Unauthorized parachute jump activity.

Attributes
ACN	306662
Time
Date	199506
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bdf
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1775 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	306662
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was asked to fly a demonstration for a skydiving jump over a racetrack. All the paper work was done, the NOTAM was filed. All 4 jumpers were expert, experienced jumpers. All 4 had demonstration experience, 2 of the 4 extensively. We were in cruise climb for the location. The paper work said bdf 114.7 062 degree radial, 27 DME. I called ZAU. They knew of the event, gave me a squawk code, and told me to advise 1 min. We cleared the spot, called 1 min and jumpers away. It went without a hitch -- so I thought. The jumpers had said as we looked down to the target, if there is a large white and orange parachute in the middle of the track it means the demonstration is off. I looked, they looked, nobody saw it. I landed at illinois valley regional airport and waited for the jumpers. When they returned they were very upset. They said when they opened their chutes after free-fall, they saw the orange and white parachute on the ground. The jump was canceled by the FAA administrator on the field. It was too late, they were committed, and landed without incident. The administrator said he wanted us to have a ground-to-air radio, and since we didn't the jump was off. We had a pager, a cell phone, and left the number of our base. No one tried to contact us to tell us it was off. Furthermore, I learned after the fact, that the paper work wasn't for us but another aircraft at the same show. Our paper work was in the hands of the FAA administrator who came to see the event. Since then, he has tried to contact me. I've returned his calls, and have yet to explain my side of the story. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was operating a cessna 182 and the FAA has closed out this matter with no action since there was no stipulations in the 'jump waiver' for radio communications between the jump aircraft and ground operations. In addition, there was no known other interfering problems which might cause a need to postpone the jump.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PARACHUTE JUMP ACTIVITY.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO FLY A DEMO FOR A SKYDIVING JUMP OVER A RACETRACK. ALL THE PAPER WORK WAS DONE, THE NOTAM WAS FILED. ALL 4 JUMPERS WERE EXPERT, EXPERIENCED JUMPERS. ALL 4 HAD DEMO EXPERIENCE, 2 OF THE 4 EXTENSIVELY. WE WERE IN CRUISE CLB FOR THE LOCATION. THE PAPER WORK SAID BDF 114.7 062 DEG RADIAL, 27 DME. I CALLED ZAU. THEY KNEW OF THE EVENT, GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE, AND TOLD ME TO ADVISE 1 MIN. WE CLRED THE SPOT, CALLED 1 MIN AND JUMPERS AWAY. IT WENT WITHOUT A HITCH -- SO I THOUGHT. THE JUMPERS HAD SAID AS WE LOOKED DOWN TO THE TARGET, IF THERE IS A LARGE WHITE AND ORANGE PARACHUTE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK IT MEANS THE DEMO IS OFF. I LOOKED, THEY LOOKED, NOBODY SAW IT. I LANDED AT ILLINOIS VALLEY REGIONAL ARPT AND WAITED FOR THE JUMPERS. WHEN THEY RETURNED THEY WERE VERY UPSET. THEY SAID WHEN THEY OPENED THEIR CHUTES AFTER FREE-FALL, THEY SAW THE ORANGE AND WHITE PARACHUTE ON THE GND. THE JUMP WAS CANCELED BY THE FAA ADMINISTRATOR ON THE FIELD. IT WAS TOO LATE, THEY WERE COMMITTED, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ADMINISTRATOR SAID HE WANTED US TO HAVE A GND-TO-AIR RADIO, AND SINCE WE DIDN'T THE JUMP WAS OFF. WE HAD A PAGER, A CELL PHONE, AND LEFT THE NUMBER OF OUR BASE. NO ONE TRIED TO CONTACT US TO TELL US IT WAS OFF. FURTHERMORE, I LEARNED AFTER THE FACT, THAT THE PAPER WORK WASN'T FOR US BUT ANOTHER ACFT AT THE SAME SHOW. OUR PAPER WORK WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE FAA ADMINISTRATOR WHO CAME TO SEE THE EVENT. SINCE THEN, HE HAS TRIED TO CONTACT ME. I'VE RETURNED HIS CALLS, AND HAVE YET TO EXPLAIN MY SIDE OF THE STORY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS OPERATING A CESSNA 182 AND THE FAA HAS CLOSED OUT THIS MATTER WITH NO ACTION SINCE THERE WAS NO STIPULATIONS IN THE 'JUMP WAIVER' FOR RADIO COMS BTWN THE JUMP ACFT AND GND OPS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NO KNOWN OTHER INTERFERING PROBS WHICH MIGHT CAUSE A NEED TO POSTPONE THE JUMP.

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.