Narrative:

En route communication with ZNY, on V143. ATC clearance to descend 10000 ft to 8000 ft. Traffic issuance of jump aircraft on V143 approximately 5 mi, at 10500 ft. TCASII verified a target 12 O'clock at approximately 4-5 mi. At approximately 3 mi, TCASII (5 mi range display) aircraft appeared visually. Within 30 seconds of in view, I observed a parachutist jump and a parachute begin to open. We immediately began a turn to avoid. Then a second jumper appeared from the jump aircraft. We increased our turn rate and reduced descent rate. The jump aircraft then turned and began a descent towards our aircraft. The second jumper passed approximately 500 ft laterally and approximately 500 ft vertically. The jump aircraft was approximately the same distance, different location, to our left as we passed. The pilot was in communication with ZNY 132.2 as we were. We heard ZNY tell pilot 'stop jumps and get off airway' before this event happened. Both pilots and jump master should be counseled! Supplemental information from acn 412770: I was flying skydivers at 10500 ft MSL on V143 at binns intersection. As per ZNY's request, I announced 'jumpers away in 1 min.' after that, the center issued an advisory of traffic at 10000 ft MSL. The instructions were to hold skydivers until the 10000 ft traffic was clear. However, as this advisory was being issued, the jumpers were already poised outside the aircraft. The jumpers left the aircraft, at which time a turboprop at 10000 ft MSL altered his course to avoid the skydivers and me. I believe this situation occurred because often on an airway, especially on an arrival route to a class B airport, the air traffic system becomes congested with IFR/VFR traffic. Trying to conduct skydiving operations in that environment requires 100% compliance with ATC clrncs. The pilots and skydivers realize the importance of traffic separation, and at all times we observe all FARS as set forth in parts 91 and 105. A lack of concentration cannot be tolerated. Continued cockpit vigilance is warranted for a safe environment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the analyst attempted to contact the reporter. A return call was made by the owner, mr Y, of the skydiving company who stated that he would respond for mr X, the pilot of the C182, since he was aboard that subject flight as an observer. He said that the pilot had submitted the form as a means of not getting a violation filed. The FAA has contacted the owner regarding this event. He mentioned that he thought that the pilot of the turboprop was greatly exaggerating the incident. The tone of the owner was rather disappointing, with the basic feeling of dealing with an owner who, in the opinion of this analyst, had a viewpoint of the incident that 'it wasn't a big deal' and said, in essence, that it costs money to operate these aircraft and that time is a factor. Mr Y was asked if they used a jump master for these flts, a coordinator. The answer was, 'no, a jump master is a person who only handles fledgling jumpers and there is no one else along unless there are beginners aboard.' the owner stated, in answer to the question, that it took only a matter of several seconds to get the jumpers outside. It took the analyst several attempts to get the owner to admit that safety was paramount and more to the issue than operating costs. The analyst also pointed out the fact that the pilot should have obtained ATC approval prior to the jumpers 'going outside.' the owner finally stated that he would attempt to insure that the pilot would, in the future, obtain ATC approval prior to these jumps. The airport, by the way, lies under the confines of the airway, V143. Owner wants to move the airway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 ON V143 MAKES A TURN TO AVOID FALLING SKYDIVERS THAT WERE RELEASED BEFORE THE JUMP ACFT HAD RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM ATC.

Narrative: ENRTE COM WITH ZNY, ON V143. ATC CLRNC TO DSND 10000 FT TO 8000 FT. TFC ISSUANCE OF JUMP ACFT ON V143 APPROX 5 MI, AT 10500 FT. TCASII VERIFIED A TARGET 12 O'CLOCK AT APPROX 4-5 MI. AT APPROX 3 MI, TCASII (5 MI RANGE DISPLAY) ACFT APPEARED VISUALLY. WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF IN VIEW, I OBSERVED A PARACHUTIST JUMP AND A PARACHUTE BEGIN TO OPEN. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A TURN TO AVOID. THEN A SECOND JUMPER APPEARED FROM THE JUMP ACFT. WE INCREASED OUR TURN RATE AND REDUCED DSCNT RATE. THE JUMP ACFT THEN TURNED AND BEGAN A DSCNT TOWARDS OUR ACFT. THE SECOND JUMPER PASSED APPROX 500 FT LATERALLY AND APPROX 500 FT VERTLY. THE JUMP ACFT WAS APPROX THE SAME DISTANCE, DIFFERENT LOCATION, TO OUR L AS WE PASSED. THE PLT WAS IN COM WITH ZNY 132.2 AS WE WERE. WE HEARD ZNY TELL PLT 'STOP JUMPS AND GET OFF AIRWAY' BEFORE THIS EVENT HAPPENED. BOTH PLTS AND JUMP MASTER SHOULD BE COUNSELED! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 412770: I WAS FLYING SKYDIVERS AT 10500 FT MSL ON V143 AT BINNS INTXN. AS PER ZNY'S REQUEST, I ANNOUNCED 'JUMPERS AWAY IN 1 MIN.' AFTER THAT, THE CTR ISSUED AN ADVISORY OF TFC AT 10000 FT MSL. THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO HOLD SKYDIVERS UNTIL THE 10000 FT TFC WAS CLR. HOWEVER, AS THIS ADVISORY WAS BEING ISSUED, THE JUMPERS WERE ALREADY POISED OUTSIDE THE ACFT. THE JUMPERS LEFT THE ACFT, AT WHICH TIME A TURBOPROP AT 10000 FT MSL ALTERED HIS COURSE TO AVOID THE SKYDIVERS AND ME. I BELIEVE THIS SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE OFTEN ON AN AIRWAY, ESPECIALLY ON AN ARR RTE TO A CLASS B ARPT, THE AIR TFC SYS BECOMES CONGESTED WITH IFR/VFR TFC. TRYING TO CONDUCT SKYDIVING OPS IN THAT ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES 100% COMPLIANCE WITH ATC CLRNCS. THE PLTS AND SKYDIVERS REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TFC SEPARATION, AND AT ALL TIMES WE OBSERVE ALL FARS AS SET FORTH IN PARTS 91 AND 105. A LACK OF CONCENTRATION CANNOT BE TOLERATED. CONTINUED COCKPIT VIGILANCE IS WARRANTED FOR A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ANALYST ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE RPTR. A RETURN CALL WAS MADE BY THE OWNER, MR Y, OF THE SKYDIVING COMPANY WHO STATED THAT HE WOULD RESPOND FOR MR X, THE PLT OF THE C182, SINCE HE WAS ABOARD THAT SUBJECT FLT AS AN OBSERVER. HE SAID THAT THE PLT HAD SUBMITTED THE FORM AS A MEANS OF NOT GETTING A VIOLATION FILED. THE FAA HAS CONTACTED THE OWNER REGARDING THIS EVENT. HE MENTIONED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE PLT OF THE TURBOPROP WAS GREATLY EXAGGERATING THE INCIDENT. THE TONE OF THE OWNER WAS RATHER DISAPPOINTING, WITH THE BASIC FEELING OF DEALING WITH AN OWNER WHO, IN THE OPINION OF THIS ANALYST, HAD A VIEWPOINT OF THE INCIDENT THAT 'IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL' AND SAID, IN ESSENCE, THAT IT COSTS MONEY TO OPERATE THESE ACFT AND THAT TIME IS A FACTOR. MR Y WAS ASKED IF THEY USED A JUMP MASTER FOR THESE FLTS, A COORDINATOR. THE ANSWER WAS, 'NO, A JUMP MASTER IS A PERSON WHO ONLY HANDLES FLEDGLING JUMPERS AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE ALONG UNLESS THERE ARE BEGINNERS ABOARD.' THE OWNER STATED, IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, THAT IT TOOK ONLY A MATTER OF SEVERAL SECONDS TO GET THE JUMPERS OUTSIDE. IT TOOK THE ANALYST SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE OWNER TO ADMIT THAT SAFETY WAS PARAMOUNT AND MORE TO THE ISSUE THAN OPERATING COSTS. THE ANALYST ALSO POINTED OUT THE FACT THAT THE PLT SHOULD HAVE OBTAINED ATC APPROVAL PRIOR TO THE JUMPERS 'GOING OUTSIDE.' THE OWNER FINALLY STATED THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO INSURE THAT THE PLT WOULD, IN THE FUTURE, OBTAIN ATC APPROVAL PRIOR TO THESE JUMPS. THE ARPT, BY THE WAY, LIES UNDER THE CONFINES OF THE AIRWAY, V143. OWNER WANTS TO MOVE THE AIRWAY.

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.