Narrative:

Failure to establish radio communication to receive known TA's from ATC when flying a parachute load. Incident: after flying parachute jumpers over garnett, ks (K68), I flew a load of jumpers to drop them over burlington, ks. (Takeoff time XA20.) the short flight was flown at 2000 ft AGL with my transponder on the code assigned to me earlier this day by ZKC. After arriving the drop zone, the jumpers dropped a wind drift indicator and I started my climb to 5000 ft AGL. During my climb, I circled and listen to the local TA frequency (123.00) and I tried to contact ZKC on 125.30 3-4 times. (Time about XA40, altitude on last tag 5000 ft, no contact was made.) still flying with my assigned transponder code, I notified my intentions on 123.00, 3 mins before drop, 2 mins before drop and the time I dumped the jumpers. Contributing factors: earlier that day, I had problems with the generator light that came on an off all the time. In the end of that day it stayed on all the time. Factors that I used making my judgement: I thought my battery probably was close of being discharged. Still able to receive (and transmit) on 123.00. I looked for traffic, but none was observed (I fly out of 5c8 quite often and know about the low density of aircraft in the area). One of the jumpers had air-to-ground communication to a ground crew using a circuit breaker type transceiver. The transponder was on my assigned code assigned from ZKC. My conclusion: the battery was being discharged. After landing at 5c8, I waited for the jumpers to fly back to K68. At end starting, the starter was not able to turn the propeller. At that time (30 mins before dark), I cancelled my flight and left the aircraft overnight at 5c8. My actions: never expect the radio to be able to transmit/receive when generator light comes on. To be persistent that no jumpers exits the aircraft if not in an emergency or authorization/advisory is received from ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SKY DIVE ACFT HAS GENERATOR LIGHT ACTIVATE, UNABLE TO CONTACT CTR PRIOR TO JUMPERS DEPARTING.

Narrative: FAILURE TO ESTABLISH RADIO COM TO RECEIVE KNOWN TA'S FROM ATC WHEN FLYING A PARACHUTE LOAD. INCIDENT: AFTER FLYING PARACHUTE JUMPERS OVER GARNETT, KS (K68), I FLEW A LOAD OF JUMPERS TO DROP THEM OVER BURLINGTON, KS. (TKOF TIME XA20.) THE SHORT FLT WAS FLOWN AT 2000 FT AGL WITH MY XPONDER ON THE CODE ASSIGNED TO ME EARLIER THIS DAY BY ZKC. AFTER ARRIVING THE DROP ZONE, THE JUMPERS DROPPED A WIND DRIFT INDICATOR AND I STARTED MY CLB TO 5000 FT AGL. DURING MY CLB, I CIRCLED AND LISTEN TO THE LCL TA FREQ (123.00) AND I TRIED TO CONTACT ZKC ON 125.30 3-4 TIMES. (TIME ABOUT XA40, ALT ON LAST TAG 5000 FT, NO CONTACT WAS MADE.) STILL FLYING WITH MY ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE, I NOTIFIED MY INTENTIONS ON 123.00, 3 MINS BEFORE DROP, 2 MINS BEFORE DROP AND THE TIME I DUMPED THE JUMPERS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: EARLIER THAT DAY, I HAD PROBS WITH THE GENERATOR LIGHT THAT CAME ON AN OFF ALL THE TIME. IN THE END OF THAT DAY IT STAYED ON ALL THE TIME. FACTORS THAT I USED MAKING MY JUDGEMENT: I THOUGHT MY BATTERY PROBABLY WAS CLOSE OF BEING DISCHARGED. STILL ABLE TO RECEIVE (AND XMIT) ON 123.00. I LOOKED FOR TFC, BUT NONE WAS OBSERVED (I FLY OUT OF 5C8 QUITE OFTEN AND KNOW ABOUT THE LOW DENSITY OF ACFT IN THE AREA). ONE OF THE JUMPERS HAD AIR-TO-GND COM TO A GND CREW USING A CB TYPE TRANSCEIVER. THE XPONDER WAS ON MY ASSIGNED CODE ASSIGNED FROM ZKC. MY CONCLUSION: THE BATTERY WAS BEING DISCHARGED. AFTER LNDG AT 5C8, I WAITED FOR THE JUMPERS TO FLY BACK TO K68. AT END STARTING, THE STARTER WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THE PROP. AT THAT TIME (30 MINS BEFORE DARK), I CANCELLED MY FLT AND LEFT THE ACFT OVERNIGHT AT 5C8. MY ACTIONS: NEVER EXPECT THE RADIO TO BE ABLE TO XMIT/RECEIVE WHEN GENERATOR LIGHT COMES ON. TO BE PERSISTENT THAT NO JUMPERS EXITS THE ACFT IF NOT IN AN EMER OR AUTHORIZATION/ADVISORY IS RECEIVED FROM ATC.

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.