Narrative:

I fly a C182 that has an in-flight door. I was returning to madera airport from a demonstration skydive at oakdale airport. When we return from demos, the skydivers always jump back in. Madera is a certified drop zone airport. We left madera about XX00 am and there were some rv's parked there and a few airplanes had been moved from their regular tiedowns (some event was going to happen). Returning from oakdale I let a jumper out at los banos (we filed the appropriate NOTAMS and were in contact with stockton, ca, approach, then flew to madera. 6 or 7 mi out, I asked to be handed off to fresno approach to coordinate with them as they handle airspace for us when skydiving is in progress. Fresno approach gave me a new transponder code and told me to give them a call 1 min prior to jump (the usual response). I had also called madera traffic '...4 mi west, inbound at 10000 ft with skydivers.' when we got within 2 mi, we saw yellow X's over the runway numbers 12/30. I called on the madera unicom 122.8 and asked if the airport was closed and that I was inbound with skydivers. The response from the ground was use runways 25/7. I turned jump run a few mins later called fresno approach and advised 1 min prior to jump. Fresno approach said 'it looked like there was landing traffic on close final.' I jumped to madera frequency and announced 'skydiving in progress from 9500 ft and below for the next 5 mins directly over madera airport, madera traffic, be advised.' (common practice.) then I told the 3 jumpers that it looked like something was going on at the airport so stay way east of the runways (which they did). I called jumpers away to fresno approach and to madera traffic. About 2 mins later, someone from the ground at madera said 'if the jumpers haven't jumped, don't let them.' I replied that they had jumped 2 mins ago. I was met at the fuel pumps by an angry airport manager who asked where I got permission to make the skydive? I said this is a drop zone, we have always been allowed to. He said there was a NOTAM that the airport was closed. The NOTAM said taxiway B and runways 12/30 were closed between XA00 am and XB00 pm for a special interest activity. None of their airspace was anywhere close to where the skydives took place (1/4 mi or so). Stockton approach nor fresno approach advised that such a NOTAM was in effect. And we had announced that we were going to make the skydive 3 or 4 times prior to the jump. No one told us not to jump till after we jumped. The airport manager took my name and n-number and said he was going to call the FAA. Had I been advised not to jump by him or either of the approach facilities, we would have landed aboard the plane and not jumped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C182 DROPPED SKYDIVERS OUT OVER AN AUTH PARACHUTE JUMP ZONE ON AN ARPT THAT WAS NOTED WITH 1 RWY AND TXWY CLOSED. ARPT MGR DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE RPTR HAD PERMISSION TO DROP SKYDIVERS BECAUSE OF THE NOTAM ISSUED! HOWEVER, THE NOTAM, OR UNICOM COMS PRIOR TO THE JUMP DID NOT INDICATE THAT PARACHUTE JUMPING WAS PROHIBITED.

Narrative: I FLY A C182 THAT HAS AN INFLT DOOR. I WAS RETURNING TO MADERA ARPT FROM A DEMONSTRATION SKYDIVE AT OAKDALE ARPT. WHEN WE RETURN FROM DEMOS, THE SKYDIVERS ALWAYS JUMP BACK IN. MADERA IS A CERTIFIED DROP ZONE ARPT. WE LEFT MADERA ABOUT XX00 AM AND THERE WERE SOME RV'S PARKED THERE AND A FEW AIRPLANES HAD BEEN MOVED FROM THEIR REGULAR TIEDOWNS (SOME EVENT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN). RETURNING FROM OAKDALE I LET A JUMPER OUT AT LOS BANOS (WE FILED THE APPROPRIATE NOTAMS AND WERE IN CONTACT WITH STOCKTON, CA, APCH, THEN FLEW TO MADERA. 6 OR 7 MI OUT, I ASKED TO BE HANDED OFF TO FRESNO APCH TO COORDINATE WITH THEM AS THEY HANDLE AIRSPACE FOR US WHEN SKYDIVING IS IN PROGRESS. FRESNO APCH GAVE ME A NEW XPONDER CODE AND TOLD ME TO GIVE THEM A CALL 1 MIN PRIOR TO JUMP (THE USUAL RESPONSE). I HAD ALSO CALLED MADERA TFC '...4 MI W, INBOUND AT 10000 FT WITH SKYDIVERS.' WHEN WE GOT WITHIN 2 MI, WE SAW YELLOW X'S OVER THE RWY NUMBERS 12/30. I CALLED ON THE MADERA UNICOM 122.8 AND ASKED IF THE ARPT WAS CLOSED AND THAT I WAS INBOUND WITH SKYDIVERS. THE RESPONSE FROM THE GND WAS USE RWYS 25/7. I TURNED JUMP RUN A FEW MINS LATER CALLED FRESNO APCH AND ADVISED 1 MIN PRIOR TO JUMP. FRESNO APCH SAID 'IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS LNDG TFC ON CLOSE FINAL.' I JUMPED TO MADERA FREQ AND ANNOUNCED 'SKYDIVING IN PROGRESS FROM 9500 FT AND BELOW FOR THE NEXT 5 MINS DIRECTLY OVER MADERA ARPT, MADERA TFC, BE ADVISED.' (COMMON PRACTICE.) THEN I TOLD THE 3 JUMPERS THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING WAS GOING ON AT THE ARPT SO STAY WAY E OF THE RWYS (WHICH THEY DID). I CALLED JUMPERS AWAY TO FRESNO APCH AND TO MADERA TFC. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER, SOMEONE FROM THE GND AT MADERA SAID 'IF THE JUMPERS HAVEN'T JUMPED, DON'T LET THEM.' I REPLIED THAT THEY HAD JUMPED 2 MINS AGO. I WAS MET AT THE FUEL PUMPS BY AN ANGRY ARPT MGR WHO ASKED WHERE I GOT PERMISSION TO MAKE THE SKYDIVE? I SAID THIS IS A DROP ZONE, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ALLOWED TO. HE SAID THERE WAS A NOTAM THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED. THE NOTAM SAID TXWY B AND RWYS 12/30 WERE CLOSED BTWN XA00 AM AND XB00 PM FOR A SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY. NONE OF THEIR AIRSPACE WAS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO WHERE THE SKYDIVES TOOK PLACE (1/4 MI OR SO). STOCKTON APCH NOR FRESNO APCH ADVISED THAT SUCH A NOTAM WAS IN EFFECT. AND WE HAD ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE SKYDIVE 3 OR 4 TIMES PRIOR TO THE JUMP. NO ONE TOLD US NOT TO JUMP TILL AFTER WE JUMPED. THE ARPT MGR TOOK MY NAME AND N-NUMBER AND SAID HE WAS GOING TO CALL THE FAA. HAD I BEEN ADVISED NOT TO JUMP BY HIM OR EITHER OF THE APCH FACILITIES, WE WOULD HAVE LANDED ABOARD THE PLANE AND NOT JUMPED.

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.