Narrative:

I was the captain on an air carrier flight descending into pdx. We were instructed by atz to cross wylee at 10000 ft. Descending out of 12000 ft we were instructed by ZSE to contact portland approach. As we passed through 12000 ft, I noticed traffic on the TCASII, 12 O'clock, 5 mi, our altitude. Switched over to approach, and heard approach say, 'you have overtaking traffic at your 6 O'clock, an md-80 descending from 12000-10000 ft. Do not release your jumpers.' the response from the aircraft was, 'all, the jumpers left the airplane just a little bit ago, the jumpers are away.' at this point we jumped in and reported on, and portland approach gave us an immediate 90 degree heading change, to avoid the jumpers. We continued, never saw anybody, landed, and I called approach on the landline. The gentleman I talked to at approach was apologetic and frustrated. Seems there's no prohibition against releasing jumpers on a STAR, and we were on the moxee arrival. Approach had called this gentlemen repeatedly, off-duty pilots that he had also caused to deviate had been down to visit him, but his attitude is that he's running a jump school, and we -- approach control and the scheduled airlines, are interfering with his business. Don't know what you can do, but there should be something done. Approach said this has happened on a regular basis. Shouldn't there be some prohibition, immediately if not sooner, about releasing jumpers in front of 30 KT turbo jets on an arrival route?

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THERE IS PARACHUTE JUMPING ON THE MOXEE 3 ARR RTE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON AN ACR FLT DSNDING INTO PDX. WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATZ TO CROSS WYLEE AT 10000 FT. DSNDING OUT OF 12000 FT WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY ZSE TO CONTACT PORTLAND APCH. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 12000 FT, I NOTICED TFC ON THE TCASII, 12 O'CLOCK, 5 MI, OUR ALT. SWITCHED OVER TO APCH, AND HEARD APCH SAY, 'YOU HAVE OVERTAKING TFC AT YOUR 6 O'CLOCK, AN MD-80 DSNDING FROM 12000-10000 FT. DO NOT RELEASE YOUR JUMPERS.' THE RESPONSE FROM THE ACFT WAS, 'ALL, THE JUMPERS LEFT THE AIRPLANE JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO, THE JUMPERS ARE AWAY.' AT THIS POINT WE JUMPED IN AND RPTED ON, AND PORTLAND APCH GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE 90 DEG HDG CHANGE, TO AVOID THE JUMPERS. WE CONTINUED, NEVER SAW ANYBODY, LANDED, AND I CALLED APCH ON THE LANDLINE. THE GENTLEMAN I TALKED TO AT APCH WAS APOLOGETIC AND FRUSTRATED. SEEMS THERE'S NO PROHIBITION AGAINST RELEASING JUMPERS ON A STAR, AND WE WERE ON THE MOXEE ARR. APCH HAD CALLED THIS GENTLEMEN REPEATEDLY, OFF-DUTY PLTS THAT HE HAD ALSO CAUSED TO DEVIATE HAD BEEN DOWN TO VISIT HIM, BUT HIS ATTITUDE IS THAT HE'S RUNNING A JUMP SCHOOL, AND WE -- APCH CTL AND THE SCHEDULED AIRLINES, ARE INTERFERING WITH HIS BUSINESS. DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO, BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING DONE. APCH SAID THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A REGULAR BASIS. SHOULDN'T THERE BE SOME PROHIBITION, IMMEDIATELY IF NOT SOONER, ABOUT RELEASING JUMPERS IN FRONT OF 30 KT TURBO JETS ON AN ARR RTE?

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.