Pilot of twin engine jump aircraft is unable to contact tower prior to jumpers exiting the aircraft....

Attributes
ACN	379662
Time
Date	199709
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ffo
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : day tower : ffo
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time total : 650
ASRS Report	379662
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I flew a demonstration jump into bakers field, 1 mi southeast of patterson. Day approach handed me off to patterson tower. I called them at least 5 times. Once tower didn't respond to my call sign, I called day approach back and asked if tower was open, and if I could call 1 min prior with day approach. They said no, and handed me back off with patterson. I kept trying to call patterson tower, but still no response. I called back and told a jumper that I haven't got a response from patterson tower. I could hear other airplanes over the radio, but I still didn't get a response. I called 1 min prior over the radio, but when I looked back to the jumpers to tell them that tower has not responded or cleared them for the jump, they were gone. Jumpers left the plane before I could tell them about the situation again. Once the jumpers were out, a plane called tower and asked the tower if he knew about the jumpers. The controller said no, that's when tower took time to listen to my calls over the radio. I talked to tower and I told him I have been trying to call him at least 15 times to get a response, and that there are jumpers out, and when the jumpers should be on the ground. I voluntarily called tower over the phone and I told him what happened, and apologized for the misunderstanding. The controller I talked to told me that he thought he heard me, but he didn't know we were the jump plane. He thought I was transit traffic, but again I apologized for the misunderstanding. I feel the controller ignored my calls to tower because he thought I was transit, and I feel this way because that's what he indicated to me on the phone. This could have been prevented in a number of ways. 1) if the controller would have responded to my call signs instead of him thinking that I was transit. 2) if I would have had more control of the jumpers in the back of the plane. 3) if day approach would have handed me off to tower, instead of them just telling me to contact tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TWIN ENG JUMP ACFT IS UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR PRIOR TO JUMPERS EXITING THE ACFT. AS HE TURNS TO TELL THE JUMPERS, THEY ARE ALREADY AWAY. LCL CTLR STATES HE THOUGHT TFC WAS A TRANSIT ACFT AND SO DID NOT RESPOND.

Narrative: I FLEW A DEMO JUMP INTO BAKERS FIELD, 1 MI SE OF PATTERSON. DAY APCH HANDED ME OFF TO PATTERSON TWR. I CALLED THEM AT LEAST 5 TIMES. ONCE TWR DIDN'T RESPOND TO MY CALL SIGN, I CALLED DAY APCH BACK AND ASKED IF TWR WAS OPEN, AND IF I COULD CALL 1 MIN PRIOR WITH DAY APCH. THEY SAID NO, AND HANDED ME BACK OFF WITH PATTERSON. I KEPT TRYING TO CALL PATTERSON TWR, BUT STILL NO RESPONSE. I CALLED BACK AND TOLD A JUMPER THAT I HAVEN'T GOT A RESPONSE FROM PATTERSON TWR. I COULD HEAR OTHER AIRPLANES OVER THE RADIO, BUT I STILL DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE. I CALLED 1 MIN PRIOR OVER THE RADIO, BUT WHEN I LOOKED BACK TO THE JUMPERS TO TELL THEM THAT TWR HAS NOT RESPONDED OR CLRED THEM FOR THE JUMP, THEY WERE GONE. JUMPERS LEFT THE PLANE BEFORE I COULD TELL THEM ABOUT THE SIT AGAIN. ONCE THE JUMPERS WERE OUT, A PLANE CALLED TWR AND ASKED THE TWR IF HE KNEW ABOUT THE JUMPERS. THE CTLR SAID NO, THAT'S WHEN TWR TOOK TIME TO LISTEN TO MY CALLS OVER THE RADIO. I TALKED TO TWR AND I TOLD HIM I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CALL HIM AT LEAST 15 TIMES TO GET A RESPONSE, AND THAT THERE ARE JUMPERS OUT, AND WHEN THE JUMPERS SHOULD BE ON THE GND. I VOLUNTARILY CALLED TWR OVER THE PHONE AND I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED, AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING. THE CTLR I TALKED TO TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT HE HEARD ME, BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE THE JUMP PLANE. HE THOUGHT I WAS TRANSIT TFC, BUT AGAIN I APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDING. I FEEL THE CTLR IGNORED MY CALLS TO TWR BECAUSE HE THOUGHT I WAS TRANSIT, AND I FEEL THIS WAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE INDICATED TO ME ON THE PHONE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. 1) IF THE CTLR WOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO MY CALL SIGNS INSTEAD OF HIM THINKING THAT I WAS TRANSIT. 2) IF I WOULD HAVE HAD MORE CTL OF THE JUMPERS IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE. 3) IF DAY APCH WOULD HAVE HANDED ME OFF TO TWR, INSTEAD OF THEM JUST TELLING ME TO CONTACT TWR.

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.

Pilot of twin engine jump aircraft is unable to contact tower prior to jumpers exiting the aircraft. As he turns to tell the jumpers, they are already away. Local controller states he thought traffic was a transit aircraft and so did not respond.