Narrative:

Zephyrhills airport has got 2 parachute ctrs operating simultaneously. The situation arose because of a tension and competition between the 2 ctrs. On the day of the situation, I flew an small transport with call sign xx, and the other center was flying an light transport with call sign yy. We were both climbing to 135000 ft to drop over zephyrhills. Yy took off about 1-2 mins before me. I was aware that my plane was usually climbing faster that the light transport so I had in mind that we might get to altitude at the same time, and I tried to keep him in sight during the climb. We are requested by tampa approach to call 2 mins prior to drop. If 2 planes get to altitude at the same time one has to circle around and wait for the other, to avoid dropping on top of the first plane's jumpers. When I reached 12500 and estimated that I was 2 mins out, I saw yy below me and further away from the airport than I was. Therefore, I called 2 mins, which tampa acknowledged. Tampa asked yy if he had called xx in sight. He replies þaffirm' and calls 2 mins. This is about 10 seconds after I called 2 mins, and this made me suspicious and I kept my eyes on him. I knew he had cut people off on jump run before. I was on a heading of south and he came in from the east, from the left. I had a good idea what he was up to, but I was very cautious and climbed to 13800 to get further away from him. He turned left to a parallel course to me. I estimate the distance was 1/2 - 3/4 mi horizontal and 300 ft vertical. There was no doubt that he was going to drop his load. There was never a risk for collision, but at this point, I had already decided not to let my jumpers out. I let him fly parallel to me for a little while before I made a right turn to go around and wait for him to drop. Then I called another 2 mins. The controller who had followed the whole event asked the pilot of yy to call the supervisor at tampa approach control. The pilot of yy has a record of similar events and is likely to get his license suspended. His attitude shows very poor judgement and a lack of respect and ignorance towards the people he is carrying, who are unaware of what is happening around them. Personally, what I could have done differently is to have turned away as soon as I saw what he was up to. The only reason I let him get so close was because I saw that he was turning to a parallel course. He had also said that he had me in sight. If it would have been a strange airplane, then I would have taken action earlier. My right turn was not made to avoid a collision but because it was pointless in staying with him. We sometimes have as many as 5 airplanes operating at the same time. It takes cooperation and communication. I believe that it is possible to act safely and professionally in this kind of operation. It does require that everybody is working together. The situation here is definitely undesirable. Basically, it is all because of 1 person.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 JUMP PLANES FROM SAME ARPT HAVE CONFLICT PRIOR TO DROPPING JUMPERS. 1 ACFT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: ZEPHYRHILLS ARPT HAS GOT 2 PARACHUTE CTRS OPERATING SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE SIT AROSE BECAUSE OF A TENSION AND COMPETITION BTWN THE 2 CTRS. ON THE DAY OF THE SIT, I FLEW AN SMT WITH CALL SIGN XX, AND THE OTHER CTR WAS FLYING AN LTT WITH CALL SIGN YY. WE WERE BOTH CLBING TO 135000 FT TO DROP OVER ZEPHYRHILLS. YY TOOK OFF ABOUT 1-2 MINS BEFORE ME. I WAS AWARE THAT MY PLANE WAS USUALLY CLBING FASTER THAT THE LTT SO I HAD IN MIND THAT WE MIGHT GET TO ALT AT THE SAME TIME, AND I TRIED TO KEEP HIM IN SIGHT DURING THE CLB. WE ARE REQUESTED BY TAMPA APCH TO CALL 2 MINS PRIOR TO DROP. IF 2 PLANES GET TO ALT AT THE SAME TIME ONE HAS TO CIRCLE AROUND AND WAIT FOR THE OTHER, TO AVOID DROPPING ON TOP OF THE FIRST PLANE'S JUMPERS. WHEN I REACHED 12500 AND ESTIMATED THAT I WAS 2 MINS OUT, I SAW YY BELOW ME AND FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ARPT THAN I WAS. THEREFORE, I CALLED 2 MINS, WHICH TAMPA ACKNOWLEDGED. TAMPA ASKED YY IF HE HAD CALLED XX IN SIGHT. HE REPLIES þAFFIRM' AND CALLS 2 MINS. THIS IS ABOUT 10 SECONDS AFTER I CALLED 2 MINS, AND THIS MADE ME SUSPICIOUS AND I KEPT MY EYES ON HIM. I KNEW HE HAD CUT PEOPLE OFF ON JUMP RUN BEFORE. I WAS ON A HDG OF S AND HE CAME IN FROM THE E, FROM THE L. I HAD A GOOD IDEA WHAT HE WAS UP TO, BUT I WAS VERY CAUTIOUS AND CLBED TO 13800 TO GET FURTHER AWAY FROM HIM. HE TURNED L TO A PARALLEL COURSE TO ME. I ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE WAS 1/2 - 3/4 MI HORIZ AND 300 FT VERT. THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT HE WAS GOING TO DROP HIS LOAD. THERE WAS NEVER A RISK FOR COLLISION, BUT AT THIS POINT, I HAD ALREADY DECIDED NOT TO LET MY JUMPERS OUT. I LET HIM FLY PARALLEL TO ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE I MADE A R TURN TO GAR AND WAIT FOR HIM TO DROP. THEN I CALLED ANOTHER 2 MINS. THE CTLR WHO HAD FOLLOWED THE WHOLE EVENT ASKED THE PLT OF YY TO CALL THE SUPVR AT TAMPA APCH CTL. THE PLT OF YY HAS A RECORD OF SIMILAR EVENTS AND IS LIKELY TO GET HIS LICENSE SUSPENDED. HIS ATTITUDE SHOWS VERY POOR JUDGEMENT AND A LACK OF RESPECT AND IGNORANCE TOWARDS THE PEOPLE HE IS CARRYING, WHO ARE UNAWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THEM. PERSONALLY, WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS TO HAVE TURNED AWAY AS SOON AS I SAW WHAT HE WAS UP TO. THE ONLY REASON I LET HIM GET SO CLOSE WAS BECAUSE I SAW THAT HE WAS TURNING TO A PARALLEL COURSE. HE HAD ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A STRANGE AIRPLANE, THEN I WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION EARLIER. MY R TURN WAS NOT MADE TO AVOID A COLLISION BUT BECAUSE IT WAS POINTLESS IN STAYING WITH HIM. WE SOMETIMES HAVE AS MANY AS 5 AIRPLANES OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME. IT TAKES COOPERATION AND COM. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACT SAFELY AND PROFESSIONALLY IN THIS KIND OF OP. IT DOES REQUIRE THAT EVERYBODY IS WORKING TOGETHER. THE SIT HERE IS DEFINITELY UNDESIRABLE. BASICALLY, IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF 1 PERSON.

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.