Narrative:

As first officer and PNF of airline flight on 4/sun/94 at approximately PM00, we were with ontario approach control leveling at 8000 ft MSL in VMC condition. Approaching and almost directly over homeland VOR (hdf) on the kayoh 3 arrival into sna, we were alerted by ATC of a twin otter 12 to 1 O'clock slightly lower than our altitude, less then 3 mi maneuvering. We got a visual on him (he was nose high and appeared to be in slow flight) and we passed behind. At that time we received a TCASII RA advising us to 'descend now'. Captain (PF) clicked off the autoplt and started to comply when we received another RA to 'climb now'. We then saw another twin otter passing 12 O'clock 1000 ft above us left to right. I was trying to ascertain if there were any other immediate targets that we didn't see and should take action on. After determining that both targets were going to be missed and the RA's were no longer hollering at us, we returned to our vertical flight profile and complied with newly received ATC instructions to proceed direct kayoh. This took us in a right turn behind both targets. The higher plane commenced a tight left turn placing him almost over us. As we passed beneath the higher plane, the pilot informed ATC that 'the airbus passed right through the drop zone below' as he was about to drop jumpers. The captain and I both became keenly aware at that time that we were in an active drop zone and that both targets were about to drop jumpers -- even though we were flying the assigned STAR approach and were exactly where we should be! Because of the proximity of the aircraft above us, we both anticipated seeing skydivers fall by our windows. This could have had tragic consequences. Almost simultaneous TCASII RA's giving exact opposite commands was very confusing and we were definitely in an absolute 'see and avoid' situation. ATC was very busy and was also trying to point us out to our targets - jump planes about to drop jumpers. This was an extremely busy time inside and outside of our cockpit clearing for traffic. ATC was also very busy. Because of this high saturation, the exact sequence of events is unclr to me. I believe we were cleared to proceed direct kayoh just prior to crossing hdf and just after our encounters. The realization that we were flying the STAR as publication and under the direction and observation of ATC and still passed through (or close to) an active parachute drop zone absolutely terrifies me. Suffice it to say, that such a drop zone this close to stars, victor airways (V-372), and jet rtes is absolutely dangerous. The potential for a major catastrophe is almost assured in this confign. It would seem to me that the jumpers and drop zone operators would recognize this hazard as well. In my 23 years in aviation, I have never been so frightened. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer is over his fright. His pilot's union, his air carrier dispatcher's union, and the ATC's union are all working on this problem. His captain, whose report has already been worked, is ready to go to washington to get someone's attention. The reporter will call the FAA safety hot line. The reporter doesn't want to prohibit sky diving totally, just on airways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT HAD 2 TCASII COMMANDS, 1 ASKING FOR A CLB, THE OTHER FOR A DSCNT.

Narrative: AS FO AND PNF OF AIRLINE FLT ON 4/SUN/94 AT APPROX PM00, WE WERE WITH ONTARIO APCH CTL LEVELING AT 8000 FT MSL IN VMC CONDITION. APCHING AND ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER HOMELAND VOR (HDF) ON THE KAYOH 3 ARR INTO SNA, WE WERE ALERTED BY ATC OF A TWIN OTTER 12 TO 1 O'CLOCK SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN OUR ALT, LESS THEN 3 MI MANEUVERING. WE GOT A VISUAL ON HIM (HE WAS NOSE HIGH AND APPEARED TO BE IN SLOW FLT) AND WE PASSED BEHIND. AT THAT TIME WE RECEIVED A TCASII RA ADVISING US TO 'DSND NOW'. CAPT (PF) CLICKED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED TO COMPLY WHEN WE RECEIVED ANOTHER RA TO 'CLB NOW'. WE THEN SAW ANOTHER TWIN OTTER PASSING 12 O'CLOCK 1000 FT ABOVE US L TO R. I WAS TRYING TO ASCERTAIN IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER IMMEDIATE TARGETS THAT WE DIDN'T SEE AND SHOULD TAKE ACTION ON. AFTER DETERMINING THAT BOTH TARGETS WERE GOING TO BE MISSED AND THE RA'S WERE NO LONGER HOLLERING AT US, WE RETURNED TO OUR VERT FLT PROFILE AND COMPLIED WITH NEWLY RECEIVED ATC INSTRUCTIONS TO PROCEED DIRECT KAYOH. THIS TOOK US IN A R TURN BEHIND BOTH TARGETS. THE HIGHER PLANE COMMENCED A TIGHT L TURN PLACING HIM ALMOST OVER US. AS WE PASSED BENEATH THE HIGHER PLANE, THE PLT INFORMED ATC THAT 'THE AIRBUS PASSED RIGHT THROUGH THE DROP ZONE BELOW' AS HE WAS ABOUT TO DROP JUMPERS. THE CAPT AND I BOTH BECAME KEENLY AWARE AT THAT TIME THAT WE WERE IN AN ACTIVE DROP ZONE AND THAT BOTH TARGETS WERE ABOUT TO DROP JUMPERS -- EVEN THOUGH WE WERE FLYING THE ASSIGNED STAR APCH AND WERE EXACTLY WHERE WE SHOULD BE! BECAUSE OF THE PROX OF THE ACFT ABOVE US, WE BOTH ANTICIPATED SEEING SKYDIVERS FALL BY OUR WINDOWS. THIS COULD HAVE HAD TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUS TCASII RA'S GIVING EXACT OPPOSITE COMMANDS WAS VERY CONFUSING AND WE WERE DEFINITELY IN AN ABSOLUTE 'SEE AND AVOID' SIT. ATC WAS VERY BUSY AND WAS ALSO TRYING TO POINT US OUT TO OUR TARGETS - JUMP PLANES ABOUT TO DROP JUMPERS. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY BUSY TIME INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF OUR COCKPIT CLRING FOR TFC. ATC WAS ALSO VERY BUSY. BECAUSE OF THIS HIGH SATURATION, THE EXACT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IS UNCLR TO ME. I BELIEVE WE WERE CLRED TO PROCEED DIRECT KAYOH JUST PRIOR TO XING HDF AND JUST AFTER OUR ENCOUNTERS. THE REALIZATION THAT WE WERE FLYING THE STAR AS PUB AND UNDER THE DIRECTION AND OBSERVATION OF ATC AND STILL PASSED THROUGH (OR CLOSE TO) AN ACTIVE PARACHUTE DROP ZONE ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIES ME. SUFFICE IT TO SAY, THAT SUCH A DROP ZONE THIS CLOSE TO STARS, VICTOR AIRWAYS (V-372), AND JET RTES IS ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS. THE POTENTIAL FOR A MAJOR CATASTROPHE IS ALMOST ASSURED IN THIS CONFIGN. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE JUMPERS AND DROP ZONE OPERATORS WOULD RECOGNIZE THIS HAZARD AS WELL. IN MY 23 YEARS IN AVIATION, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO FRIGHTENED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO IS OVER HIS FRIGHT. HIS PLT'S UNION, HIS ACR DISPATCHER'S UNION, AND THE ATC'S UNION ARE ALL WORKING ON THIS PROB. HIS CAPT, WHOSE RPT HAS ALREADY BEEN WORKED, IS READY TO GO TO WASHINGTON TO GET SOMEONE'S ATTN. THE RPTR WILL CALL THE FAA SAFETY HOT LINE. THE RPTR DOESN'T WANT TO PROHIBIT SKY DIVING TOTALLY, JUST ON AIRWAYS.

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.