Narrative:

While on the wilkes barre STAR (lvz.LVZ3) to teterboro airport just east of the stillwater VOR (stw) we were told by new york approach that we had traffic at our 11 O'clock position, approximately 5 mi. At this time we were just over the stw VOR at 6000 ft MSL and on a heading of 090 degrees. ATC advised us that the aircraft was carrying skydivers, which it had just released. Shortly after the ATC advisory our TCAS issued a TA. The TA showed the target aircraft to be where ATC had told us to expect the skydiver aircraft. The TA showed 3000 ft above us. Approximately 15 seconds later our TCAS issued us an RA which we followed. At this time we visually acquired the skydiver aircraft and took evasive maneuvers which included a turn to the right and a climb. Our aircraft came within approximately 2000 ft horizontally of the skydiver aircraft. We were urged by new york approach to make this report to bring attention to this problem, which apparently is an ongoing problem. On this day ATC had advised us that the skydiver aircraft was talking to him (ny approach control). We were told by ny approach that the skydiving being conducted in the area where we had the traffic conflict described above, is an accident waiting to happen. We were also told by ny approach that on some days the skydiving airplanes utilizing this airspace for their jumps sometimes communicate with ATC, and sometimes don't. It is our shared belief, ny approach and ourselves, that skydiving activities should not be allowed to operated in such close proximity to a major metropolitan new york STAR, which feeds jfk, ewr, teb, and lga airports. New york approach's traffic advisory and our aircraft TCAS system were both significant factors in avoiding a potentially serious accident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that approach controller did a good job in the traffic advisory since the aircraft was at 14000 ft at the time of the advisory and he thought that it was strange for the alert since he was at only 6000 ft. Then the TCAS gave a TA and then subsequently an RA of the skydiver aircraft. Then they observed the aircraft coming down very steeply in a spiral motion. He then knew from that observation why they were given the advisory since the aircraft was descending at a high rate to get back to the airport for another load. Reporter did realize that the jump aircraft needed to be near an uncontrolled airport for the ease of skydiver retrieval and for picking up another load of jumpers. He realized that there was probably no FARS violated, but hopes that the jumper area can be moved out of the arrival vectoring area for safety's sake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPTAIN OF A GULFSTREAM IV TURNED AND CLIMBED TO AVOID A SKYDIVING ACFT DESCENDING AFTER DROPPING SKYDIVERS ABOVE HIS PRESENT ALTITUDE DURING A STAR ARRIVAL NEAR THE STW VOR DME. TCAS TA, TOGETHER WITH N90 APCH TRAFFIC ADVISORY, AND A VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE ACFT, HAD ALERTED THE FLC TO ITS PRESENCE.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE WILKES BARRE STAR (LVZ.LVZ3) TO TETERBORO ARPT JUST E OF THE STILLWATER VOR (STW) WE WERE TOLD BY NEW YORK APCH THAT WE HAD TRAFFIC AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POSITION, APPROX 5 MI. AT THIS TIME WE WERE JUST OVER THE STW VOR AT 6000 FT MSL AND ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS. ATC ADVISED US THAT THE ACFT WAS CARRYING SKYDIVERS, WHICH IT HAD JUST RELEASED. SHORTLY AFTER THE ATC ADVISORY OUR TCAS ISSUED A TA. THE TA SHOWED THE TARGET ACFT TO BE WHERE ATC HAD TOLD US TO EXPECT THE SKYDIVER ACFT. THE TA SHOWED 3000 FT ABOVE US. APPROX 15 SECONDS LATER OUR TCAS ISSUED US AN RA WHICH WE FOLLOWED. AT THIS TIME WE VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE SKYDIVER ACFT AND TOOK EVASIVE MANEUVERS WHICH INCLUDED A TURN TO THE RIGHT AND A CLB. OUR ACFT CAME WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 2000 FT HORIZONTALLY OF THE SKYDIVER ACFT. WE WERE URGED BY NEW YORK APCH TO MAKE THIS REPORT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM, WHICH APPARENTLY IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. ON THIS DAY ATC HAD ADVISED US THAT THE SKYDIVER ACFT WAS TALKING TO HIM (NY APCH CTL). WE WERE TOLD BY NY APCH THAT THE SKYDIVING BEING CONDUCTED IN THE AREA WHERE WE HAD THE TRAFFIC CONFLICT DESCRIBED ABOVE, IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY NY APCH THAT ON SOME DAYS THE SKYDIVING AIRPLANES UTILIZING THIS AIRSPACE FOR THEIR JUMPS SOMETIMES COMMUNICATE WITH ATC, AND SOMETIMES DON'T. IT IS OUR SHARED BELIEF, NY APCH AND OURSELVES, THAT SKYDIVING ACTIVITIES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OPERATED IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A MAJOR METRO NEW YORK STAR, WHICH FEEDS JFK, EWR, TEB, AND LGA AIRPORTS. NEW YORK APCH'S TRAFFIC ADVISORY AND OUR ACFT TCAS SYSTEM WERE BOTH SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN AVOIDING A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT APCH CTLR DID A GOOD JOB IN THE TRAFFIC ADVISORY SINCE THE ACFT WAS AT 14000 FT AT THE TIME OF THE ADVISORY AND HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS STRANGE FOR THE ALERT SINCE HE WAS AT ONLY 6000 FT. THEN THE TCAS GAVE A TA AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY AN RA OF THE SKYDIVER ACFT. THEN THEY OBSERVED THE ACFT COMING DOWN VERY STEEPLY IN A SPIRAL MOTION. HE THEN KNEW FROM THAT OBSERVATION WHY THEY WERE GIVEN THE ADVISORY SINCE THE ACFT WAS DESCENDING AT A HIGH RATE TO GET BACK TO THE ARPT FOR ANOTHER LOAD. REPORTER DID REALIZE THAT THE JUMP ACFT NEEDED TO BE NEAR AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT FOR THE EASE OF SKYDIVER RETRIEVAL AND FOR PICKING UP ANOTHER LOAD OF JUMPERS. HE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY NO FARS VIOLATED, BUT HOPES THAT THE JUMPER AREA CAN BE MOVED OUT OF THE ARRIVAL VECTORING AREA FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

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.