Reporting flight crew of a super MD80 stopped turn and descended below assigned 5000 ft MSL to assure separation when a skydiver dropped from a military C130 at 6000 ft near a dfw departure route.

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Attributes
ACN	433252
Time
Date	199904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4800 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon tracon : o90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Hercules (C-130)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	433252
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	433251
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : skydivers other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : returned to assigned airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Over the ballpark in arlington on departure from runway 18L at dfw, we were given 5000 ft for VFR C130 traffic orbiting over arlington. We had visual contact with the traffic and leveled at 5000 ft. The C130 was moving from right to left at 6000 ft just above us. We were given a turn to 260 degree heading and just as we became established in the turn, we saw a man fall away from the aircraft. He fell through our altitude very close to us, much too close for comfort. We immediately called departure and told the controller, who began issuing alerts to the planes coming up behind us. I don't know what caused this to happen, but it was very close to a disaster and made me very uneasy to think about the consequences if we would have hit this guy.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTING FLC OF A SUPER MD80 STOPPED TURN AND DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED 5000 FT MSL TO ASSURE SEPARATION WHEN A SKYDIVER DROPPED FROM A MIL C130 AT 6000 FT NEAR A DFW DEP RTE.

Narrative: OVER THE BALLPARK IN ARLINGTON ON DEP FROM RWY 18L AT DFW, WE WERE GIVEN 5000 FT FOR VFR C130 TFC ORBITING OVER ARLINGTON. WE HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC AND LEVELED AT 5000 FT. THE C130 WAS MOVING FROM R TO L AT 6000 FT JUST ABOVE US. WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 260 DEG HDG AND JUST AS WE BECAME ESTABLISHED IN THE TURN, WE SAW A MAN FALL AWAY FROM THE ACFT. HE FELL THROUGH OUR ALT VERY CLOSE TO US, MUCH TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED DEP AND TOLD THE CTLR, WHO BEGAN ISSUING ALERTS TO THE PLANES COMING UP BEHIND US. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN, BUT IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO A DISASTER AND MADE ME VERY UNEASY TO THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES IF WE WOULD HAVE HIT THIS GUY.

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.