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Lack of proper ground pilot coordination prior to exercising parachute jumping activity. Jumpers fell through airspace occupied by low level aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 347275 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199609 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ffo airport : day |
| State Reference | OH |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14500 msl bound upper : 14500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid tracon : day |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 1430 flight time type : 120 |
| ASRS Report | 347275 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
On occasion we drop a plane-load of skydivers into a large field close to one of the skydiver's homes. We are a busy drop zone with a number of pilots and a number of aircraft. For this particular drop, I found out mins before takeoff that I was to fly the load in question. When I asked on the way to the aircraft 'NOTAMS filed, we squared away for this jump?' the person coordinating the jump said 'all set, everything's legal.' my first mistake was not verifying with flight service that a NOTAM had in fact been filed. I was concerned about getting the plane in the air on schedule, to ensure all jumpers were on the ground before sunset. My second mistake included not being explicit about the location of the drop. Prior to every drop, we provide a '1 min advisory' to ATC, and in return are provided an advisory of the location of all aircraft in a 5 NM radius. Based on this TA, we periodically abort a jump run, and make as many repeat passes as are necessary to ensure a safe drop. Based on my belief that a NOTAM was filed, and continual radar advisories from ATC, I believed we were set for a clear drop -- all traffic called out by center was well away from our position, and the '1 min' advisory and response confirmed this. Jumpers left the aircraft on the second pass (first pass aborted, due to jumper request), after a second '1 min' call and TA. When the aircraft was clear, I called 'jumpers away, descending' to both ZID and day approach. Soon after my return to the airport, I learned 1) people on the ground had witnessed low level air traffic around the time of the jump, and 2) a NOTAM had not been filed. I am certain that I would not be writing this report if I had delayed a couple mins to confirm the filing of the NOTAM, or had discussed our intentions with day approach more clearly, instead of assuming, 'all set, everything's legal,' like it usually is.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LACK OF PROPER GND PLT COORD PRIOR TO EXERCISING PARACHUTE JUMPING ACTIVITY. JUMPERS FELL THROUGH AIRSPACE OCCUPIED BY LOW LEVEL ACFT.
Narrative: ON OCCASION WE DROP A PLANE-LOAD OF SKYDIVERS INTO A LARGE FIELD CLOSE TO ONE OF THE SKYDIVER'S HOMES. WE ARE A BUSY DROP ZONE WITH A NUMBER OF PLTS AND A NUMBER OF ACFT. FOR THIS PARTICULAR DROP, I FOUND OUT MINS BEFORE TKOF THAT I WAS TO FLY THE LOAD IN QUESTION. WHEN I ASKED ON THE WAY TO THE ACFT 'NOTAMS FILED, WE SQUARED AWAY FOR THIS JUMP?' THE PERSON COORDINATING THE JUMP SAID 'ALL SET, EVERYTHING'S LEGAL.' MY FIRST MISTAKE WAS NOT VERIFYING WITH FLT SVC THAT A NOTAM HAD IN FACT BEEN FILED. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING THE PLANE IN THE AIR ON SCHEDULE, TO ENSURE ALL JUMPERS WERE ON THE GND BEFORE SUNSET. MY SECOND MISTAKE INCLUDED NOT BEING EXPLICIT ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE DROP. PRIOR TO EVERY DROP, WE PROVIDE A '1 MIN ADVISORY' TO ATC, AND IN RETURN ARE PROVIDED AN ADVISORY OF THE LOCATION OF ALL ACFT IN A 5 NM RADIUS. BASED ON THIS TA, WE PERIODICALLY ABORT A JUMP RUN, AND MAKE AS MANY REPEAT PASSES AS ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE A SAFE DROP. BASED ON MY BELIEF THAT A NOTAM WAS FILED, AND CONTINUAL RADAR ADVISORIES FROM ATC, I BELIEVED WE WERE SET FOR A CLR DROP -- ALL TFC CALLED OUT BY CTR WAS WELL AWAY FROM OUR POS, AND THE '1 MIN' ADVISORY AND RESPONSE CONFIRMED THIS. JUMPERS LEFT THE ACFT ON THE SECOND PASS (FIRST PASS ABORTED, DUE TO JUMPER REQUEST), AFTER A SECOND '1 MIN' CALL AND TA. WHEN THE ACFT WAS CLR, I CALLED 'JUMPERS AWAY, DSNDING' TO BOTH ZID AND DAY APCH. SOON AFTER MY RETURN TO THE ARPT, I LEARNED 1) PEOPLE ON THE GND HAD WITNESSED LOW LEVEL AIR TFC AROUND THE TIME OF THE JUMP, AND 2) A NOTAM HAD NOT BEEN FILED. I AM CERTAIN THAT I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS RPT IF I HAD DELAYED A COUPLE MINS TO CONFIRM THE FILING OF THE NOTAM, OR HAD DISCUSSED OUR INTENTIONS WITH DAY APCH MORE CLRLY, INSTEAD OF ASSUMING, 'ALL SET, EVERYTHING'S LEGAL,' LIKE IT USUALLY IS.
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.