An small transport flew through a parachute drop zone.

Attributes
ACN	302640
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vgt
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-60 600 Aerostar
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	302640
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Returning to vgt from the northwest, south of the 95 expressway. Contacted the tower after listening to ATIS. The tower announced that jump zone for skydivers is hot northwest of airport. I saw the jump plane on the way back from jump area after jump was over. I unintentionally flew through the jump zone as it's not located where I thought it was. After a few phone calls, I now know where it's located and how to avoid. Fortunately, there was not a hazard as jump was over, but should have known. I believe that jump zones and practice areas should be further out of town as the las vegas valley is becoming too crowded and congested which compromises safety. Again, frequency congestion is a problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies a piper PA 60 aerostar. He does not remember if the ATIS announced that there was parachuting in progress on this approach to vgt, but it is usually properly announced. The drop zone has been moved around several times in the last few yrs. It is probably located correctly on the las vegas class B airspace chart dated march 30, 1995. The reporter called several offices before he found someone that could tell him, with any confidence, where the drop zone was located on the date of this incident. Vgt tower told the reporter that the jumping had been concluded before the reporter flew through the drop zone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT FLEW THROUGH A PARACHUTE DROP ZONE.

Narrative: RETURNING TO VGT FROM THE NW, S OF THE 95 EXPRESSWAY. CONTACTED THE TWR AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS. THE TWR ANNOUNCED THAT JUMP ZONE FOR SKYDIVERS IS HOT NW OF ARPT. I SAW THE JUMP PLANE ON THE WAY BACK FROM JUMP AREA AFTER JUMP WAS OVER. I UNINTENTIONALLY FLEW THROUGH THE JUMP ZONE AS IT'S NOT LOCATED WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS. AFTER A FEW PHONE CALLS, I NOW KNOW WHERE IT'S LOCATED AND HOW TO AVOID. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT A HAZARD AS JUMP WAS OVER, BUT SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. I BELIEVE THAT JUMP ZONES AND PRACTICE AREAS SHOULD BE FURTHER OUT OF TOWN AS THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY IS BECOMING TOO CROWDED AND CONGESTED WHICH COMPROMISES SAFETY. AGAIN, FREQ CONGESTION IS A PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES A PIPER PA 60 AEROSTAR. HE DOES NOT REMEMBER IF THE ATIS ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS PARACHUTING IN PROGRESS ON THIS APCH TO VGT, BUT IT IS USUALLY PROPERLY ANNOUNCED. THE DROP ZONE HAS BEEN MOVED AROUND SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST FEW YRS. IT IS PROBABLY LOCATED CORRECTLY ON THE LAS VEGAS CLASS B AIRSPACE CHART DATED MARCH 30, 1995. THE RPTR CALLED SEVERAL OFFICES BEFORE HE FOUND SOMEONE THAT COULD TELL HIM, WITH ANY CONFIDENCE, WHERE THE DROP ZONE WAS LOCATED ON THE DATE OF THIS INCIDENT. VGT TWR TOLD THE RPTR THAT THE JUMPING HAD BEEN CONCLUDED BEFORE THE RPTR FLEW THROUGH THE DROP ZONE.

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.