Narrative:

Received WX briefing for VFR flight into el monte, ca. Only NOTAMS received were for several vors to be OTS. Departed montgomery field, ca, obtained flight following and continued to el monte. Socal approach, as usual, discontinued service below the la class B airspace and about 12 mi southeast of el monte. I called tower to announce my position and intentions when I noticed what I thought was a landing light at my 12 O'clock position. As I asked tower what this light was several smaller lights started falling from the larger light. The tower controller was at first confused as to my inquiry. Then another aircraft called over the tower frequency that 'jumpers were away.' it clicked then what I was seeing and I started to turn away from the light. The parachutist rushed by me as I was turning. I estimate, that even though it was dark, I passed 100 ft above and 400-500 ft to the side of the jumpers. I asked the jump plane later if the jump has been notamed. He replied that he had called riverside FSS 'about 1 hour earlier' which explains why I may not have received it in my briefing. What bothered me though, was the tower controller saying that both he and socal knew about the jump. Neither controller warned me about any potential for conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA31-350 TURNED TO AVOID PARACHUTIST FALLING FROM AN ACFT NEARBY AT NIGHT. THE JUMPERS, AS WELL AS THE JUMP ACFT, HAD THE REQUIRED LIGHTS ON FOR NIGHT OPS. ATC HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, BUT HAD NOT PASSED ON THE INFO TO THE RPTR DURING HIS CONTACTS! CLOSE ENCOUNTER BTWN THE JUMP ACFT, PARACHUTIST AND RPTR.

Narrative: RECEIVED WX BRIEFING FOR VFR FLT INTO EL MONTE, CA. ONLY NOTAMS RECEIVED WERE FOR SEVERAL VORS TO BE OTS. DEPARTED MONTGOMERY FIELD, CA, OBTAINED FLT FOLLOWING AND CONTINUED TO EL MONTE. SOCAL APCH, AS USUAL, DISCONTINUED SVC BELOW THE LA CLASS B AIRSPACE AND ABOUT 12 MI SE OF EL MONTE. I CALLED TWR TO ANNOUNCE MY POS AND INTENTIONS WHEN I NOTICED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A LNDG LIGHT AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS. AS I ASKED TWR WHAT THIS LIGHT WAS SEVERAL SMALLER LIGHTS STARTED FALLING FROM THE LARGER LIGHT. THE TWR CTLR WAS AT FIRST CONFUSED AS TO MY INQUIRY. THEN ANOTHER ACFT CALLED OVER THE TWR FREQ THAT 'JUMPERS WERE AWAY.' IT CLICKED THEN WHAT I WAS SEEING AND I STARTED TO TURN AWAY FROM THE LIGHT. THE PARACHUTIST RUSHED BY ME AS I WAS TURNING. I ESTIMATE, THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DARK, I PASSED 100 FT ABOVE AND 400-500 FT TO THE SIDE OF THE JUMPERS. I ASKED THE JUMP PLANE LATER IF THE JUMP HAS BEEN NOTAMED. HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD CALLED RIVERSIDE FSS 'ABOUT 1 HR EARLIER' WHICH EXPLAINS WHY I MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED IT IN MY BRIEFING. WHAT BOTHERED ME THOUGH, WAS THE TWR CTLR SAYING THAT BOTH HE AND SOCAL KNEW ABOUT THE JUMP. NEITHER CTLR WARNED ME ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT.

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.