Narrative:

WX conditions at time of incident consisted of a rapidly forming broken to overcast layer at about 5000 ft MSL. During climb out the layer was scattered and easy to get on top of. However, it took about 12 mins to climb from the forming layer to the final altitude of 14500 ft. Shortly before the jump run, there appeared to be adequate breaks and ground contact to allow the jumpers to exit. This was erroneous because of my limited forward and downward visibility. The engine nacelles and instrument panel obstructed my view of the area directly ahead. By allowing the skydivers to exit, I failed to ensure that they could maintain VMC throughout their descent to the ground. This situation could have been prevented by being more observant of current WX. It was extremely humid and quite windy (surface winds and winds aloft). It would be reasonable to assume that a deck of clouds could move in quickly (or form). The high workload during jump run also allowed me to be somewhat task saturated and not that aware of a forming undercast nearly 10000 ft below. This could have been prevented by either communications with the drop zone as to current conditions or better visual inspection of the area directly in front of the aircraft (not off to the side several mi where WX was clrer). Reliance on GPS to find the drop point makes it easy to lose awareness of changing WX below. Usually, even on a completely clear day, the release point is determined by GPS distance and bearing, rather than visually spotting landmarks. In the future I will not commence the jump run unless I take the time to visually locate the airport at some point before releasing jumpers. Nor will I fixate on the GPS during the flight. It is a visual operation, not an instrument approach to a point in space.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE90 ALLOWS HIS SKYDIVERS TO JUMP WHEN THERE IS AN UNDERCAST BELOW THEM FORCING THE JUMPERS TO PASS THROUGH IMC CONDITIONS. HE CLAIMS HIS VISION OF THE CLOUDS WAS OBSTRUCTED BY ACFT STRUCTURE.

Narrative: WX CONDITIONS AT TIME OF INCIDENT CONSISTED OF A RAPIDLY FORMING BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER AT ABOUT 5000 FT MSL. DURING CLBOUT THE LAYER WAS SCATTERED AND EASY TO GET ON TOP OF. HOWEVER, IT TOOK ABOUT 12 MINS TO CLB FROM THE FORMING LAYER TO THE FINAL ALT OF 14500 FT. SHORTLY BEFORE THE JUMP RUN, THERE APPEARED TO BE ADEQUATE BREAKS AND GND CONTACT TO ALLOW THE JUMPERS TO EXIT. THIS WAS ERRONEOUS BECAUSE OF MY LIMITED FORWARD AND DOWNWARD VISIBILITY. THE ENG NACELLES AND INST PANEL OBSTRUCTED MY VIEW OF THE AREA DIRECTLY AHEAD. BY ALLOWING THE SKYDIVERS TO EXIT, I FAILED TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD MAINTAIN VMC THROUGHOUT THEIR DSCNT TO THE GND. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY BEING MORE OBSERVANT OF CURRENT WX. IT WAS EXTREMELY HUMID AND QUITE WINDY (SURFACE WINDS AND WINDS ALOFT). IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT A DECK OF CLOUDS COULD MOVE IN QUICKLY (OR FORM). THE HIGH WORKLOAD DURING JUMP RUN ALSO ALLOWED ME TO BE SOMEWHAT TASK SATURATED AND NOT THAT AWARE OF A FORMING UNDERCAST NEARLY 10000 FT BELOW. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY EITHER COMS WITH THE DROP ZONE AS TO CURRENT CONDITIONS OR BETTER VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AREA DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT (NOT OFF TO THE SIDE SEVERAL MI WHERE WX WAS CLRER). RELIANCE ON GPS TO FIND THE DROP POINT MAKES IT EASY TO LOSE AWARENESS OF CHANGING WX BELOW. USUALLY, EVEN ON A COMPLETELY CLR DAY, THE RELEASE POINT IS DETERMINED BY GPS DISTANCE AND BEARING, RATHER THAN VISUALLY SPOTTING LANDMARKS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT COMMENCE THE JUMP RUN UNLESS I TAKE THE TIME TO VISUALLY LOCATE THE ARPT AT SOME POINT BEFORE RELEASING JUMPERS. NOR WILL I FIXATE ON THE GPS DURING THE FLT. IT IS A VISUAL OP, NOT AN INST APCH TO A POINT IN SPACE.

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.