Narrative:

We were vectored off of the heatt arrival to the cypress arrival. Given a heading of 270 degrees. Traffic appeared on TCASII at 13500 ft, 11 O'clock position. I was getting mia ATIS when the TCASII alerted us with an RA to descend. The captain (PF) began to comply with the descent RA when jumpers (skydivers) exited the aircraft. The captain immediately turned right to avoid the jumpers. We passed below the jump aircraft and to the right of the jumpers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: first officer reporter stated that the heading of 270 degrees as issued by the controller actually turned them towards the path of the jump aircraft. Reporter feels that both the center controller and the pilot of the jump aircraft were at fault. He could not recall the frequency of the center at that time but had obtained the initials of the controller for future use if needed. The PIC was going to turn in a report to their air carrier. He said that the miss distance from the jumpers would have been in the range of 500-1000 ft had they not turned to avoid them. It would have been 'real close.' the DH8's heading after the turn was now to the northwest. He said that the controller was 'very busy.' supplemental information from acn 368035: given heading 270 degrees for traffic, which turned out to be the jump plane, at 11 O'clock and 13500 ft. The jump plane reported us in sight and released his jumpers. We sighted the jump plane at that time. TCASII alerted us with an RA to descend. As we began to comply with the RA, more jumpers were released causing the need for an immediate right turn to avoid jumpers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SKYDIVERS RELEASED FROM DH6 NEAR FLT PATH OF A DH8 NEAR PHK, FL, VOR. CTR CTLR HAD ISSUED VECTOR FOR TFC SEPARATION PRIOR TO INCIDENT. JUMP PLANE PLT HAD ACR DH8 IN SIGHT. JUMPERS WERE RELEASED IN PROX OF ACR X.

Narrative: WE WERE VECTORED OFF OF THE HEATT ARR TO THE CYPRESS ARR. GIVEN A HDG OF 270 DEGS. TFC APPEARED ON TCASII AT 13500 FT, 11 O'CLOCK POS. I WAS GETTING MIA ATIS WHEN THE TCASII ALERTED US WITH AN RA TO DSND. THE CAPT (PF) BEGAN TO COMPLY WITH THE DSCNT RA WHEN JUMPERS (SKYDIVERS) EXITED THE ACFT. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY TURNED R TO AVOID THE JUMPERS. WE PASSED BELOW THE JUMP ACFT AND TO THE R OF THE JUMPERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTR STATED THAT THE HDG OF 270 DEGS AS ISSUED BY THE CTLR ACTUALLY TURNED THEM TOWARDS THE PATH OF THE JUMP ACFT. RPTR FEELS THAT BOTH THE CTR CTLR AND THE PLT OF THE JUMP ACFT WERE AT FAULT. HE COULD NOT RECALL THE FREQ OF THE CTR AT THAT TIME BUT HAD OBTAINED THE INITIALS OF THE CTLR FOR FUTURE USE IF NEEDED. THE PIC WAS GOING TO TURN IN A RPT TO THEIR ACR. HE SAID THAT THE MISS DISTANCE FROM THE JUMPERS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RANGE OF 500-1000 FT HAD THEY NOT TURNED TO AVOID THEM. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN 'REAL CLOSE.' THE DH8'S HDG AFTER THE TURN WAS NOW TO THE NW. HE SAID THAT THE CTLR WAS 'VERY BUSY.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 368035: GIVEN HDG 270 DEGS FOR TFC, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE JUMP PLANE, AT 11 O'CLOCK AND 13500 FT. THE JUMP PLANE RPTED US IN SIGHT AND RELEASED HIS JUMPERS. WE SIGHTED THE JUMP PLANE AT THAT TIME. TCASII ALERTED US WITH AN RA TO DSND. AS WE BEGAN TO COMPLY WITH THE RA, MORE JUMPERS WERE RELEASED CAUSING THE NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO AVOID 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.