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A mooney M20 private pilot almost hits 4 skydivers during their free-fall 3 mi northeast of fentress airpark, XS90, tx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 462334 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : aus.tracon tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 E Super 21 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : aus.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : charter |
| Make Model Name | Twin Otter DHC-6 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 195 flight time type : 15 |
| ASRS Report | 462334 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : charter |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac inflight encounter : skydivers non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 100 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
About 3 mi northeast of fentress airpark, encountered 4 parachutists which had just jumped. Used evasive maneuvers to avoid hitting jumpers. Jump plane, a twin otter, with no visible tail number, was spotted approximately 3000 ft above us, in a steep l-handed descending turn. Aircraft was next spotted approximately 2 wing lengths off our left wing, at same airspeed and altitude. We turned right, descended, etc, to move away from aircraft, but other aircraft continued to fly in formation for 3-4 mins. Other aircraft then made a hard right ascending turn, flying directly over the top of us before returning to fentress airpark. Contributing factors: 1) NOTAM for jumping sat and sun within 1 NM radius of fentress airpark probably needs to be expanded. 2) pilot of the otter apparently had something to prove. 3) we were too close to the jump area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MOONEY M20 PVT PLT ALMOST HITS 4 SKYDIVERS DURING THEIR FREE-FALL 3 MI NE OF FENTRESS AIRPARK, XS90, TX.
Narrative: ABOUT 3 MI NE OF FENTRESS AIRPARK, ENCOUNTERED 4 PARACHUTISTS WHICH HAD JUST JUMPED. USED EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID HITTING JUMPERS. JUMP PLANE, A TWIN OTTER, WITH NO VISIBLE TAIL NUMBER, WAS SPOTTED APPROX 3000 FT ABOVE US, IN A STEEP L-HANDED DSNDING TURN. ACFT WAS NEXT SPOTTED APPROX 2 WING LENGTHS OFF OUR L WING, AT SAME AIRSPD AND ALT. WE TURNED R, DSNDED, ETC, TO MOVE AWAY FROM ACFT, BUT OTHER ACFT CONTINUED TO FLY IN FORMATION FOR 3-4 MINS. OTHER ACFT THEN MADE A HARD R ASCENDING TURN, FLYING DIRECTLY OVER THE TOP OF US BEFORE RETURNING TO FENTRESS AIRPARK. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) NOTAM FOR JUMPING SAT AND SUN WITHIN 1 NM RADIUS OF FENTRESS AIRPARK PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED. 2) PLT OF THE OTTER APPARENTLY HAD SOMETHING TO PROVE. 3) WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE JUMP AREA.
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.