Narrative:

I work for a skydiver drop zone at mgj, flying their kingair-90. On this particular day I was flying jumpers as usual. However, around XX00 I got the message that an aircraft in the pattern had come very close to one of the skydivers, and had to take evasive action in order not to hit the jumper. The airport itself has the form of a triangle and the skydivers use the center of the airport as the landing area. Before the jumpers are allowed out of the aircraft, 5 calls on local unicom frequency are made. #1: 15 mins before drop, as the jump aircraft departs, #2: 5 mins before drop, #3: 2 mins before drop, #4: 1 min before drop, and #5: jumpers away, as the jumpers leave the aircraft. I was also under advisory from ZBW, giving them a 2 min call before jumpers go. Finally, jump master in the back of the aircraft will confirm with pilot that no conflicting traffic exists, before jump is made. All of these procedures were followed on this particular incident. I later confirmed this with unicom, which had heard all my calls. Unfortunately, there are always local traffic on the airport, sharing the airport with jump activity. This traffic however is made clear via local NOTAM and unicom frequency, that jump activity exists. Despite all of this, a local training flight with a PA28, got close to the jumpers while he was on downwind, and had to make evasive maneuver. The cause of this was probably because the jumpers in question deployed their canopy too low, causing them to drift through pattern altitude. Normal procedure is to open at 3000 ft AGL, and then fly to the center of the airport, thus flying above any traffic in the pattern, and descend only over the center of the airport. The problem has been discussed with the skydivers in question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEA90 PLT OF JUMP ACFT RPT REGARDING NMAC OF PA28 IN TFC PATTERN WITH SKYDIVER LNDG IN CTR OF ARPT.

Narrative: I WORK FOR A SKYDIVER DROP ZONE AT MGJ, FLYING THEIR KINGAIR-90. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY I WAS FLYING JUMPERS AS USUAL. HOWEVER, AROUND XX00 I GOT THE MESSAGE THAT AN ACFT IN THE PATTERN HAD COME VERY CLOSE TO ONE OF THE SKYDIVERS, AND HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION IN ORDER NOT TO HIT THE JUMPER. THE ARPT ITSELF HAS THE FORM OF A TRIANGLE AND THE SKYDIVERS USE THE CTR OF THE ARPT AS THE LNDG AREA. BEFORE THE JUMPERS ARE ALLOWED OUT OF THE ACFT, 5 CALLS ON LCL UNICOM FREQ ARE MADE. #1: 15 MINS BEFORE DROP, AS THE JUMP ACFT DEPARTS, #2: 5 MINS BEFORE DROP, #3: 2 MINS BEFORE DROP, #4: 1 MIN BEFORE DROP, AND #5: JUMPERS AWAY, AS THE JUMPERS LEAVE THE ACFT. I WAS ALSO UNDER ADVISORY FROM ZBW, GIVING THEM A 2 MIN CALL BEFORE JUMPERS GO. FINALLY, JUMP MASTER IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT WILL CONFIRM WITH PLT THAT NO CONFLICTING TFC EXISTS, BEFORE JUMP IS MADE. ALL OF THESE PROCS WERE FOLLOWED ON THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT. I LATER CONFIRMED THIS WITH UNICOM, WHICH HAD HEARD ALL MY CALLS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE ALWAYS LCL TFC ON THE ARPT, SHARING THE ARPT WITH JUMP ACTIVITY. THIS TFC HOWEVER IS MADE CLR VIA LCL NOTAM AND UNICOM FREQ, THAT JUMP ACTIVITY EXISTS. DESPITE ALL OF THIS, A LCL TRAINING FLT WITH A PA28, GOT CLOSE TO THE JUMPERS WHILE HE WAS ON DOWNWIND, AND HAD TO MAKE EVASIVE MANEUVER. THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE THE JUMPERS IN QUESTION DEPLOYED THEIR CANOPY TOO LOW, CAUSING THEM TO DRIFT THROUGH PATTERN ALT. NORMAL PROC IS TO OPEN AT 3000 FT AGL, AND THEN FLY TO THE CTR OF THE ARPT, THUS FLYING ABOVE ANY TFC IN THE PATTERN, AND DSND ONLY OVER THE CTR OF THE ARPT. THE PROB HAS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE SKYDIVERS IN QUESTION.

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.