Narrative:

Approaching addvl on wilbr 2 arrival at 11000 ft, 250 KTS, center advised several targets in our quadrant with jumpers. We were assigned 25O degree heading. Center advised traffic at 12 - 1 O'clock at about 13000 ft with clearance to maintain 12000 ft for DC9 traffic (us). We saw him on the TCASII. His descent to 12000 ft was quite fast but he did not slow his descent at 12000 ft. He continued a rapid descent and turned into us. We got an RA 'monitor vertical speed' (no climb). He continued his descent and heading towards us. It became apparent he would probably hit us without evasive action on our part. We began a left turn away from the traffic (all on TCASII no visual reference, and ATC was quiet). He continued to turn into us and descend. We turned more aggressively to the left and I advised center we were breaking (turning) left and beginning a climb as we got a second RA, 'climb, crossing, climb.' at about this time, TCASII showed him at our altitude, descending and merging just off our nose, 1 O'clock. We never saw the traffic visually. We got a 'clear of conflict' and advised center we were returning to heading and descending from 11300 ft to 11000 ft. We only climbed 300 ft. On the ground, I called center and spoke with supervisor. She said the controller thought there had been a midair collision. I know he was shook, because after the near miss he had some difficulty talking to us. I feel he had done his job. We know it was close to a near disaster. The TCASII worked well. Why are uncontrolled aircraft at those altitudes and in the arrival corridors of one of the busiest airports in the country? I was told this is a recurring problem around dfw. Will it take a midair to get somebody to take action on this problem. First officer was flying and did a great job. Supplemental information from acn 440968: it seems that some course of action could be taken to prevent skydiving along arrival corridors to such busy airports. Especially at altitudes above the traffic. It wasn't until after the fact that the skydivers came to mind as to their location and not being able to see them falling through our altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 FLT COMES WITHIN 100 FT OF A DSNDING SKYDIVER ACFT THAT BUSTED HIS ALT NE OF TTT, TX.

Narrative: APCHING ADDVL ON WILBR 2 ARR AT 11000 FT, 250 KTS, CTR ADVISED SEVERAL TARGETS IN OUR QUADRANT WITH JUMPERS. WE WERE ASSIGNED 25O DEG HDG. CTR ADVISED TFC AT 12 - 1 O'CLOCK AT ABOUT 13000 FT WITH CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 12000 FT FOR DC9 TFC (US). WE SAW HIM ON THE TCASII. HIS DSCNT TO 12000 FT WAS QUITE FAST BUT HE DID NOT SLOW HIS DSCNT AT 12000 FT. HE CONTINUED A RAPID DSCNT AND TURNED INTO US. WE GOT AN RA 'MONITOR VERT SPD' (NO CLB). HE CONTINUED HIS DSCNT AND HDG TOWARDS US. IT BECAME APPARENT HE WOULD PROBABLY HIT US WITHOUT EVASIVE ACTION ON OUR PART. WE BEGAN A L TURN AWAY FROM THE TFC (ALL ON TCASII NO VISUAL REF, AND ATC WAS QUIET). HE CONTINUED TO TURN INTO US AND DSND. WE TURNED MORE AGGRESSIVELY TO THE L AND I ADVISED CTR WE WERE BREAKING (TURNING) L AND BEGINNING A CLB AS WE GOT A SECOND RA, 'CLB, XING, CLB.' AT ABOUT THIS TIME, TCASII SHOWED HIM AT OUR ALT, DSNDING AND MERGING JUST OFF OUR NOSE, 1 O'CLOCK. WE NEVER SAW THE TFC VISUALLY. WE GOT A 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND ADVISED CTR WE WERE RETURNING TO HDG AND DSNDING FROM 11300 FT TO 11000 FT. WE ONLY CLBED 300 FT. ON THE GND, I CALLED CTR AND SPOKE WITH SUPVR. SHE SAID THE CTLR THOUGHT THERE HAD BEEN A MIDAIR COLLISION. I KNOW HE WAS SHOOK, BECAUSE AFTER THE NEAR MISS HE HAD SOME DIFFICULTY TALKING TO US. I FEEL HE HAD DONE HIS JOB. WE KNOW IT WAS CLOSE TO A NEAR DISASTER. THE TCASII WORKED WELL. WHY ARE UNCTLED ACFT AT THOSE ALTS AND IN THE ARR CORRIDORS OF ONE OF THE BUSIEST ARPTS IN THE COUNTRY? I WAS TOLD THIS IS A RECURRING PROB AROUND DFW. WILL IT TAKE A MIDAIR TO GET SOMEBODY TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS PROB. FO WAS FLYING AND DID A GREAT JOB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 440968: IT SEEMS THAT SOME COURSE OF ACTION COULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT SKYDIVING ALONG ARR CORRIDORS TO SUCH BUSY ARPTS. ESPECIALLY AT ALTS ABOVE THE TFC. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THE FACT THAT THE SKYDIVERS CAME TO MIND AS TO THEIR LOCATION AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THEM FALLING THROUGH OUR ALT.

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.