNWIND,' 'LOW KEY 3000 MSL,' 'HIGH BASE,' AND 'FINAL APCH' POS RADIO CALLS. BY VIRTUE OF STARTING THE GLIDE 1000 FT HIGHER THAN THE NORMAL PATTERN ALT, THE BASE TURN IS STARTED 500 FT ABOVE NORMAL PATTERN ALT AND THE BASE LEG IS MUCH WIDER THAN A NORMAL PATTERN. RECOMMENDATION: 1. REQUIRE ALL JUMP SCHOOL ACFT TO ENTER TFC PATTERNS FROM A LEVEL 45 DEG LEG OR AT LEAST BE AT PATTERN ALT WITH WINGS LEVEL BEFORE ENTERING ANY LEG OF A LNDG PATTERN AT UNCTLED ARPTS. 2. AIM 4-54 AND 55 STIPULATE ACCEPTABLE ENTRY PATTERN FLT PATHS TO BE FOLLOWED BY GA 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.