Narrative:

On apr/sat/94 I filed an IFR flight plan and received a standard briefing for an IFR training flight from pao to sts. The WX was VFR with an airmet for turbulence below 15000 ft. There were no NOTAMS for our route of flight issued, and a callback to oak FSS on apr/mon/94 revealed that there were none logged. The flight was uneventful until small aircraft X established on the sts 141 degree radial (which is co- located with the localizer course for runway 32 at sts) descending out of 5000 ft with an approach clearance for the sts ILS runway 32. At approximately 15 DME ZOA (127.8 MHZ), which had issued the approach clearance, issued '...traffic Y 12 O'clock, 2 mi, 12000 ft will be releasing jumpers shortly....' acting as safety pilot I visually scanned for traffic, while responding '...(call sign) looking, traffic not in sight....' approximately 10 seconds later, the jump plane Y stated '...jumpers away...' almost simultaneously, I observed 3 parachutes open up less than 1000 ft above us directly overhead. Since they were overhead, evasive action was not necessary, and would not have been effective. The frequency was not congested, so I told center that 3 parachutists opened up directly overhead, and '...that was a close one....' to which the controller responded '...affirmative....' I then asked the controller if he could have held the jumpers or turned me away, to which he only responded '...I can't tell them when to release their jumpers....' the rest of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X HAD CONFLICT WITH 3 PARACHUTISTS WHILE ON APCH. SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: ON APR/SAT/94 I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING FOR AN IFR TRAINING FLT FROM PAO TO STS. THE WX WAS VFR WITH AN AIRMET FOR TURB BELOW 15000 FT. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS FOR OUR RTE OF FLT ISSUED, AND A CALLBACK TO OAK FSS ON APR/MON/94 REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NONE LOGGED. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL SMA X ESTABLISHED ON THE STS 141 DEG RADIAL (WHICH IS CO- LOCATED WITH THE LOC COURSE FOR RWY 32 AT STS) DSNDING OUT OF 5000 FT WITH AN APCH CLRNC FOR THE STS ILS RWY 32. AT APPROX 15 DME ZOA (127.8 MHZ), WHICH HAD ISSUED THE APCH CLRNC, ISSUED '...TFC Y 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MI, 12000 FT WILL BE RELEASING JUMPERS SHORTLY....' ACTING AS SAFETY PLT I VISUALLY SCANNED FOR TFC, WHILE RESPONDING '...(CALL SIGN) LOOKING, TFC NOT IN SIGHT....' APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER, THE JUMP PLANE Y STATED '...JUMPERS AWAY...' ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, I OBSERVED 3 PARACHUTES OPEN UP LESS THAN 1000 FT ABOVE US DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. SINCE THEY WERE OVERHEAD, EVASIVE ACTION WAS NOT NECESSARY, AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE. THE FREQ WAS NOT CONGESTED, SO I TOLD CTR THAT 3 PARACHUTISTS OPENED UP DIRECTLY OVERHEAD, AND '...THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE....' TO WHICH THE CTLR RESPONDED '...AFFIRMATIVE....' I THEN ASKED THE CTLR IF HE COULD HAVE HELD THE JUMPERS OR TURNED ME AWAY, TO WHICH HE ONLY RESPONDED '...I CAN'T TELL THEM WHEN TO RELEASE THEIR JUMPERS....' THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.