Narrative:

Papa jumping is allowed to take place at olympia airport with compliance with far's. Tower not provided with proper information. FSDO's opinion as well as tower controller's that jumping in the traffic pattern creates a hazard to air safety. Far 105.13. Contract tower management overruled FSDO and is demanding that its controllers allow jumping in the pattern against the controller's better judgment. Jump participants and owner have violated far's in past and been evicted from other jump areas. Poor judgment on contract tower management part and lack of knowledge is allowing an unsafe operation to begin. Olympia airport management has not approved. The company running a business on the airport due to them not meeting liability requirements. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter believes tower management is responding to adverse comments directed at the contract service company by the parachute organization owner instead of making the parachute owner comply with suggested far procedure's. A FSDO specialist advised of the following: parachute jumping is being conducted into an approximately 600 ft X 1000 ft lot, within class D, located in and adjoining olm airport property. The airspace and lot are considered 'a congested area' because the lot is surrounded by 42 homes, a recreational vehicle park, gas station, and a 600 ft power line which projects into the landing zone jump area. A county road bisects the lot area, bounded by a lumber mill, a high school and interstate 5 freeway intersecting the off airport property. FSDO is also concerned with the interpretation of the far of 'float over the traffic pattern', and a principle jet/turboprop arrival route transitioning the area into seatac airport, with aircraft in descent to 10000 ft parachute operations frequently begin jump runs up to 13500 ft. FSDO is aware of a congressional inquiry reportedly initiated by the parachute jumping organization. A seatac tower/TRACON specialist advised that they have become aware of recent instances between olm tower, FSDO and olm airport officials. As of present, no letter of agreement has been initiated effecting operational expectations between the user, olm ATCT and seatac TRACON. An olm spokesman advised that the parachute jump company owner announced that he was starting operations at the airport, but has yet to obtain written airport authorization. Airport officials are concerned with airport traffic pattern safety, that there is no signed letter of agreement between the FAA, the user and the airport and that the FAA is not sufficiently forcing the issue with the jump organization. The spokesman believes that the jump organizer has other outstanding issues with the FAA that have not been resolved from previous jump locations.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OLM CTLR CONCERNED WITH FAC'S INTERACTION WITH LCL PARACHUTE JUMPING ORGANIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON CLASS D AIR TRAFFIC, ARPT OFFICIALS AND SEA FSDO OVERVIEW.

Narrative: PAPA JUMPING IS ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE AT OLYMPIA ARPT WITH COMPLIANCE WITH FAR'S. TOWER NOT PROVIDED WITH PROPER INFO. FSDO'S OPINION AS WELL AS TOWER CONTROLLER'S THAT JUMPING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN CREATES A HAZARD TO AIR SAFETY. FAR 105.13. CONTRACT TOWER MGMNT OVERRULED FSDO AND IS DEMANDING THAT ITS CTLRS ALLOW JUMPING IN THE PATTERN AGAINST THE CTLR'S BETTER JUDGMENT. JUMP PARTICIPANTS AND OWNER HAVE VIOLATED FAR'S IN PAST AND BEEN EVICTED FROM OTHER JUMP AREAS. POOR JUDGMENT ON CONTRACT TWR MGMNT PART AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IS ALLOWING AN UNSAFE OP TO BEGIN. OLYMPIA ARPT MGMNT HAS NOT APPROVED. THE COMPANY RUNNING A BUSINESS ON THE ARPT DUE TO THEM NOT MEETING LIABILITY REQUIREMENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR BELIEVES TWR MGMNT IS RESPONDING TO ADVERSE COMMENTS DIRECTED AT THE CONTRACT SVC COMPANY BY THE PARACHUTE ORGANIZATION OWNER INSTEAD OF MAKING THE PARACHUTE OWNER COMPLY WITH SUGGESTED FAR PROC'S. A FSDO SPECIALIST ADVISED OF THE FOLLOWING: PARACHUTE JUMPING IS BEING CONDUCTED INTO AN APPROX 600 FT X 1000 FT LOT, WITHIN CLASS D, LOCATED IN AND ADJOINING OLM ARPT PROPERTY. THE AIRSPACE AND LOT ARE CONSIDERED 'A CONGESTED AREA' BECAUSE THE LOT IS SURROUNDED BY 42 HOMES, A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARK, GAS STATION, AND A 600 FT POWER LINE WHICH PROJECTS INTO THE LNDG ZONE JUMP AREA. A COUNTY ROAD BISECTS THE LOT AREA, BOUNDED BY A LUMBER MILL, A HIGH SCHOOL AND INTERSTATE 5 FREEWAY INTERSECTING THE OFF ARPT PROPERTY. FSDO IS ALSO CONCERNED WITH THE INTERPRETATION OF THE FAR OF 'FLOAT OVER THE TFC PATTERN', AND A PRINCIPLE JET/TURBOPROP ARR RTE TRANSITIONING THE AREA INTO SEATAC ARPT, WITH ACFT IN DSCNT TO 10000 FT PARACHUTE OPS FREQUENTLY BEGIN JUMP RUNS UP TO 13500 FT. FSDO IS AWARE OF A CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY REPORTEDLY INITIATED BY THE PARACHUTE JUMPING ORGANIZATION. A SEATAC TWR/TRACON SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THEY HAVE BECOME AWARE OF RECENT INSTANCES BTWN OLM TWR, FSDO AND OLM ARPT OFFICIALS. AS OF PRESENT, NO LETTER OF AGREEMENT HAS BEEN INITIATED EFFECTING OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS BTWN THE USER, OLM ATCT AND SEATAC TRACON. AN OLM SPOKESMAN ADVISED THAT THE PARACHUTE JUMP COMPANY OWNER ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS STARTING OPS AT THE ARPT, BUT HAS YET TO OBTAIN WRITTEN ARPT AUTHORIZATION. ARPT OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED WITH ARPT TFC PATTERN SAFETY, THAT THERE IS NO SIGNED LETTER OF AGREEMENT BTWN THE FAA, THE USER AND THE ARPT AND THAT THE FAA IS NOT SUFFICIENTLY FORCING THE ISSUE WITH THE JUMP ORGANIZATION. THE SPOKESMAN BELIEVES THAT THE JUMP ORGANIZER HAS OTHER OUTSTANDING ISSUES WITH THE FAA THAT HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVED FROM PREVIOUS JUMP LOCATIONS.

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.