Narrative:

Last ATC clearance was 170 degree heading and 4000 ft. Received while we were still nne of the field entering a downwind leg for runway 35 in phl. At about 12-15 mi sse of the field, still on a 170 degree heading and 4000 ft on the downwind for runway 35, we saw what appeared as a WX balloon. It was a little above our altitude at our 11:30 to 12 O'clock position moving slowly from left to right and descending slowly. Within a couple of seconds we saw a little parachute followed by a big canopy open and fill with air, currently on our 12 - 12:30 position. It appeared to turn right towards us at a high closing rate. We aggressively maneuvered the airplane to the left, away from the traffic on final for runway 35, and as we were rolling out from the turn barely missing the parachuter. We saw 4 or 5 chutes open 300 ft above our left wing. We aggressively maneuvered back to the right, rolled out on a 120 degree heading and advised ATC of the occurrence. ATC turned us further on a 150 degree heading and within 1 min to a 270 degree heading for the base turn. At this point I told the controller 'you know we had to aggressively maneuver to avoid those parachuters and if we had not seen them open when we did, it would have turned out very ugly.' the controller responded 'yeah, I know, they never made any calls for the drop and I am having them call here when they get on the ground.' note: we did not hear of any parachuting activity on any of the approach frequencys or the ATIS which we picked up at approximately XA05. In our opinion, this incident was caused by the failure of the parachuting team to coordinate with ATC. In our limited understanding of parachuting, the drop is supposed to be called by the jump master. If this one person who is supposed to be coordinating with ATC does not make any calls, these kinds of incidents will happen. Either a system needs to be developed where ATC can directly monitor the internal operation of a jump plane, without relying on the parachuting team alone, or parachuting in such high traffic areas, or anywhere close to them, should not take place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8 CREW HAVE A VERY CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH PARACHUTE JUMPERS AT PHL.

Narrative: LAST ATC CLRNC WAS 170 DEG HDG AND 4000 FT. RECEIVED WHILE WE WERE STILL NNE OF THE FIELD ENTERING A DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 35 IN PHL. AT ABOUT 12-15 MI SSE OF THE FIELD, STILL ON A 170 DEG HDG AND 4000 FT ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35, WE SAW WHAT APPEARED AS A WX BALLOON. IT WAS A LITTLE ABOVE OUR ALT AT OUR 11:30 TO 12 O'CLOCK POS MOVING SLOWLY FROM L TO R AND DSNDING SLOWLY. WITHIN A COUPLE OF SECONDS WE SAW A LITTLE PARACHUTE FOLLOWED BY A BIG CANOPY OPEN AND FILL WITH AIR, CURRENTLY ON OUR 12 - 12:30 POS. IT APPEARED TO TURN R TOWARDS US AT A HIGH CLOSING RATE. WE AGGRESSIVELY MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TO THE L, AWAY FROM THE TFC ON FINAL FOR RWY 35, AND AS WE WERE ROLLING OUT FROM THE TURN BARELY MISSING THE PARACHUTER. WE SAW 4 OR 5 CHUTES OPEN 300 FT ABOVE OUR L WING. WE AGGRESSIVELY MANEUVERED BACK TO THE R, ROLLED OUT ON A 120 DEG HDG AND ADVISED ATC OF THE OCCURRENCE. ATC TURNED US FURTHER ON A 150 DEG HDG AND WITHIN 1 MIN TO A 270 DEG HDG FOR THE BASE TURN. AT THIS POINT I TOLD THE CTLR 'YOU KNOW WE HAD TO AGGRESSIVELY MANEUVER TO AVOID THOSE PARACHUTERS AND IF WE HAD NOT SEEN THEM OPEN WHEN WE DID, IT WOULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY UGLY.' THE CTLR RESPONDED 'YEAH, I KNOW, THEY NEVER MADE ANY CALLS FOR THE DROP AND I AM HAVING THEM CALL HERE WHEN THEY GET ON THE GND.' NOTE: WE DID NOT HEAR OF ANY PARACHUTING ACTIVITY ON ANY OF THE APCH FREQS OR THE ATIS WHICH WE PICKED UP AT APPROX XA05. IN OUR OPINION, THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE PARACHUTING TEAM TO COORDINATE WITH ATC. IN OUR LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF PARACHUTING, THE DROP IS SUPPOSED TO BE CALLED BY THE JUMP MASTER. IF THIS ONE PERSON WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE COORDINATING WITH ATC DOES NOT MAKE ANY CALLS, THESE KINDS OF INCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN. EITHER A SYS NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED WHERE ATC CAN DIRECTLY MONITOR THE INTERNAL OP OF A JUMP PLANE, WITHOUT RELYING ON THE PARACHUTING TEAM ALONE, OR PARACHUTING IN SUCH HIGH TFC AREAS, OR ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THEM, SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE.

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.