Small aircraft pilot on takeoff takes evasive action to avoid skydivers landing on active runway.

Attributes
ACN	211080
Time
Date	199205
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ors
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time total : 2100
ASRS Report	211080
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Inbound to east sound airport, a call was made on unicom that jumpers would be in the air over the northwest corner of the airport (runway 34 in use). I waited for these jumpers to land on the west side of the active and then landed. Prior to taxiing for takeoff, I noted that there were not parachutists in the air and saw no signs of the jumper aircraft. No calls were made on unicom pertaining to parachute activity between manning my plane and takeoff. Upon taking the runway, I could see no jumpers, but I had poor visibility straight up due to the high wing small aircraft. At rotation, I could see 5 jumpers. One of whom was midfield on runway centerline. After liftoff I maneuvered east avoiding what would have been a head on pass with approximately 300 ft of vertical separation. While I realize the value of proximity to an airport for skydiving, it seems inherently obvious that such activities should not be permitted over a runway in use. I am an experienced, and, I believe, conservative pilot. I attempted to take all precautions to avoid the divers prior to takeoff and was still put in a hazardous situation where an abort would certainly have presented a problem and the only remedy not a good option either.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON TKOF TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID SKYDIVERS LNDG ON ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: INBOUND TO E SOUND ARPT, A CALL WAS MADE ON UNICOM THAT JUMPERS WOULD BE IN THE AIR OVER THE NW CORNER OF THE ARPT (RWY 34 IN USE). I WAITED FOR THESE JUMPERS TO LAND ON THE W SIDE OF THE ACTIVE AND THEN LANDED. PRIOR TO TAXIING FOR TKOF, I NOTED THAT THERE WERE NOT PARACHUTISTS IN THE AIR AND SAW NO SIGNS OF THE JUMPER ACFT. NO CALLS WERE MADE ON UNICOM PERTAINING TO PARACHUTE ACTIVITY BTWN MANNING MY PLANE AND TKOF. UPON TAKING THE RWY, I COULD SEE NO JUMPERS, BUT I HAD POOR VISIBILITY STRAIGHT UP DUE TO THE HIGH WING SMA. AT ROTATION, I COULD SEE 5 JUMPERS. ONE OF WHOM WAS MIDFIELD ON RWY CTRLINE. AFTER LIFTOFF I MANEUVERED E AVOIDING WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HEAD ON PASS WITH APPROX 300 FT OF VERT SEPARATION. WHILE I REALIZE THE VALUE OF PROX TO AN ARPT FOR SKYDIVING, IT SEEMS INHERENTLY OBVIOUS THAT SUCH ACTIVITIES SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED OVER A RWY IN USE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED, AND, I BELIEVE, CONSERVATIVE PLT. I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID THE DIVERS PRIOR TO TKOF AND WAS STILL PUT IN A HAZARDOUS SITUATION WHERE AN ABORT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE PRESENTED A PROBLEM AND THE ONLY REMEDY NOT A GOOD OPTION EITHER.

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.