Narrative:

Departed ont on scheduled flight to dfw. While rolling out of turn just beyond nikkl on prado 2 departure, noticed traffic above at 11 O'clock on TCASII display. Acquired traffic visually and pointed out to the PNF. Visually acquired traffic at 5-7 mi. Then quick sequence saw jumper(south) depart traffic aircraft, had traffic called by ATC (first mention of traffic), TCASII called 'traffic, traffic' followed by 'descend, descend.' at this time traffic was at 09:30-10 O'clock, 1-2 mi. After slight delay due to thinking we were close but clear of subject TCASII traffic, I smoothly retarded power and began descent (TCASII was louder, more insistent). Note that flight attendants were up beginning service and passengers may have been up -- seat belt sign off with smooth air above 10000 ft MSL. After entering shallow descent TCASII announced 'clear of conflict' and we resumed climb on departure. Shortly after the incident ontario approach control switched us to los angeles center. Upon questioning, la center said both they and ontario approach had the jump aircraft on radar. A phone call to an ontario approach supervisor after landing in dfw revealed the existence of a jump zone 2-3 mi north of V64, just past nikkl on the prado 2 departure. The close proximity of jump aircraft and jumpers to ontario departures on the prado 2 occurs regularly. The jump aircraft is required to have the departing aircraft in sight before releasing his jumpers. We were not advised of the aircraft or jumpers until we were so close that our 325 KIAS speed at 14-15000 ft MSL would have made avoidance difficult. Jumpers and their aircraft would have a difficult time avoiding us due to our airspeed even if they had us in sight. There is no mention of this drop area on the departure plate (although a drop area about 8 mi south of nikkl is noted) or in any NOTAM. The fact that this situation is inherently dangerous is obvious. The more maneuverable aircraft approaching the jump area at such a high speed must be given adequate notice to avoid the jumpers and jump aircraft. There is no excuse for not vectoring departing ontario traffic clear of this jump zone. If the prado 2 departure is to be used when the jump zone is active it should be redesigned to avoid the zone by more than 2-3 mi, and the departure procedure should warn of jump activity in this area. Warnings via NOTAM and via early traffic calls by approach control, and vectoring clear of jump aircraft can and should begin today!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARACHUTE JUMPING NEAR SID DEP RTE ONT.

Narrative: DEPARTED ONT ON SCHEDULED FLT TO DFW. WHILE ROLLING OUT OF TURN JUST BEYOND NIKKL ON PRADO 2 DEP, NOTICED TFC ABOVE AT 11 O'CLOCK ON TCASII DISPLAY. ACQUIRED TFC VISUALLY AND POINTED OUT TO THE PNF. VISUALLY ACQUIRED TFC AT 5-7 MI. THEN QUICK SEQUENCE SAW JUMPER(S) DEPART TFC ACFT, HAD TFC CALLED BY ATC (FIRST MENTION OF TFC), TCASII CALLED 'TFC, TFC' FOLLOWED BY 'DSND, DSND.' AT THIS TIME TFC WAS AT 09:30-10 O'CLOCK, 1-2 MI. AFTER SLIGHT DELAY DUE TO THINKING WE WERE CLOSE BUT CLR OF SUBJECT TCASII TFC, I SMOOTHLY RETARDED PWR AND BEGAN DSCNT (TCASII WAS LOUDER, MORE INSISTENT). NOTE THAT FLT ATTENDANTS WERE UP BEGINNING SVC AND PAXS MAY HAVE BEEN UP -- SEAT BELT SIGN OFF WITH SMOOTH AIR ABOVE 10000 FT MSL. AFTER ENTERING SHALLOW DSCNT TCASII ANNOUNCED 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND WE RESUMED CLB ON DEP. SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT ONTARIO APCH CTL SWITCHED US TO LOS ANGELES CTR. UPON QUESTIONING, LA CTR SAID BOTH THEY AND ONTARIO APCH HAD THE JUMP ACFT ON RADAR. A PHONE CALL TO AN ONTARIO APCH SUPVR AFTER LNDG IN DFW REVEALED THE EXISTENCE OF A JUMP ZONE 2-3 MI N OF V64, JUST PAST NIKKL ON THE PRADO 2 DEP. THE CLOSE PROX OF JUMP ACFT AND JUMPERS TO ONTARIO DEPS ON THE PRADO 2 OCCURS REGULARLY. THE JUMP ACFT IS REQUIRED TO HAVE THE DEPARTING ACFT IN SIGHT BEFORE RELEASING HIS JUMPERS. WE WERE NOT ADVISED OF THE ACFT OR JUMPERS UNTIL WE WERE SO CLOSE THAT OUR 325 KIAS SPD AT 14-15000 FT MSL WOULD HAVE MADE AVOIDANCE DIFFICULT. JUMPERS AND THEIR ACFT WOULD HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME AVOIDING US DUE TO OUR AIRSPD EVEN IF THEY HAD US IN SIGHT. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS DROP AREA ON THE DEP PLATE (ALTHOUGH A DROP AREA ABOUT 8 MI S OF NIKKL IS NOTED) OR IN ANY NOTAM. THE FACT THAT THIS SITUATION IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS IS OBVIOUS. THE MORE MANEUVERABLE ACFT APCHING THE JUMP AREA AT SUCH A HIGH SPD MUST BE GIVEN ADEQUATE NOTICE TO AVOID THE JUMPERS AND JUMP ACFT. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT VECTORING DEPARTING ONTARIO TFC CLR OF THIS JUMP ZONE. IF THE PRADO 2 DEP IS TO BE USED WHEN THE JUMP ZONE IS ACTIVE IT SHOULD BE REDESIGNED TO AVOID THE ZONE BY MORE THAN 2-3 MI, AND THE DEP PROC SHOULD WARN OF JUMP ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA. WARNINGS VIA NOTAM AND VIA EARLY TFC CALLS BY APCH CTL, AND VECTORING CLR OF JUMP ACFT CAN AND SHOULD BEGIN TODAY!

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.