Narrative:

In climb on jump run, 1 NM southeast of the airport. I was asked if jumpers were away. I responded that jumping was in progress. I was then notified of a military helicopter flying 3 mi south of morris. When I called that all jumpers were away, I watched as this helicopter and skydiver converged. I could not see the helicopter 5000 ft below me and none of the others in the aircraft could see it either until it was too late. There is a NOTAM filed for parachute activity and to the best of my knowledge it was in effect. Both of us were talking to the same controller but on different frequencys. Attention during final stages of jump run divided up. We must start cooling down the engine, stabilize the aircraft, look for aircraft, talk to center and announce intentions over unicom. It is almost impossible for me to see out the lower right side of the aircraft because of my relatively short size and 2 big people with rigs on my right window. The only corrective action that I can see is more warning by the controling agency of other aircraft. They are usually good at this but this time the system broke down. It should be noted that the helicopter was on an IFR flight plan and ATC does know of our existence and the fact that we don't always drop directly over the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that center called him after he was on the ground. They claimed the near collision was his fault since he did not tell them that he still had jumpers aboard. A review of the tapes indicated he did notify them and ATC accepted responsibility. Reporter concern is that the NOTAM is only a local one and he feels that transient aircraft are not aware it is a jump area. He would like to have better NOTAM dissemination. Aircraft was a C182, skylane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C182 SKYDIVE ACFT HAS CONFUSION WITH CTR REGARDING STATUS OF JUMPERS. JUMPER AND HELI HAVE CLOSE PROX. ARTCC ACFT COM COORD PROB.

Narrative: IN CLB ON JUMP RUN, 1 NM SE OF THE ARPT. I WAS ASKED IF JUMPERS WERE AWAY. I RESPONDED THAT JUMPING WAS IN PROGRESS. I WAS THEN NOTIFIED OF A MIL HELI FLYING 3 MI S OF MORRIS. WHEN I CALLED THAT ALL JUMPERS WERE AWAY, I WATCHED AS THIS HELI AND SKYDIVER CONVERGED. I COULD NOT SEE THE HELI 5000 FT BELOW ME AND NONE OF THE OTHERS IN THE ACFT COULD SEE IT EITHER UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. THERE IS A NOTAM FILED FOR PARACHUTE ACTIVITY AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE IT WAS IN EFFECT. BOTH OF US WERE TALKING TO THE SAME CTLR BUT ON DIFFERENT FREQS. ATTN DURING FINAL STAGES OF JUMP RUN DIVIDED UP. WE MUST START COOLING DOWN THE ENG, STABILIZE THE ACFT, LOOK FOR ACFT, TALK TO CTR AND ANNOUNCE INTENTIONS OVER UNICOM. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SEE OUT THE LOWER R SIDE OF THE ACFT BECAUSE OF MY RELATIVELY SHORT SIZE AND 2 BIG PEOPLE WITH RIGS ON MY R WINDOW. THE ONLY CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT I CAN SEE IS MORE WARNING BY THE CTLING AGENCY OF OTHER ACFT. THEY ARE USUALLY GOOD AT THIS BUT THIS TIME THE SYS BROKE DOWN. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE HELI WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ATC DOES KNOW OF OUR EXISTENCE AND THE FACT THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS DROP DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT CTR CALLED HIM AFTER HE WAS ON THE GND. THEY CLAIMED THE NEAR COLLISION WAS HIS FAULT SINCE HE DID NOT TELL THEM THAT HE STILL HAD JUMPERS ABOARD. A REVIEW OF THE TAPES INDICATED HE DID NOTIFY THEM AND ATC ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY. RPTR CONCERN IS THAT THE NOTAM IS ONLY A LCL ONE AND HE FEELS THAT TRANSIENT ACFT ARE NOT AWARE IT IS A JUMP AREA. HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BETTER NOTAM DISSEMINATION. ACFT WAS A C182, SKYLANE.

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.