Narrative:

I was flying jumpers at zephyrhills airport. Exit altitude was 13500 ft. We are under tampa approach control when we do this and we are requested to give them a 2 min warning. We also give the unicom a 2 min warning. I was getting close to 2 mins prior, so I gave the unicom a warning. I was monitoring both tampa and unicom to get an idea of the traffic situation. I gave tampa a 2 min warning. I could only hear the last part of his reply because he was cut out by the 'noise' on unicom 122.8. I could hear that he called traffic for me so I asked him where is that traffic, he told me 8 mi south at 10000 northbound. 8 mi is usually plenty of room for us to drop after 2 mins. I turned the green light on and started letting the jumpers out. Tampa comes back to me and says that traffic is now 3 mi south. I replied, 'roger, I have jumpers away at this time.' tampa comes back to me and says 'I thought I told you to hold the jumpers.' it turned out that he had asked me to hold the jumpers when he first called the traffic, when I only got the end of what he said. I held the rest of the jumpers, picked up the traffic and took it around for a second pass. It was never a close call or anything, but my mistake was to drop the jumpers when I was not supposed to. I try to monitor both frequencys to get a better idea of any traffic in the area. The problem with 122.8 is that so many airports use it so sometimes the radio makes a loud noise from all the people talking at the same time. At 13500 you can hear half of fl calling traffic patterns. I had the volume on 122.8 turned up too much so I missed the part where he asked me to hold my jumpers. The FCC or whoever it is should assign some new frequencys to small airports. There are way too many on 122.8.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT PLT DROPPED PARACHUTES WHEN ASKED NOT TO BY TPA APCH.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING JUMPERS AT ZEPHYRHILLS ARPT. EXIT ALT WAS 13500 FT. WE ARE UNDER TAMPA APCH CTL WHEN WE DO THIS AND WE ARE REQUESTED TO GIVE THEM A 2 MIN WARNING. WE ALSO GIVE THE UNICOM A 2 MIN WARNING. I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO 2 MINS PRIOR, SO I GAVE THE UNICOM A WARNING. I WAS MONITORING BOTH TAMPA AND UNICOM TO GET AN IDEA OF THE TFC SIT. I GAVE TAMPA A 2 MIN WARNING. I COULD ONLY HEAR THE LAST PART OF HIS REPLY BECAUSE HE WAS CUT OUT BY THE 'NOISE' ON UNICOM 122.8. I COULD HEAR THAT HE CALLED TFC FOR ME SO I ASKED HIM WHERE IS THAT TFC, HE TOLD ME 8 MI S AT 10000 NBOUND. 8 MI IS USUALLY PLENTY OF ROOM FOR US TO DROP AFTER 2 MINS. I TURNED THE GREEN LIGHT ON AND STARTED LETTING THE JUMPERS OUT. TAMPA COMES BACK TO ME AND SAYS THAT TFC IS NOW 3 MI S. I REPLIED, 'ROGER, I HAVE JUMPERS AWAY AT THIS TIME.' TAMPA COMES BACK TO ME AND SAYS 'I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO HOLD THE JUMPERS.' IT TURNED OUT THAT HE HAD ASKED ME TO HOLD THE JUMPERS WHEN HE FIRST CALLED THE TFC, WHEN I ONLY GOT THE END OF WHAT HE SAID. I HELD THE REST OF THE JUMPERS, PICKED UP THE TFC AND TOOK IT AROUND FOR A SECOND PASS. IT WAS NEVER A CLOSE CALL OR ANYTHING, BUT MY MISTAKE WAS TO DROP THE JUMPERS WHEN I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO. I TRY TO MONITOR BOTH FREQS TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF ANY TFC IN THE AREA. THE PROB WITH 122.8 IS THAT SO MANY ARPTS USE IT SO SOMETIMES THE RADIO MAKES A LOUD NOISE FROM ALL THE PEOPLE TALKING AT THE SAME TIME. AT 13500 YOU CAN HEAR HALF OF FL CALLING TFC PATTERNS. I HAD THE VOLUME ON 122.8 TURNED UP TOO MUCH SO I MISSED THE PART WHERE HE ASKED ME TO HOLD MY JUMPERS. THE FCC OR WHOEVER IT IS SHOULD ASSIGN SOME NEW FREQS TO SMALL ARPTS. THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY ON 122.8.

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.