Narrative:

Approached eau at 3000 ft under broken overcast and very dense haze. Listened to ZMP 125.30 and eau 123.00. About 15 mi from airport verified with center position of other traffic, who asked for assistance due to very reduced visibility. We were not in radar contact. Approximately 10 mi from eau a parachutist appeared at our altitude from right to left, barely missing our aircraft. My copilot estimated distance to the parachutist at less than 200 ft. Noticed that parachutist was trying to control his chute. Color several, mainly orange. No additional parachutes were sighted. The sectional chart shows parachute activities at lake wissota, but due to limited visibility was not considered to be a factor. Listening to both center and CTAF frequency, we heard no announcement of para-jumping. WX conditions at the time seemed to rule out any parachute activity. Inquiry at eau produced the following response from local charter pilots and private pilots. 'This happens all the time. The parachute club lie about the WX all the time, and complaints to the FAA have been ignored.' contributing factors: jumping through overcast on the part of the parachutist, our belief that no one would possibly jump in the described WX condition, jumping on the eau 70 degree radial, with close proximity to the eau runway 22 ILS. Corrective action?! Stay clear of parachute jumping areas no matter how unlikely the condition. Perhaps insist that parachute areas be marked with a more legible color on the charts and, last, assert more control over actions of para-jumpers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CESSNA 182 HAD NMAC WITH A PARACHUTIST UNDER FULL CANOPY OVER A PVT ARPT MARKED ON THE CHART AS AN AREA OF A PARACHUTE ACTIVITY. THE RPTR HAD JUST DSNDED THROUGH A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AND DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE PARACHUTE ACTIVITY.

Narrative: APCHED EAU AT 3000 FT UNDER BROKEN OVCST AND VERY DENSE HAZE. LISTENED TO ZMP 125.30 AND EAU 123.00. ABOUT 15 MI FROM ARPT VERIFIED WITH CTR POS OF OTHER TFC, WHO ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE DUE TO VERY REDUCED VISIBILITY. WE WERE NOT IN RADAR CONTACT. APPROX 10 MI FROM EAU A PARACHUTIST APPEARED AT OUR ALT FROM R TO L, BARELY MISSING OUR ACFT. MY COPLT ESTIMATED DISTANCE TO THE PARACHUTIST AT LESS THAN 200 FT. NOTICED THAT PARACHUTIST WAS TRYING TO CTL HIS CHUTE. COLOR SEVERAL, MAINLY ORANGE. NO ADDITIONAL PARACHUTES WERE SIGHTED. THE SECTIONAL CHART SHOWS PARACHUTE ACTIVITIES AT LAKE WISSOTA, BUT DUE TO LIMITED VISIBILITY WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR. LISTENING TO BOTH CTR AND CTAF FREQ, WE HEARD NO ANNOUNCEMENT OF PARA-JUMPING. WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME SEEMED TO RULE OUT ANY PARACHUTE ACTIVITY. INQUIRY AT EAU PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE FROM LCL CHARTER PLTS AND PVT PLTS. 'THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THE PARACHUTE CLUB LIE ABOUT THE WX ALL THE TIME, AND COMPLAINTS TO THE FAA HAVE BEEN IGNORED.' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: JUMPING THROUGH OVCST ON THE PART OF THE PARACHUTIST, OUR BELIEF THAT NO ONE WOULD POSSIBLY JUMP IN THE DESCRIBED WX CONDITION, JUMPING ON THE EAU 70 DEG RADIAL, WITH CLOSE PROX TO THE EAU RWY 22 ILS. CORRECTIVE ACTION?! STAY CLR OF PARACHUTE JUMPING AREAS NO MATTER HOW UNLIKELY THE CONDITION. PERHAPS INSIST THAT PARACHUTE AREAS BE MARKED WITH A MORE LEGIBLE COLOR ON THE CHARTS AND, LAST, ASSERT MORE CTL OVER ACTIONS OF PARA-JUMPERS.

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.