Narrative:

We were departing ont to the southeast on the SID, with the routing via the thermal transition. My first officer was in the left seat and was the PF. We were in a hawker 800. While long range navigation with GPS was available, the first officer had elected to use primary VOR navigation for the SID, with intent to switch to long range navigation for the remaining en route portion of the flight. There is a nearly 90 degree left turn off the seal beach VOR to complete the thermal transition. As the first officer was approaching this left turn, I reminded her of the upcoming turn and she acknowledged this. Just before intercepting the radial from the seal beach VOR the TCASII indicated traffic, and nearly simultaneously with the initial appearance on the screen, it sounded the alarm for potential conflict. The first officer and I looked for the traffic and at about the 1 O'clock position, we noticed an aircraft in a turn and at a severe nose down attitude. The aircraft appeared to be about 1-2 mi away at minimum, possibly more (this was a bit difficult to determine visually due to the dive the aircraft was in). The first officer redirected her attention quickly to the navigation display and initiated the left turn to intercept the seal beach radial as per the SID. While the momentary distraction did cause her to fly past the centerline, at no time did her VOR display indicate more than 1/2 - 3/4 DOT deflection, thus indicating that while we were a bit south of the centerline, we were certainly still within protected airspace. At about that time, ZLA asked us if we were in the left turn. I responded affirmative and said I saw traffic that appeared to be doing aerobatics. Center told me it was a parachute aircraft and that he indicated we were 3 mi south of course. I indicated that our display would indicate we were 'nearly right on' course. Center did not indicate the level of alert he experienced, but didn't seem to indicate a significant conflict. The concern is that he may feel we were further south of course than our VOR display would have indicated for us. While we did extend just a bit south of the centerline, certainly we did not violate the airspace as per our indications. As is typical for TCASII, it can sometimes present a significant distraction that leads to crew inattn briefly to other tasks. Another concern is why the other aircraft was permitted to discharge jumpers so close to the airway. It was surely a recreational flight as there was no apparent fire and no NOTAM for emergency jumping in the area. While I have encouraged the first officer to utilize the very accurate long range GPS navigation mode in the future, and to lead turns sooner, I assert that we did not violate airspace per our indications on the VOR CDI indications. Recreational parachute jumping should also not be permitted so close to airways occupied by high speed jet traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP CLBING HS125-800 OVERSHOT ITS TURN DURING A SID DEP AND SUFFERS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A DSNDING ACFT THAT HAD JUST RELEASED ITS JUMPERS.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING ONT TO THE SE ON THE SID, WITH THE ROUTING VIA THE THERMAL TRANSITION. MY FO WAS IN THE L SEAT AND WAS THE PF. WE WERE IN A HAWKER 800. WHILE LONG RANGE NAV WITH GPS WAS AVAILABLE, THE FO HAD ELECTED TO USE PRIMARY VOR NAV FOR THE SID, WITH INTENT TO SWITCH TO LONG RANGE NAV FOR THE REMAINING ENRTE PORTION OF THE FLT. THERE IS A NEARLY 90 DEG L TURN OFF THE SEAL BEACH VOR TO COMPLETE THE THERMAL TRANSITION. AS THE FO WAS APCHING THIS L TURN, I REMINDED HER OF THE UPCOMING TURN AND SHE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS. JUST BEFORE INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL FROM THE SEAL BEACH VOR THE TCASII INDICATED TFC, AND NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE INITIAL APPEARANCE ON THE SCREEN, IT SOUNDED THE ALARM FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICT. THE FO AND I LOOKED FOR THE TFC AND AT ABOUT THE 1 O'CLOCK POS, WE NOTICED AN ACFT IN A TURN AND AT A SEVERE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 1-2 MI AWAY AT MINIMUM, POSSIBLY MORE (THIS WAS A BIT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE VISUALLY DUE TO THE DIVE THE ACFT WAS IN). THE FO REDIRECTED HER ATTN QUICKLY TO THE NAV DISPLAY AND INITIATED THE L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE SEAL BEACH RADIAL AS PER THE SID. WHILE THE MOMENTARY DISTR DID CAUSE HER TO FLY PAST THE CTRLINE, AT NO TIME DID HER VOR DISPLAY INDICATE MORE THAN 1/2 - 3/4 DOT DEFLECTION, THUS INDICATING THAT WHILE WE WERE A BIT S OF THE CTRLINE, WE WERE CERTAINLY STILL WITHIN PROTECTED AIRSPACE. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, ZLA ASKED US IF WE WERE IN THE L TURN. I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE AND SAID I SAW TFC THAT APPEARED TO BE DOING AEROBATICS. CTR TOLD ME IT WAS A PARACHUTE ACFT AND THAT HE INDICATED WE WERE 3 MI S OF COURSE. I INDICATED THAT OUR DISPLAY WOULD INDICATE WE WERE 'NEARLY RIGHT ON' COURSE. CTR DID NOT INDICATE THE LEVEL OF ALERT HE EXPERIENCED, BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT CONFLICT. THE CONCERN IS THAT HE MAY FEEL WE WERE FURTHER S OF COURSE THAN OUR VOR DISPLAY WOULD HAVE INDICATED FOR US. WHILE WE DID EXTEND JUST A BIT S OF THE CTRLINE, CERTAINLY WE DID NOT VIOLATE THE AIRSPACE AS PER OUR INDICATIONS. AS IS TYPICAL FOR TCASII, IT CAN SOMETIMES PRESENT A SIGNIFICANT DISTR THAT LEADS TO CREW INATTN BRIEFLY TO OTHER TASKS. ANOTHER CONCERN IS WHY THE OTHER ACFT WAS PERMITTED TO DISCHARGE JUMPERS SO CLOSE TO THE AIRWAY. IT WAS SURELY A RECREATIONAL FLT AS THERE WAS NO APPARENT FIRE AND NO NOTAM FOR EMER JUMPING IN THE AREA. WHILE I HAVE ENCOURAGED THE FO TO UTILIZE THE VERY ACCURATE LONG RANGE GPS NAV MODE IN THE FUTURE, AND TO LEAD TURNS SOONER, I ASSERT THAT WE DID NOT VIOLATE AIRSPACE PER OUR INDICATIONS ON THE VOR CDI INDICATIONS. RECREATIONAL PARACHUTE JUMPING SHOULD ALSO NOT BE PERMITTED SO CLOSE TO AIRWAYS OCCUPIED BY HIGH SPD JET TFC.

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.