Narrative:

I had gone from my home airport to the uncontrolled airport (D73). On departure I announced on the CTAF my intentions to back taxi on runway 3 for a departure on runway 21 (wind 170 degrees 5 KTS). There is no run-up button at the end of this runway and I did my preflight run-up sitting astride the runway so as to be more visible to any arriving aircraft. After completion I announced my intention to depart on runway 21 on the CTAF. As I aligned with the runway I noted a parachutist about 150 ft above the centerline at mid-field traveling to the right side of the runway. My observation of parachutes is that they continue on the same path to touchdown. Since this chute was crossing the runway I expected it to continue on away from the runway to a landing. I continued to set the power for takeoff as I rolled down the runway. To my surprise the chute made a turn back toward the runway and then a quick turn to parallel the runway to a touchdown. My first reaction was to suspend my takeoff, but before I could take this action the chute had gone to a course parallel with the runway and made a touchdown probably about 100 ft off the runway centerline. Seconds later I roared past on the left side of the runway in order to be as far away as possible. This was not a safe operation. Had I had any idea that the chutist would not continue on a course away from the runway I would have delayed my takeoff, and will definitely do so in the future until the parachute is on the ground. The view out of the top of most airplanes is rather limited which makes observing parachutes arriving at an airport a very difficult thing to do. Had this parachutist been a few seconds later on his drop I doubt that I would have seen him in time to avert a tragedy. The drop plane no doubt made the required radio call prior to release of his passenger, but it must have come before I started up and got my radios on. I did not hear a call of 'jumpers away at monroe (D73).' in my opinion it should be a requirement that there be a person with a radio on the ground to warn any observed traffic in the airport traffic pattern, or any aircraft taxiing for takeoff, that jumpers are in the air who will be landing at this airport. The number of parachutes expected to land should be required information in this call. To be held responsible for seeing traffic, that I must legally give way to, that is coming from an area that is virtually unobservable is to fly in the face of logic. Absent there being a radio to warn powered aircraft of descending parachutists in the air traffic area, they should be required to land only at a point outside the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF AN SMA RPTS THAT AS HE WAS ON HIS TKOF ROLL AT AN UNCTLED ARPT HE HAD A PARACHUTIST DSND ACROSS THE RWY.

Narrative: I HAD GONE FROM MY HOME ARPT TO THE UNCTLED ARPT (D73). ON DEP I ANNOUNCED ON THE CTAF MY INTENTIONS TO BACK TAXI ON RWY 3 FOR A DEP ON RWY 21 (WIND 170 DEGS 5 KTS). THERE IS NO RUN-UP BUTTON AT THE END OF THIS RWY AND I DID MY PREFLT RUN-UP SITTING ASTRIDE THE RWY SO AS TO BE MORE VISIBLE TO ANY ARRIVING ACFT. AFTER COMPLETION I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO DEPART ON RWY 21 ON THE CTAF. AS I ALIGNED WITH THE RWY I NOTED A PARACHUTIST ABOUT 150 FT ABOVE THE CTRLINE AT MID-FIELD TRAVELING TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. MY OBSERVATION OF PARACHUTES IS THAT THEY CONTINUE ON THE SAME PATH TO TOUCHDOWN. SINCE THIS CHUTE WAS XING THE RWY I EXPECTED IT TO CONTINUE ON AWAY FROM THE RWY TO A LNDG. I CONTINUED TO SET THE PWR FOR TKOF AS I ROLLED DOWN THE RWY. TO MY SURPRISE THE CHUTE MADE A TURN BACK TOWARD THE RWY AND THEN A QUICK TURN TO PARALLEL THE RWY TO A TOUCHDOWN. MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO SUSPEND MY TKOF, BUT BEFORE I COULD TAKE THIS ACTION THE CHUTE HAD GONE TO A COURSE PARALLEL WITH THE RWY AND MADE A TOUCHDOWN PROBABLY ABOUT 100 FT OFF THE RWY CTRLINE. SECONDS LATER I ROARED PAST ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY IN ORDER TO BE AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE. THIS WAS NOT A SAFE OP. HAD I HAD ANY IDEA THAT THE CHUTIST WOULD NOT CONTINUE ON A COURSE AWAY FROM THE RWY I WOULD HAVE DELAYED MY TKOF, AND WILL DEFINITELY DO SO IN THE FUTURE UNTIL THE PARACHUTE IS ON THE GND. THE VIEW OUT OF THE TOP OF MOST AIRPLANES IS RATHER LIMITED WHICH MAKES OBSERVING PARACHUTES ARRIVING AT AN ARPT A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO. HAD THIS PARACHUTIST BEEN A FEW SECONDS LATER ON HIS DROP I DOUBT THAT I WOULD HAVE SEEN HIM IN TIME TO AVERT A TRAGEDY. THE DROP PLANE NO DOUBT MADE THE REQUIRED RADIO CALL PRIOR TO RELEASE OF HIS PAX, BUT IT MUST HAVE COME BEFORE I STARTED UP AND GOT MY RADIOS ON. I DID NOT HEAR A CALL OF 'JUMPERS AWAY AT MONROE (D73).' IN MY OPINION IT SHOULD BE A REQUIREMENT THAT THERE BE A PERSON WITH A RADIO ON THE GND TO WARN ANY OBSERVED TFC IN THE ARPT TFC PATTERN, OR ANY ACFT TAXIING FOR TKOF, THAT JUMPERS ARE IN THE AIR WHO WILL BE LNDG AT THIS ARPT. THE NUMBER OF PARACHUTES EXPECTED TO LAND SHOULD BE REQUIRED INFO IN THIS CALL. TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR SEEING TFC, THAT I MUST LEGALLY GIVE WAY TO, THAT IS COMING FROM AN AREA THAT IS VIRTUALLY UNOBSERVABLE IS TO FLY IN THE FACE OF LOGIC. ABSENT THERE BEING A RADIO TO WARN POWERED ACFT OF DSNDING PARACHUTISTS IN THE ATA, THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO LAND ONLY AT A POINT OUTSIDE THE ATA.

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.