Narrative:

We had been operating a casa 212 at a commercial drop zone located at the upson county airport in thomaston, GA (opn), as part of a special event weekend. Our interaction with ZTL was to report airborne, receive a squawk, announce '2 mins to jumpers away' and 'jumpers away.' in the time between these calls, parachuting can be considered to be in progress. The weekend proceeded normally with no problems with ATC whatsoever and very few TA's. On load #9 on the sunday afternoon we were on 'jump run' and made the usual calls to ATC. For operational reasons I decided to change the direction of jump run and proceeded to maneuver for the new jump run. On jump run the skydivers were put on standby with a red light signal. As I was about to give the green light signal for 'go' center queried if we had dropped our jumpers yet. The negative response was followed by a hurried TA, of a B727 at our 2 O'clock position and ? Mi. This happened at the most critical moment in our jump run, as I had to give a green light or abort, as otherwise our jumpers would land off the drop zone. I queried my first officer if he had the traffic in sight and if so if it was a factor. I received affirmative responses to both questions. I gained a visual on the B727 almost immediately after and initiated a right avoiding turn. ATC advised us to hold the jumpers, which we acknowledged. As I did this I also turned off the red light. Unfortunately this action was incorrectly interpreted as a go signal and the jumpers started to exit the aircraft. A lot of confusion ensued with the air carrier crew announcing a TCASII RA, a visual on our aircraft and followed quickly by sight of the jumpers exiting our aircraft. ATC advised the air carrier crew that they had told us to hold the jumpers and all I could do at this point was apologize profusely to the air carrier crew and center, I had experienced an 'uncommanded egress from the aircraft.' analysis of incident: like most incidents, it was a combination of events that conspired to create the situation. However, after analyzing the situation and pondering the 'what ifs,' I felt that the TA was very very late, giving me no time to react and get things in order, the B727 was quite close even at the time of the advisory. I felt the query from ATC as to whether we had dropped or not was more out of hope than due process because of the haste of the subsequent advisory and proximity of the other aircraft. Additionally, the B727 crew were probably IFR and being vectored and oblivious and blameless to what transpired, but the fact remained that they were flying through an active drop zone. I really got the impression that we had been 'forgotten' about.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTING PARACHUTE JUMP ACFT PLT UNABLE TO HOLD SKYDIVERS AS ASKED BY ARTCC OVER JUMP ZONE DUE TO LAST MIN TA OF A B727.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN OPERATING A CASA 212 AT A COMMERCIAL DROP ZONE LOCATED AT THE UPSON COUNTY ARPT IN THOMASTON, GA (OPN), AS PART OF A SPECIAL EVENT WEEKEND. OUR INTERACTION WITH ZTL WAS TO RPT AIRBORNE, RECEIVE A SQUAWK, ANNOUNCE '2 MINS TO JUMPERS AWAY' AND 'JUMPERS AWAY.' IN THE TIME BTWN THESE CALLS, PARACHUTING CAN BE CONSIDERED TO BE IN PROGRESS. THE WEEKEND PROCEEDED NORMALLY WITH NO PROBS WITH ATC WHATSOEVER AND VERY FEW TA'S. ON LOAD #9 ON THE SUNDAY AFTERNOON WE WERE ON 'JUMP RUN' AND MADE THE USUAL CALLS TO ATC. FOR OPERATIONAL REASONS I DECIDED TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF JUMP RUN AND PROCEEDED TO MANEUVER FOR THE NEW JUMP RUN. ON JUMP RUN THE SKYDIVERS WERE PUT ON STANDBY WITH A RED LIGHT SIGNAL. AS I WAS ABOUT TO GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT SIGNAL FOR 'GO' CTR QUERIED IF WE HAD DROPPED OUR JUMPERS YET. THE NEGATIVE RESPONSE WAS FOLLOWED BY A HURRIED TA, OF A B727 AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AND ? MI. THIS HAPPENED AT THE MOST CRITICAL MOMENT IN OUR JUMP RUN, AS I HAD TO GIVE A GREEN LIGHT OR ABORT, AS OTHERWISE OUR JUMPERS WOULD LAND OFF THE DROP ZONE. I QUERIED MY FO IF HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND IF SO IF IT WAS A FACTOR. I RECEIVED AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSES TO BOTH QUESTIONS. I GAINED A VISUAL ON THE B727 ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER AND INITIATED A R AVOIDING TURN. ATC ADVISED US TO HOLD THE JUMPERS, WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I DID THIS I ALSO TURNED OFF THE RED LIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY THIS ACTION WAS INCORRECTLY INTERPRETED AS A GO SIGNAL AND THE JUMPERS STARTED TO EXIT THE ACFT. A LOT OF CONFUSION ENSUED WITH THE ACR CREW ANNOUNCING A TCASII RA, A VISUAL ON OUR ACFT AND FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY SIGHT OF THE JUMPERS EXITING OUR ACFT. ATC ADVISED THE ACR CREW THAT THEY HAD TOLD US TO HOLD THE JUMPERS AND ALL I COULD DO AT THIS POINT WAS APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY TO THE ACR CREW AND CTR, I HAD EXPERIENCED AN 'UNCOMMANDED EGRESS FROM THE ACFT.' ANALYSIS OF INCIDENT: LIKE MOST INCIDENTS, IT WAS A COMBINATION OF EVENTS THAT CONSPIRED TO CREATE THE SIT. HOWEVER, AFTER ANALYZING THE SIT AND PONDERING THE 'WHAT IFS,' I FELT THAT THE TA WAS VERY VERY LATE, GIVING ME NO TIME TO REACT AND GET THINGS IN ORDER, THE B727 WAS QUITE CLOSE EVEN AT THE TIME OF THE ADVISORY. I FELT THE QUERY FROM ATC AS TO WHETHER WE HAD DROPPED OR NOT WAS MORE OUT OF HOPE THAN DUE PROCESS BECAUSE OF THE HASTE OF THE SUBSEQUENT ADVISORY AND PROX OF THE OTHER ACFT. ADDITIONALLY, THE B727 CREW WERE PROBABLY IFR AND BEING VECTORED AND OBLIVIOUS AND BLAMELESS TO WHAT TRANSPIRED, BUT THE FACT REMAINED THAT THEY WERE FLYING THROUGH AN ACTIVE DROP ZONE. I REALLY GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD BEEN 'FORGOTTEN' ABOUT.

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.