Narrative:

On the date of this incident, jul/xa/98, I was operating a beechcraft A90 king air as PIC carrying parachute jumpers aloft in the area of lodi airport, ca (1o3). About XA40 we departed lodi airport with a load of parachutists and followed a standard VFR climb to altitude. Normal exit altitude at the local drop zone (lodi) is 13000 ft AGL or 13200 ft MSL. 5 mi is the distance normally required to climb the aircraft with a full load from 10000 ft MSL to 13000 ft MSL. The ATC procedure used on this day and every day is once clear of the local traffic area, usually before reaching 2000 ft MSL, is to contact stockton approach on a frequency of 127.75 MHZ. That facility issues transponder codes, confirms radar contact and provides TA's as workload permits. Climbing through between 8500 ft MSL to 11000 ft MSL stockton approach usually hands us off to ZOA. ZOA handles traffic above 10000 ft MSL in that area. Airline traffic arriving for sacramento metropolitan are vectored through and over this area continuously. The flight about which this near miss incident occurred was normal in every respect with the exception that stockton approach handed us off to ZOA at a higher altitude than normal, approximately 12000 ft MSL rather than the usual 9000-10000 ft MSL. Communication with ZOA was established. They did not provide a TA or warning and very shortly thereafter something caught my eye out the left cockpit window. It was an air carrier Y B737 in a pull up right turn in an obvious attempt to avoid colliding with us. Vertical separation of both aircraft was less than 100 ft. From the time I saw the B737 until he passed over my aircraft was no more than 1 second. Lodi airport exists at a location where a victor airway crosses close to the airport. In addition, 3 separate control areas exist in close proximity to one another and the airport. Perhaps these factors contributed to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN BE90 DEPARTS LODI ARPT WITH A LOAD OF PARACHUTISTS AND WHILE CLBING TO 13200 FT AGL, HAS AN NMAC ENCOUNTER WITH A B737 AT APPROX 12500 FT.

Narrative: ON THE DATE OF THIS INCIDENT, JUL/XA/98, I WAS OPERATING A BEECHCRAFT A90 KING AIR AS PIC CARRYING PARACHUTE JUMPERS ALOFT IN THE AREA OF LODI ARPT, CA (1O3). ABOUT XA40 WE DEPARTED LODI ARPT WITH A LOAD OF PARACHUTISTS AND FOLLOWED A STANDARD VFR CLB TO ALT. NORMAL EXIT ALT AT THE LCL DROP ZONE (LODI) IS 13000 FT AGL OR 13200 FT MSL. 5 MI IS THE DISTANCE NORMALLY REQUIRED TO CLB THE ACFT WITH A FULL LOAD FROM 10000 FT MSL TO 13000 FT MSL. THE ATC PROC USED ON THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY IS ONCE CLR OF THE LCL TFC AREA, USUALLY BEFORE REACHING 2000 FT MSL, IS TO CONTACT STOCKTON APCH ON A FREQ OF 127.75 MHZ. THAT FACILITY ISSUES XPONDER CODES, CONFIRMS RADAR CONTACT AND PROVIDES TA'S AS WORKLOAD PERMITS. CLBING THROUGH BTWN 8500 FT MSL TO 11000 FT MSL STOCKTON APCH USUALLY HANDS US OFF TO ZOA. ZOA HANDLES TFC ABOVE 10000 FT MSL IN THAT AREA. AIRLINE TFC ARRIVING FOR SACRAMENTO METRO ARE VECTORED THROUGH AND OVER THIS AREA CONTINUOUSLY. THE FLT ABOUT WHICH THIS NEAR MISS INCIDENT OCCURRED WAS NORMAL IN EVERY RESPECT WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT STOCKTON APCH HANDED US OFF TO ZOA AT A HIGHER ALT THAN NORMAL, APPROX 12000 FT MSL RATHER THAN THE USUAL 9000-10000 FT MSL. COM WITH ZOA WAS ESTABLISHED. THEY DID NOT PROVIDE A TA OR WARNING AND VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE OUT THE L COCKPIT WINDOW. IT WAS AN ACR Y B737 IN A PULL UP R TURN IN AN OBVIOUS ATTEMPT TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH US. VERT SEPARATION OF BOTH ACFT WAS LESS THAN 100 FT. FROM THE TIME I SAW THE B737 UNTIL HE PASSED OVER MY ACFT WAS NO MORE THAN 1 SECOND. LODI ARPT EXISTS AT A LOCATION WHERE A VICTOR AIRWAY CROSSES CLOSE TO THE ARPT. IN ADDITION, 3 SEPARATE CTL AREAS EXIST IN CLOSE PROX TO ONE ANOTHER AND THE ARPT. PERHAPS THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT.

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.