Narrative:

I departed orh en route to ash. I had not filed a flight plan and was flying purely VFR without flight following. Upon clearing the orh airspace, my first concern was to be sure to avoid restr area R4102. During my earlier flight down to orh from mht, during which I did use flight following, boston approach had warned me that R4102 was active. Upon safely passing R4102 I was about 4 mins flying time from the ash airspace. I picked up the ash ATIS and was concerned about the wind. Wind at orh had been gusting to 22 KTS and if it were that strong at ash and from the same direction it would exceed my personal crosswind comfort level. The ash ATIS, as luck would have it, garbled the wind velocity figure, sounding like either '8' or '18' KTS. Listened to 4 repetitions of the ATIS still without being sure of the wind velocity. By that time, I was almost upon the ash airspace. Because ash is very busy with training flts, it can sometimes take a min or 2 to establish communication with them. When I did, they told me to enter a left base for their runway 14. By that time, I knew I was more or less over pepperell sports center/airport (5m6) but it is not easy to see its short, narrow runway. To my horror, I saw 1 parachute jumper descending through my altitude (about 1500 ft) to my right, and another group of them to my left. I would estimate lateral separation of about 1000 ft. I continued and landed at ash. I think the present lack of broad dissemination of jumping information at pepperell is dangerous and is the primary motivation for my filing this form. The ash ATIS has a standard warning phrase about jumping activity at pepperell, but it is broadcast all the time, whether there is jumping actually going on there or not at a given time, so is not very helpful. By the time someone gets to that area coming from the south, he/she is almost certain to be talking to either ash tower or mht approach control, and thus unable to monitor the pepperell unicom. I assume (although I have truthfully never heard one) that the pepperell jump planes broadcast one or more warnings and a 'jumpers away' statement. The trouble is, it is unlikely that the people who most need to hear them will be able to. I suggest that jump information be relayed in real time to at least the ash tower and perhaps also mht approach control, who could then rebroadcast the information on their respective frequencys. This would increase the likelihood that all planes in the area would get the information, in that virtually of all them are obligated to be in communication with either mht approach or ash tower. I know that pepperell is not formally inside either mht or ash airspace, but can't something like the above be done based on common sense and safety effectiveness? A variation on the above suggestion would be for the jump plane to be given permission to broadcast the jump status on the ash tower and mht approach frequencys. I believe this is done over near albany, ny, and everyone therefore knows what's going on. Another idea would be to revise the ash ATIS to state something like (when it is actually true) 'jumping activity will take place at pepperell sports center during the effective period of this ATIS broadcast, monitor pepperell unicom when in area.' I can assure you that in the future, I will religiously inquire on pepperell unicom when I am anywhere near them, but if something is not changed, someone else may have a lapse like mine, and someone could get killed. I urge that some improved procedure be implemented. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he did not contact the tower regarding the incident because they are so busy. There are 2 training schools on the field and consequently a great deal of activity with inexperienced student pilots. Reporter feels this is an inherently hazardous situation, his own experience being an example. He is aware of procedures in other areas which alert pilots to actual jump activity in progress. The hotline was recommended and also contact with local FSDO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PA28-161 HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A SKYDIVER WHEN MAKING AN APCH TO A CTLED FIELD. THEY CAME WITHIN 1000 FT OF EACH OTHER.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ORH ENRTE TO ASH. I HAD NOT FILED A FLT PLAN AND WAS FLYING PURELY VFR WITHOUT FLT FOLLOWING. UPON CLRING THE ORH AIRSPACE, MY FIRST CONCERN WAS TO BE SURE TO AVOID RESTR AREA R4102. DURING MY EARLIER FLT DOWN TO ORH FROM MHT, DURING WHICH I DID USE FLT FOLLOWING, BOSTON APCH HAD WARNED ME THAT R4102 WAS ACTIVE. UPON SAFELY PASSING R4102 I WAS ABOUT 4 MINS FLYING TIME FROM THE ASH AIRSPACE. I PICKED UP THE ASH ATIS AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WIND. WIND AT ORH HAD BEEN GUSTING TO 22 KTS AND IF IT WERE THAT STRONG AT ASH AND FROM THE SAME DIRECTION IT WOULD EXCEED MY PERSONAL XWIND COMFORT LEVEL. THE ASH ATIS, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, GARBLED THE WIND VELOCITY FIGURE, SOUNDING LIKE EITHER '8' OR '18' KTS. LISTENED TO 4 REPETITIONS OF THE ATIS STILL WITHOUT BEING SURE OF THE WIND VELOCITY. BY THAT TIME, I WAS ALMOST UPON THE ASH AIRSPACE. BECAUSE ASH IS VERY BUSY WITH TRAINING FLTS, IT CAN SOMETIMES TAKE A MIN OR 2 TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THEM. WHEN I DID, THEY TOLD ME TO ENTER A L BASE FOR THEIR RWY 14. BY THAT TIME, I KNEW I WAS MORE OR LESS OVER PEPPERELL SPORTS CENTER/ARPT (5M6) BUT IT IS NOT EASY TO SEE ITS SHORT, NARROW RWY. TO MY HORROR, I SAW 1 PARACHUTE JUMPER DSNDING THROUGH MY ALT (ABOUT 1500 FT) TO MY R, AND ANOTHER GROUP OF THEM TO MY L. I WOULD ESTIMATE LATERAL SEPARATION OF ABOUT 1000 FT. I CONTINUED AND LANDED AT ASH. I THINK THE PRESENT LACK OF BROAD DISSEMINATION OF JUMPING INFO AT PEPPERELL IS DANGEROUS AND IS THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION FOR MY FILING THIS FORM. THE ASH ATIS HAS A STANDARD WARNING PHRASE ABOUT JUMPING ACTIVITY AT PEPPERELL, BUT IT IS BROADCAST ALL THE TIME, WHETHER THERE IS JUMPING ACTUALLY GOING ON THERE OR NOT AT A GIVEN TIME, SO IS NOT VERY HELPFUL. BY THE TIME SOMEONE GETS TO THAT AREA COMING FROM THE S, HE/SHE IS ALMOST CERTAIN TO BE TALKING TO EITHER ASH TWR OR MHT APCH CTL, AND THUS UNABLE TO MONITOR THE PEPPERELL UNICOM. I ASSUME (ALTHOUGH I HAVE TRUTHFULLY NEVER HEARD ONE) THAT THE PEPPERELL JUMP PLANES BROADCAST ONE OR MORE WARNINGS AND A 'JUMPERS AWAY' STATEMENT. THE TROUBLE IS, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE PEOPLE WHO MOST NEED TO HEAR THEM WILL BE ABLE TO. I SUGGEST THAT JUMP INFO BE RELAYED IN REAL TIME TO AT LEAST THE ASH TWR AND PERHAPS ALSO MHT APCH CTL, WHO COULD THEN REBROADCAST THE INFO ON THEIR RESPECTIVE FREQS. THIS WOULD INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT ALL PLANES IN THE AREA WOULD GET THE INFO, IN THAT VIRTUALLY OF ALL THEM ARE OBLIGATED TO BE IN COM WITH EITHER MHT APCH OR ASH TWR. I KNOW THAT PEPPERELL IS NOT FORMALLY INSIDE EITHER MHT OR ASH AIRSPACE, BUT CAN'T SOMETHING LIKE THE ABOVE BE DONE BASED ON COMMON SENSE AND SAFETY EFFECTIVENESS? A VARIATION ON THE ABOVE SUGGESTION WOULD BE FOR THE JUMP PLANE TO BE GIVEN PERMISSION TO BROADCAST THE JUMP STATUS ON THE ASH TWR AND MHT APCH FREQS. I BELIEVE THIS IS DONE OVER NEAR ALBANY, NY, AND EVERYONE THEREFORE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON. ANOTHER IDEA WOULD BE TO REVISE THE ASH ATIS TO STATE SOMETHING LIKE (WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY TRUE) 'JUMPING ACTIVITY WILL TAKE PLACE AT PEPPERELL SPORTS CENTER DURING THE EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF THIS ATIS BROADCAST, MONITOR PEPPERELL UNICOM WHEN IN AREA.' I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IN THE FUTURE, I WILL RELIGIOUSLY INQUIRE ON PEPPERELL UNICOM WHEN I AM ANYWHERE NEAR THEM, BUT IF SOMETHING IS NOT CHANGED, SOMEONE ELSE MAY HAVE A LAPSE LIKE MINE, AND SOMEONE COULD GET KILLED. I URGE THAT SOME IMPROVED PROC BE IMPLEMENTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID NOT CONTACT THE TWR REGARDING THE INCIDENT BECAUSE THEY ARE SO BUSY. THERE ARE 2 TRAINING SCHOOLS ON THE FIELD AND CONSEQUENTLY A GREAT DEAL OF ACTIVITY WITH INEXPERIENCED STUDENT PLTS. RPTR FEELS THIS IS AN INHERENTLY HAZARDOUS SIT, HIS OWN EXPERIENCE BEING AN EXAMPLE. HE IS AWARE OF PROCS IN OTHER AREAS WHICH ALERT PLTS TO ACTUAL JUMP ACTIVITY IN PROGRESS. THE HOTLINE WAS RECOMMENDED AND ALSO CONTACT WITH LCL FSDO.

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.