BE100 pilot dropped jumpers into a drop zone that was cloud covered.

Attributes
ACN	513703
Time
Date	200106
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hdh.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl single value : 13500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	King Air 100 A/B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	513703
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : skydivers inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were using the king air to conduct skydiving operations. The day was windy with clouds blowing in from time to time. On one drop, the area over the drop zone was cloudy with bases about 7000 ft. However, there were VFR conditions about 2 NM northeast of the field. The plan was to drop the skydivers in this area and have them fly their canopies back to the drop zone while maintaining VFR. This is exactly what happened. However, some people on the ground thought that I had dropped the jumpers through the clouds. This is not true, as I could observe them while they flew back to the landing area. In addition, the airplane was nowhere near the drop zone when they exited. The trade winds allow us to conduct legal and safe jump operations from 2 NM away.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE100 PLT DROPPED JUMPERS INTO A DROP ZONE THAT WAS CLOUD COVERED.

Narrative: WE WERE USING THE KING AIR TO CONDUCT SKYDIVING OPS. THE DAY WAS WINDY WITH CLOUDS BLOWING IN FROM TIME TO TIME. ON ONE DROP, THE AREA OVER THE DROP ZONE WAS CLOUDY WITH BASES ABOUT 7000 FT. HOWEVER, THERE WERE VFR CONDITIONS ABOUT 2 NM NE OF THE FIELD. THE PLAN WAS TO DROP THE SKYDIVERS IN THIS AREA AND HAVE THEM FLY THEIR CANOPIES BACK TO THE DROP ZONE WHILE MAINTAINING VFR. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE ON THE GND THOUGHT THAT I HAD DROPPED THE JUMPERS THROUGH THE CLOUDS. THIS IS NOT TRUE, AS I COULD OBSERVE THEM WHILE THEY FLEW BACK TO THE LNDG AREA. IN ADDITION, THE AIRPLANE WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE DROP ZONE WHEN THEY EXITED. THE TRADE WINDS ALLOW US TO CONDUCT LEGAL AND SAFE JUMP OPS FROM 2 NM AWAY.

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.