Narrative:

A skydive demonstration was scheduled to start an airshow. The skydive was to be a 2 aircraft formation jump, each aircraft carrying 4 skydivers. As I walked to the pilot briefing for the show I stopped to talk to one of the demonstration jumpers. He did not know the plan for the skydive or any requirements the jumpers felt they needed for their demonstration. I met the lead jumper at the meeting. The lead jumper understood and agreed to having a separate act consisting of 3 pitts aerobatic airplanes follow the last jumper to the ground. It was further understood that the jump was to take place only after clearance from the air boss and at XA45. There was to be departing flts of military F16 traffic at the airport below. During the climb the air boss directed all jumpers out on one pass. Clearance for the jump had not yet been given. Yet jumpers in my aircraft, the second, stated for safety that they wanted a second pass to space for safety. I indicated they had to jump on one pass or abort the jump. They complained, but decided to jump. After crossing the target 4 mins early the other pilot reported he wished to orbit until jump clearance was issued. The jumpers though opened the door and jumped against the PIC's direction, then my jumpers opened my aircraft's door and exited. At this time I was confused and thought that the clearance had been given to jump. I instructed my jumpers to exit and then the last 2 jumped, the previous 2 had already departed my aircraft. 2 actions could have resolved the situation or prevented it. I could have demanded a briefing from the jumpers (this though I know would not be likely). Second I should have aborted the jump when the jumpers expressed concern, or after the lead jumper exited the first aircraft early. Consequences were that departing F16 traffic was jeopardized during their departure if they had reversed course on upwind departure. The 3 pitts were below and unaware of the exit until the lead pilot of the pitts spotted the skydivers. We in the jump planes had not yet made our calls previous to jump, ie, '2 mins to jump ... 1 min ... Jumpers away.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C206 PLT, PART OF A 2 ACFT FLT OF SKYDIVERS WITH A C182 AS LEAD, OPERATING AT AN AIR SHOW HAS HIS SKYDIVERS JUMP EARLY WHEN THE LEAD JUMPER IN THE LEAD ACFT JUMPED EARLY. THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AS THE AIR ACTIVITIES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CTLED BY AN AIR BOSS IN CHARGE OF SAFETY AND SCHEDULING. DUE TO OTHER PARTICIPANT'S AWARENESS, NO CONFLICT OCCURRED.

Narrative: A SKYDIVE DEMONSTRATION WAS SCHEDULED TO START AN AIRSHOW. THE SKYDIVE WAS TO BE A 2 ACFT FORMATION JUMP, EACH ACFT CARRYING 4 SKYDIVERS. AS I WALKED TO THE PLT BRIEFING FOR THE SHOW I STOPPED TO TALK TO ONE OF THE DEMONSTRATION JUMPERS. HE DID NOT KNOW THE PLAN FOR THE SKYDIVE OR ANY REQUIREMENTS THE JUMPERS FELT THEY NEEDED FOR THEIR DEMONSTRATION. I MET THE LEAD JUMPER AT THE MEETING. THE LEAD JUMPER UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED TO HAVING A SEPARATE ACT CONSISTING OF 3 PITTS AEROBATIC AIRPLANES FOLLOW THE LAST JUMPER TO THE GND. IT WAS FURTHER UNDERSTOOD THAT THE JUMP WAS TO TAKE PLACE ONLY AFTER CLRNC FROM THE AIR BOSS AND AT XA45. THERE WAS TO BE DEPARTING FLTS OF MIL F16 TFC AT THE ARPT BELOW. DURING THE CLB THE AIR BOSS DIRECTED ALL JUMPERS OUT ON ONE PASS. CLRNC FOR THE JUMP HAD NOT YET BEEN GIVEN. YET JUMPERS IN MY ACFT, THE SECOND, STATED FOR SAFETY THAT THEY WANTED A SECOND PASS TO SPACE FOR SAFETY. I INDICATED THEY HAD TO JUMP ON ONE PASS OR ABORT THE JUMP. THEY COMPLAINED, BUT DECIDED TO JUMP. AFTER XING THE TARGET 4 MINS EARLY THE OTHER PLT RPTED HE WISHED TO ORBIT UNTIL JUMP CLRNC WAS ISSUED. THE JUMPERS THOUGH OPENED THE DOOR AND JUMPED AGAINST THE PIC'S DIRECTION, THEN MY JUMPERS OPENED MY ACFT'S DOOR AND EXITED. AT THIS TIME I WAS CONFUSED AND THOUGHT THAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN GIVEN TO JUMP. I INSTRUCTED MY JUMPERS TO EXIT AND THEN THE LAST 2 JUMPED, THE PREVIOUS 2 HAD ALREADY DEPARTED MY ACFT. 2 ACTIONS COULD HAVE RESOLVED THE SIT OR PREVENTED IT. I COULD HAVE DEMANDED A BRIEFING FROM THE JUMPERS (THIS THOUGH I KNOW WOULD NOT BE LIKELY). SECOND I SHOULD HAVE ABORTED THE JUMP WHEN THE JUMPERS EXPRESSED CONCERN, OR AFTER THE LEAD JUMPER EXITED THE FIRST ACFT EARLY. CONSEQUENCES WERE THAT DEPARTING F16 TFC WAS JEOPARDIZED DURING THEIR DEP IF THEY HAD REVERSED COURSE ON UPWIND DEP. THE 3 PITTS WERE BELOW AND UNAWARE OF THE EXIT UNTIL THE LEAD PLT OF THE PITTS SPOTTED THE SKYDIVERS. WE IN THE JUMP PLANES HAD NOT YET MADE OUR CALLS PREVIOUS TO JUMP, IE, '2 MINS TO JUMP ... 1 MIN ... JUMPERS AWAY.'

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.