Near midair collision between a parachutist and an small aircraft near an uncontrolled airport.

Attributes
ACN	311727
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : w93 airport : w49
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1950 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	311727
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We departed culpeper county airport en route to lyh via V453 and V456. About 3 mi south of orange county airport, the student saw something falling in front of us and to our right. He called it out to me and, when I looked, a parachute canopy opened at our altitude and slightly to our right. I pulled back and climbed above the parachute while turning left. The near miss was caused, in my opinion, because we were distracted and failed to monitor orange county unicom. Gordonsville VOR was OTS. The student received this information on the preflight but failed to note it. As we climbed to 4500 ft MSL, I was busy tuning the LORAN. The student was flying erratically after he realized the VOR was off. I was worried about a scattered layer near our proposed cruising altitude. As a result, we failed to tune orange county unicom.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A PARACHUTIST AND AN SMA NEAR AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED CULPEPER COUNTY ARPT ENRTE TO LYH VIA V453 AND V456. ABOUT 3 MI S OF ORANGE COUNTY ARPT, THE STUDENT SAW SOMETHING FALLING IN FRONT OF US AND TO OUR R. HE CALLED IT OUT TO ME AND, WHEN I LOOKED, A PARACHUTE CANOPY OPENED AT OUR ALT AND SLIGHTLY TO OUR R. I PULLED BACK AND CLBED ABOVE THE PARACHUTE WHILE TURNING L. THE NEAR MISS WAS CAUSED, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE WE WERE DISTRACTED AND FAILED TO MONITOR ORANGE COUNTY UNICOM. GORDONSVILLE VOR WAS OTS. THE STUDENT RECEIVED THIS INFO ON THE PREFLT BUT FAILED TO NOTE IT. AS WE CLBED TO 4500 FT MSL, I WAS BUSY TUNING THE LORAN. THE STUDENT WAS FLYING ERRATICALLY AFTER HE REALIZED THE VOR WAS OFF. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT A SCATTERED LAYER NEAR OUR PROPOSED CRUISING ALT. AS A RESULT, WE FAILED TO TUNE ORANGE COUNTY UNICOM.

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.