Narrative:

While climbing out of cedartown, GA (4a4) in a king air 65- 90, flying skydivers over the cedartown airport, I contacted ATC and reported my position and that I was a jump plane in the climb. They gave me a squawk (ZTL) and asked what altitude I was climbing to. I told them a block from 13500-14000 ft MSL. The controller acknowledged the block altitude. This was my third jump run of the day. As I passed through 13000 ft, the controller called traffic passing to the northeast. I called that I had the traffic and that I would maintain a visual on the MD80. I turned from the southwest to begin my final jump run and called the controller with 1 min prior to jumpers. I had the traffic in sight and thought that I would slow the descent to 13500 ft because the jet was oncoming and was closing rapidly. I stopped the descent on my own and watched the MD80 jet fly over to the southwest as I called ATC and called jumpers away. I then went into a right turning drop and watched the MD80 jet pass well away to the northeast. On my next run, I found out that I had to call ATC. I called ATC and was informed about the controller's inquiry into what had happened. I talked to the controllers and told them exactly what was said on this NASA form. I was informed by the supervisor that the controller 'assumed,' using his words, that I would stop at 13500 ft. I told the controller that I had requested a block altitude and was acknowledged with the block. The supervisor told me that 'oh, he must have not been paying attention.' I talked for a while longer and then said goodbye. This could have all been avoided in a variety of ways. 1) the controller could have paid attention to my call. Just because I go up and down 18 times a day doesn't mean they should forget. I do them a service by announcing my intentions. 2) the plane did not have to be put on top of my requested block right over the 1 mi radius jump zone! It is a big sky, it's not even an arrival route. I believe that the controller assumed too much by thinking I would stop at 13500 ft. I would have been more than willing to help the controllers out if they had requested it. I think that more communication between the jump pilots and ATC could greatly reduce both side's workloads and occurrences which is best for both sides.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE90 JUMP ACFT AND MD80 HAD LTSS DURING JUMP OPS. CTLR PLT CONFUSION EXISTED AS TO THE CLBING ALT THE JUMP ACFT WAS GOING TO.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING OUT OF CEDARTOWN, GA (4A4) IN A KING AIR 65- 90, FLYING SKYDIVERS OVER THE CEDARTOWN ARPT, I CONTACTED ATC AND RPTED MY POS AND THAT I WAS A JUMP PLANE IN THE CLB. THEY GAVE ME A SQUAWK (ZTL) AND ASKED WHAT ALT I WAS CLBING TO. I TOLD THEM A BLOCK FROM 13500-14000 FT MSL. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE BLOCK ALT. THIS WAS MY THIRD JUMP RUN OF THE DAY. AS I PASSED THROUGH 13000 FT, THE CTLR CALLED TFC PASSING TO THE NE. I CALLED THAT I HAD THE TFC AND THAT I WOULD MAINTAIN A VISUAL ON THE MD80. I TURNED FROM THE SW TO BEGIN MY FINAL JUMP RUN AND CALLED THE CTLR WITH 1 MIN PRIOR TO JUMPERS. I HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND THOUGHT THAT I WOULD SLOW THE DSCNT TO 13500 FT BECAUSE THE JET WAS ONCOMING AND WAS CLOSING RAPIDLY. I STOPPED THE DSCNT ON MY OWN AND WATCHED THE MD80 JET FLY OVER TO THE SW AS I CALLED ATC AND CALLED JUMPERS AWAY. I THEN WENT INTO A R TURNING DROP AND WATCHED THE MD80 JET PASS WELL AWAY TO THE NE. ON MY NEXT RUN, I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD TO CALL ATC. I CALLED ATC AND WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE CTLR'S INQUIRY INTO WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I TALKED TO THE CTLRS AND TOLD THEM EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID ON THIS NASA FORM. I WAS INFORMED BY THE SUPVR THAT THE CTLR 'ASSUMED,' USING HIS WORDS, THAT I WOULD STOP AT 13500 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I HAD REQUESTED A BLOCK ALT AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THE BLOCK. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT 'OH, HE MUST HAVE NOT BEEN PAYING ATTN.' I TALKED FOR A WHILE LONGER AND THEN SAID GOODBYE. THIS COULD HAVE ALL BEEN AVOIDED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. 1) THE CTLR COULD HAVE PAID ATTN TO MY CALL. JUST BECAUSE I GO UP AND DOWN 18 TIMES A DAY DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULD FORGET. I DO THEM A SVC BY ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS. 2) THE PLANE DID NOT HAVE TO BE PUT ON TOP OF MY REQUESTED BLOCK RIGHT OVER THE 1 MI RADIUS JUMP ZONE! IT IS A BIG SKY, IT'S NOT EVEN AN ARR RTE. I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR ASSUMED TOO MUCH BY THINKING I WOULD STOP AT 13500 FT. I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP THE CTLRS OUT IF THEY HAD REQUESTED IT. I THINK THAT MORE COM BTWN THE JUMP PLTS AND ATC COULD GREATLY REDUCE BOTH SIDE'S WORKLOADS AND OCCURRENCES WHICH IS BEST FOR BOTH SIDES.

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.