Narrative:

The implementation of the dallas ft worth metroplex airspace change created an extremely hazardous situation on the bonham STAR which serves the dfw airport. Currently the bonham STAR utilizes the bonham 219 degree radial which places a very large number of air carrier jet and propeller aircraft less than 2 mi from the trenton tri-county estates airport where there is a premier sky diving operation located. The skydivers usually operate at altitudes of up to 14500 ft MSL on a daily basis. There have been many TCASII events already documented which provide evidence of this dangerous situation. Unfortunately TCASII only lets the acrs see the jump aircraft, and not the dozens of skydivers that are usually falling out of the aircraft. I recommend that the bonham STAR be modified as soon as possible to utilize at the very minimum the bonham 215 degree radial. The bonham 215 degree radial passes 2 1/2 mi southeast of the drop zone, and FARS covering parachute operations require all jumping to remain within 2 mi of the drop zone. If the bonham radial can be moved even further counterclockwise, that will only improve the safety margin. Final note: I have personally visited the skydive operation at the trenton airport, and they appear to run a very professional operation, and they are willing to work with ATC to provide the safest possible environment for both the skydivers and the air carrier traffic. They have several million dollars invested in their facilities and aircraft are there to stay. Please make every effort to modify the air traffic procedures on the bonham STAR before somebody has a very serious accident, and some poor air traffic controller has to testify before a judge regarding an incident in this area. It is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt (or worse) in this area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: learned from the reporter that nothing has been done to change the route to avoid the jump area, that all involved have been talking, that the jump aircraft is given a discrete beacon to squawk which is used each time the aircraft departures for a jump run during the daily runs, that the jump area pilot will ask for a hole referencing the arrival traffic in which to release the jumpers and the pilot of the jump aircraft will call with the time the jumpers will jump. Reporter stated he chooses to vector traffic around the jump area and then re-establish the traffic back on the STAR while some other controllers will provide TA's between the arrs and the jump aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF REVISED STAR RTE IN PROX TO SKYDIVING OPS. RPTR ALLEGES DOCUMENTED TCASII RPTS AND EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DALLAS FT WORTH METROPLEX AIRSPACE CHANGE CREATED AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SIT ON THE BONHAM STAR WHICH SERVES THE DFW ARPT. CURRENTLY THE BONHAM STAR UTILIZES THE BONHAM 219 DEG RADIAL WHICH PLACES A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF ACR JET AND PROP ACFT LESS THAN 2 MI FROM THE TRENTON TRI-COUNTY ESTATES ARPT WHERE THERE IS A PREMIER SKY DIVING OP LOCATED. THE SKYDIVERS USUALLY OPERATE AT ALTS OF UP TO 14500 FT MSL ON A DAILY BASIS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TCASII EVENTS ALREADY DOCUMENTED WHICH PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF THIS DANGEROUS SIT. UNFORTUNATELY TCASII ONLY LETS THE ACRS SEE THE JUMP ACFT, AND NOT THE DOZENS OF SKYDIVERS THAT ARE USUALLY FALLING OUT OF THE ACFT. I RECOMMEND THAT THE BONHAM STAR BE MODIFIED ASAP TO UTILIZE AT THE VERY MINIMUM THE BONHAM 215 DEG RADIAL. THE BONHAM 215 DEG RADIAL PASSES 2 1/2 MI SE OF THE DROP ZONE, AND FARS COVERING PARACHUTE OPS REQUIRE ALL JUMPING TO REMAIN WITHIN 2 MI OF THE DROP ZONE. IF THE BONHAM RADIAL CAN BE MOVED EVEN FURTHER COUNTERCLOCKWISE, THAT WILL ONLY IMPROVE THE SAFETY MARGIN. FINAL NOTE: I HAVE PERSONALLY VISITED THE SKYDIVE OP AT THE TRENTON ARPT, AND THEY APPEAR TO RUN A VERY PROFESSIONAL OP, AND THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH ATC TO PROVIDE THE SAFEST POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH THE SKYDIVERS AND THE ACR TFC. THEY HAVE SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS INVESTED IN THEIR FACILITIES AND ACFT ARE THERE TO STAY. PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MODIFY THE AIR TFC PROCS ON THE BONHAM STAR BEFORE SOMEBODY HAS A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AND SOME POOR AIR TFC CTLR HAS TO TESTIFY BEFORE A JUDGE REGARDING AN INCIDENT IN THIS AREA. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT (OR WORSE) IN THIS AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: LEARNED FROM THE RPTR THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CHANGE THE RTE TO AVOID THE JUMP AREA, THAT ALL INVOLVED HAVE BEEN TALKING, THAT THE JUMP ACFT IS GIVEN A DISCRETE BEACON TO SQUAWK WHICH IS USED EACH TIME THE ACFT DEPS FOR A JUMP RUN DURING THE DAILY RUNS, THAT THE JUMP AREA PLT WILL ASK FOR A HOLE REFING THE ARR TFC IN WHICH TO RELEASE THE JUMPERS AND THE PLT OF THE JUMP ACFT WILL CALL WITH THE TIME THE JUMPERS WILL JUMP. RPTR STATED HE CHOOSES TO VECTOR TFC AROUND THE JUMP AREA AND THEN RE-ESTABLISH THE TFC BACK ON THE STAR WHILE SOME OTHER CTLRS WILL PROVIDE TA'S BTWN THE ARRS AND THE JUMP ACFT.

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.