Narrative:

I was flying a king air B90 over dillingham aprt in hawaii for the purpose of dropping skydivers. At 12500 ft, I put the aircraft in a slow flight confign and began a holding pattern approximately 2 mi upwind of the drop zone, which is located on the end of dillingham airport. The purpose of the slow flight and holding pattern was to allow the jump master to open the door and look for a suitable opening in the cloud layer below that would be safe to jump through. Because the forward and down visibility is so poor in the king air, I must rely on the jump master to spot any openings below and advise me if it's safe. If I deem it to be safe, I would turn the red 'no jump' light off and turn the green 'go' light on. After completing a second upwind leg of the holding, I was about to turn for the downwind leg when I felt jumpers exiting the aircraft. I had not told the skydivers to exit. The red 'no jump' light was on. The flaps were not full down and the power was not off as would be normal for a 'jump run.' the jump master had not indicated he had seen an opening to me in any way. When the first jumper went out the door, the others followed very quickly. The jumpers did not have my permission to leave the aircraft. Although I did not witness the skydivers in the air after they left the aircraft, there is a possibility some of the skydivers may have fallen through or too close to the clouds. I feel that the only way to solve this kind of problem is to make the skydivers more responsible for their own actions after they exit the aircraft. Far 105.29 is outdated and needs to be revised. It was written when skydivers were using 'round' parachutes, small 3 and 4 place aircraft and 'minimal free fall' skills. Nowadays, skydivers can travel great distances both in free fall and under canopy with excellent control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SKYDIVERS MAY HAVE PARACHUTED THROUGH OR NEAR CLOUDS.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A KING AIR B90 OVER DILLINGHAM APRT IN HAWAII FOR THE PURPOSE OF DROPPING SKYDIVERS. AT 12500 FT, I PUT THE ACFT IN A SLOW FLT CONFIGN AND BEGAN A HOLDING PATTERN APPROX 2 MI UPWIND OF THE DROP ZONE, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE END OF DILLINGHAM ARPT. THE PURPOSE OF THE SLOW FLT AND HOLDING PATTERN WAS TO ALLOW THE JUMP MASTER TO OPEN THE DOOR AND LOOK FOR A SUITABLE OPENING IN THE CLOUD LAYER BELOW THAT WOULD BE SAFE TO JUMP THROUGH. BECAUSE THE FORWARD AND DOWN VISIBILITY IS SO POOR IN THE KING AIR, I MUST RELY ON THE JUMP MASTER TO SPOT ANY OPENINGS BELOW AND ADVISE ME IF IT'S SAFE. IF I DEEM IT TO BE SAFE, I WOULD TURN THE RED 'NO JUMP' LIGHT OFF AND TURN THE GREEN 'GO' LIGHT ON. AFTER COMPLETING A SECOND UPWIND LEG OF THE HOLDING, I WAS ABOUT TO TURN FOR THE DOWNWIND LEG WHEN I FELT JUMPERS EXITING THE ACFT. I HAD NOT TOLD THE SKYDIVERS TO EXIT. THE RED 'NO JUMP' LIGHT WAS ON. THE FLAPS WERE NOT FULL DOWN AND THE PWR WAS NOT OFF AS WOULD BE NORMAL FOR A 'JUMP RUN.' THE JUMP MASTER HAD NOT INDICATED HE HAD SEEN AN OPENING TO ME IN ANY WAY. WHEN THE FIRST JUMPER WENT OUT THE DOOR, THE OTHERS FOLLOWED VERY QUICKLY. THE JUMPERS DID NOT HAVE MY PERMISSION TO LEAVE THE ACFT. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT WITNESS THE SKYDIVERS IN THE AIR AFTER THEY LEFT THE ACFT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY SOME OF THE SKYDIVERS MAY HAVE FALLEN THROUGH OR TOO CLOSE TO THE CLOUDS. I FEEL THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE THIS KIND OF PROB IS TO MAKE THE SKYDIVERS MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS AFTER THEY EXIT THE ACFT. FAR 105.29 IS OUTDATED AND NEEDS TO BE REVISED. IT WAS WRITTEN WHEN SKYDIVERS WERE USING 'ROUND' PARACHUTES, SMALL 3 AND 4 PLACE ACFT AND 'MINIMAL FREE FALL' SKILLS. NOWADAYS, SKYDIVERS CAN TRAVEL GREAT DISTANCES BOTH IN FREE FALL AND UNDER CANOPY WITH EXCELLENT CTL.

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.