Narrative:

After takeoff, I contacted ZOA at about 5000 ft for traffic. At 12000 ft I made an announcement on hollister airport's CTAF that jumpers would be jumping 7 mi southeast of the hollister airport at tres pinos in 2 mins. I also told center at 4 mins and 1 min till jumpers away over tres pinos and confirmed that there was no traffic in the area. At 1 min away from jumpers exiting the aircraft a spotter checks 1 last time for hazardous traffic by looking out the exit door straight below the aircraft. Determining that there was no traffic I made 1 final announcement on the CTAF the jumping would be in progress over the tres pinos drop zone for the next 10 mins. After landing, I was told that an aircraft hit a skydiver's open canopy at about 2000 ft, seconds after the chute deployed. The most outboard cell of the chute had a 1 ft tear in it confirming the event. The skydiver was not hurt, nor was the chute damaged enough for a cut- away. The pilot of the aircraft that hit the skydiver talked to the owner of the skydiving operation immediately after realizing what happened. The pilot said he knew he was near the skydiving operation and had a current VFR chart to verify this. He also said he heard the 2 min call on the CTAF, but continued flying circles near the area. The reason he said he was there was to check out the large event that day at bolado park, 1 mi southwest of the skydiving operation. It's possible that he was distraction while circling and sightseeing and that he lost track of time. He knew the jumpers were jumping, and he knew he was over the drop zone, but failed to respond in time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this was really a very unusual incident. The skydive operation has been at the airport for 14 yrs and has never had such an incident. Because of the special activity which is a world wide event, the reporter also broadcast on the CTAF of hollister airport hoping that the numerous aircraft he had heard on that frequency would be aware of the jumpers. The pilot who hit the jumper's chute was most apologetic because he had heard the broadcast but was so wrapped up in the special activity that he failed to scan more carefully. Reporter also feels that the jumper would have been able to hear the aircraft had he not had the full helmet which a video photographer wears. This covers the entire head and ears. In addition, the videographer is concentrating on the subject skydiver and not using a normal scan technique. Reporter contacted the NTSB and has spoken with the FAA. Since there were no injuries or aircraft damage they intend no follow up. The aircraft was a king air.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SKYDIVE ACFT INDICATES ALL PROPER PROCS FOLLOWED PRE JUMPERS AWAY BUT ACFT AT LOW ALT STRIKES CHUTE OF SKYDIVER.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, I CONTACTED ZOA AT ABOUT 5000 FT FOR TFC. AT 12000 FT I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON HOLLISTER ARPT'S CTAF THAT JUMPERS WOULD BE JUMPING 7 MI SE OF THE HOLLISTER ARPT AT TRES PINOS IN 2 MINS. I ALSO TOLD CTR AT 4 MINS AND 1 MIN TILL JUMPERS AWAY OVER TRES PINOS AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA. AT 1 MIN AWAY FROM JUMPERS EXITING THE ACFT A SPOTTER CHKS 1 LAST TIME FOR HAZARDOUS TFC BY LOOKING OUT THE EXIT DOOR STRAIGHT BELOW THE ACFT. DETERMINING THAT THERE WAS NO TFC I MADE 1 FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE CTAF THE JUMPING WOULD BE IN PROGRESS OVER THE TRES PINOS DROP ZONE FOR THE NEXT 10 MINS. AFTER LNDG, I WAS TOLD THAT AN ACFT HIT A SKYDIVER'S OPEN CANOPY AT ABOUT 2000 FT, SECONDS AFTER THE CHUTE DEPLOYED. THE MOST OUTBOARD CELL OF THE CHUTE HAD A 1 FT TEAR IN IT CONFIRMING THE EVENT. THE SKYDIVER WAS NOT HURT, NOR WAS THE CHUTE DAMAGED ENOUGH FOR A CUT- AWAY. THE PLT OF THE ACFT THAT HIT THE SKYDIVER TALKED TO THE OWNER OF THE SKYDIVING OP IMMEDIATELY AFTER REALIZING WHAT HAPPENED. THE PLT SAID HE KNEW HE WAS NEAR THE SKYDIVING OP AND HAD A CURRENT VFR CHART TO VERIFY THIS. HE ALSO SAID HE HEARD THE 2 MIN CALL ON THE CTAF, BUT CONTINUED FLYING CIRCLES NEAR THE AREA. THE REASON HE SAID HE WAS THERE WAS TO CHK OUT THE LARGE EVENT THAT DAY AT BOLADO PARK, 1 MI SW OF THE SKYDIVING OP. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS DISTR WHILE CIRCLING AND SIGHTSEEING AND THAT HE LOST TRACK OF TIME. HE KNEW THE JUMPERS WERE JUMPING, AND HE KNEW HE WAS OVER THE DROP ZONE, BUT FAILED TO RESPOND IN TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS WAS REALLY A VERY UNUSUAL INCIDENT. THE SKYDIVE OP HAS BEEN AT THE ARPT FOR 14 YRS AND HAS NEVER HAD SUCH AN INCIDENT. BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL ACTIVITY WHICH IS A WORLD WIDE EVENT, THE RPTR ALSO BROADCAST ON THE CTAF OF HOLLISTER ARPT HOPING THAT THE NUMEROUS ACFT HE HAD HEARD ON THAT FREQ WOULD BE AWARE OF THE JUMPERS. THE PLT WHO HIT THE JUMPER'S CHUTE WAS MOST APOLOGETIC BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD THE BROADCAST BUT WAS SO WRAPPED UP IN THE SPECIAL ACTIVITY THAT HE FAILED TO SCAN MORE CAREFULLY. RPTR ALSO FEELS THAT THE JUMPER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR THE ACFT HAD HE NOT HAD THE FULL HELMET WHICH A VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHER WEARS. THIS COVERS THE ENTIRE HEAD AND EARS. IN ADDITION, THE VIDEOGRAPHER IS CONCENTRATING ON THE SUBJECT SKYDIVER AND NOT USING A NORMAL SCAN TECHNIQUE. RPTR CONTACTED THE NTSB AND HAS SPOKEN WITH THE FAA. SINCE THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR ACFT DAMAGE THEY INTEND NO FOLLOW UP. THE ACFT WAS A KING AIR.

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.