Narrative:

On may/xx/96, I was scheduled to fly skydivers. A NOTAM was filed for the area around 39K. At approximately XX00, I departed the airport with a load of 4 jumpers who would be released for free fall at 11000 ft MSL. I contacted ZKC on 122.80 after passing through 3000 ft. I told the controller of my intentions as I did with all of the previous loads of jumpers. My only acknowledgement by the controller was a double microphone click. When I reached 11000 ft I called ATC to announce that it will be 1 min till jumpers release. There was no response. The controller did continue to talk to other pilots. I again told the controller of 1 min till release. The controller responded with an 'ok.' he did not inform me of other traffic. I assumed there was not traffic so I allowed the jumpers to release. After they left the aircraft, I watched them during free fall. I soon noticed another aircraft in their path at approximately 7000 ft. I felt a collision was imminent. The other craft suddenly turned to avoid the collision. The jumpers continued free fall and deployed their canopies at a normal altitude. I then called the controller to ask why I was not informed of the traffic in the area. He told me that it must have been a 'primary target' and he missed it. It states in far part 105.14B that ATC will inform the pilot of any traffic that may conflict with the jumpers. I feel the controller was in error and that he put the lives of 4 jumpers and the occupants of the aircraft in jeopardy. He should have taken the time to look more closely at the targets close to the drop zone. Looking back, I should have requested a TA since he did not give one. It seemed the controller was doing what he could to ignore my radio calls so he could handle other 'more important' airline traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the parachute organization moved to osage airport in jun/xx/96. There is 1 cessna 182 in the organization and they expect to have a second this spring. About 500 jumps occur a year and on weekends year around. The operation has been in existence more than a year. Some reasons for special charting are the ultralight activity, air ambulance and helicopter activity in addition to the normal airplane traffic at the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARACHUTE JUMPERS DURING FREE FALL NEARLY COLLIDE WITH ACFT. CTR WAS TOLD OF JUMP ACTIVITY ABOUT TO OCCUR AND RESPONDED WITH 'DOUBLE CLICK.' CTR WAS TOLD OF JUMPERS AWAY AND RESPONDED WITH 'OK.' CTR DID NOT NOTIFY JUMP PLT OF TFC.

Narrative: ON MAY/XX/96, I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY SKYDIVERS. A NOTAM WAS FILED FOR THE AREA AROUND 39K. AT APPROX XX00, I DEPARTED THE ARPT WITH A LOAD OF 4 JUMPERS WHO WOULD BE RELEASED FOR FREE FALL AT 11000 FT MSL. I CONTACTED ZKC ON 122.80 AFTER PASSING THROUGH 3000 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR OF MY INTENTIONS AS I DID WITH ALL OF THE PREVIOUS LOADS OF JUMPERS. MY ONLY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY THE CTLR WAS A DOUBLE MIKE CLICK. WHEN I REACHED 11000 FT I CALLED ATC TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT WILL BE 1 MIN TILL JUMPERS RELEASE. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE CTLR DID CONTINUE TO TALK TO OTHER PLTS. I AGAIN TOLD THE CTLR OF 1 MIN TILL RELEASE. THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH AN 'OK.' HE DID NOT INFORM ME OF OTHER TFC. I ASSUMED THERE WAS NOT TFC SO I ALLOWED THE JUMPERS TO RELEASE. AFTER THEY LEFT THE ACFT, I WATCHED THEM DURING FREE FALL. I SOON NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT IN THEIR PATH AT APPROX 7000 FT. I FELT A COLLISION WAS IMMINENT. THE OTHER CRAFT SUDDENLY TURNED TO AVOID THE COLLISION. THE JUMPERS CONTINUED FREE FALL AND DEPLOYED THEIR CANOPIES AT A NORMAL ALT. I THEN CALLED THE CTLR TO ASK WHY I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE TFC IN THE AREA. HE TOLD ME THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A 'PRIMARY TARGET' AND HE MISSED IT. IT STATES IN FAR PART 105.14B THAT ATC WILL INFORM THE PLT OF ANY TFC THAT MAY CONFLICT WITH THE JUMPERS. I FEEL THE CTLR WAS IN ERROR AND THAT HE PUT THE LIVES OF 4 JUMPERS AND THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT IN JEOPARDY. HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THE TARGETS CLOSE TO THE DROP ZONE. LOOKING BACK, I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A TA SINCE HE DID NOT GIVE ONE. IT SEEMED THE CTLR WAS DOING WHAT HE COULD TO IGNORE MY RADIO CALLS SO HE COULD HANDLE OTHER 'MORE IMPORTANT' AIRLINE TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PARACHUTE ORGANIZATION MOVED TO OSAGE ARPT IN JUN/XX/96. THERE IS 1 CESSNA 182 IN THE ORGANIZATION AND THEY EXPECT TO HAVE A SECOND THIS SPRING. ABOUT 500 JUMPS OCCUR A YEAR AND ON WEEKENDS YEAR AROUND. THE OP HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE MORE THAN A YEAR. SOME REASONS FOR SPECIAL CHARTING ARE THE ULTRALIGHT ACTIVITY, AIR AMBULANCE AND HELI ACTIVITY IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL AIRPLANE TFC AT THE ARPT.

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.