Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local time on mar/sat/98, it was stated by a flight school owner that I had 'swooped' his C152 and 'scared' the student and instructor. The following is my perspective of the chain of events which led to that situation. I arrived at 10000 ft, set up a southwest (230 degrees) jump run, and reported 2 mins to jump on unicom, and 1 min to jump with daytona approach. The controller reported traffic maneuvering on the southeast side of the airport. Not unusual in this intensive flight training environment. I opted to make a 1 min on unicom as well. The controller's last report before I released my jumpers was that the aircraft had descended and appeared to turn away from the airport. I proceeded to let the jumpers go. Upon beginning my descent I noticed an aircraft going north underneath my group of 17 still in free-fall. Approximately 6-10 seconds after they flew underneath, the skydivers broke off and opened their parachutes. Upon seeing this I began to try raising him on unicom to advise of the dangerous situation. As I did this, he began to make a left 180 degree turn. Upon making the turn he was now aimed back at my canopies. Unable to raise them on the radio, and knowing that instrument instruction usually leads eyes into, rather than out of, the cockpit I felt that a collision was quite possible. Out of options and being an experienced formation pilot my next logical course of action was to try to make my aircraft visible to them. My thought being that if they saw even a flash in their peripheral vision it would bring attentions out of the cockpit to possibly see and avoid parachutes. Or, if they had checked on with daytona by now, I would be called as traffic, giving the same effect. I can see how someone might be spooked by such a maneuver. However, my main concern was to protect my skydivers any safe way possible. I felt it much safer that an experienced formation pilot in control of his airplane fly next to another plane, than have that plane seemingly unknowingly continue towards open, less maneuverable parachutes. I feel that more education on how skydive operations work, and a more visible icon on maps will help this situation in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DH6 SKYDIVE PLT FLEW NEAR AN INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT IN AN EFFORT TO ALERT THEM TO THE FACT THAT THEY WERE APCHING SOME PARACHUTISTS. THE INSTRUCTOR ACCUSES THE DH6 PLT OF 'SWOOPING' HIS C152 AND SCARING HIM AND HIS STUDENT.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 LCL TIME ON MAR/SAT/98, IT WAS STATED BY A FLT SCHOOL OWNER THAT I HAD 'SWOOPED' HIS C152 AND 'SCARED' THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR. THE FOLLOWING IS MY PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH LED TO THAT SIT. I ARRIVED AT 10000 FT, SET UP A SW (230 DEGS) JUMP RUN, AND RPTED 2 MINS TO JUMP ON UNICOM, AND 1 MIN TO JUMP WITH DAYTONA APCH. THE CTLR RPTED TFC MANEUVERING ON THE SE SIDE OF THE ARPT. NOT UNUSUAL IN THIS INTENSIVE FLT TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. I OPTED TO MAKE A 1 MIN ON UNICOM AS WELL. THE CTLR'S LAST RPT BEFORE I RELEASED MY JUMPERS WAS THAT THE ACFT HAD DSNDED AND APPEARED TO TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I PROCEEDED TO LET THE JUMPERS GO. UPON BEGINNING MY DSCNT I NOTICED AN ACFT GOING N UNDERNEATH MY GROUP OF 17 STILL IN FREE-FALL. APPROX 6-10 SECONDS AFTER THEY FLEW UNDERNEATH, THE SKYDIVERS BROKE OFF AND OPENED THEIR PARACHUTES. UPON SEEING THIS I BEGAN TO TRY RAISING HIM ON UNICOM TO ADVISE OF THE DANGEROUS SIT. AS I DID THIS, HE BEGAN TO MAKE A L 180 DEG TURN. UPON MAKING THE TURN HE WAS NOW AIMED BACK AT MY CANOPIES. UNABLE TO RAISE THEM ON THE RADIO, AND KNOWING THAT INST INSTRUCTION USUALLY LEADS EYES INTO, RATHER THAN OUT OF, THE COCKPIT I FELT THAT A COLLISION WAS QUITE POSSIBLE. OUT OF OPTIONS AND BEING AN EXPERIENCED FORMATION PLT MY NEXT LOGICAL COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO TRY TO MAKE MY ACFT VISIBLE TO THEM. MY THOUGHT BEING THAT IF THEY SAW EVEN A FLASH IN THEIR PERIPHERAL VISION IT WOULD BRING ATTENTIONS OUT OF THE COCKPIT TO POSSIBLY SEE AND AVOID PARACHUTES. OR, IF THEY HAD CHKED ON WITH DAYTONA BY NOW, I WOULD BE CALLED AS TFC, GIVING THE SAME EFFECT. I CAN SEE HOW SOMEONE MIGHT BE SPOOKED BY SUCH A MANEUVER. HOWEVER, MY MAIN CONCERN WAS TO PROTECT MY SKYDIVERS ANY SAFE WAY POSSIBLE. I FELT IT MUCH SAFER THAT AN EXPERIENCED FORMATION PLT IN CTL OF HIS AIRPLANE FLY NEXT TO ANOTHER PLANE, THAN HAVE THAT PLANE SEEMINGLY UNKNOWINGLY CONTINUE TOWARDS OPEN, LESS MANEUVERABLE PARACHUTES. I FEEL THAT MORE EDUCATION ON HOW SKYDIVE OPS WORK, AND A MORE VISIBLE ICON ON MAPS WILL HELP THIS SIT IN THE FUTURE.

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.