Narrative:

While cruising at 6500 ft in a staggered descent into the bay area, I had an near midair collision with 2 parachutists jumping in tandem. I believe the parachutists dropped within 500-600 ft of my aircraft, directly in front of the nose. Below is the sequence of events: before departing on the flight, I got a telephone WX briefing (I requested a 'standard briefing' which should include pertinent NOTAMS) from FSS. There was no mention of any NOTAMS for parachute activity or drop zones on my route of flight. We departed on schedule and the flight was uneventful to that point. As is my normal practice, I was using ATC flight following. (We were flying VFR.) I was aware that they did parachute jumping around hollister and salinas airports, and on the ATC frequency I heard ZOA (or perhaps it was bay approach at that point, don't remember) talking to a jump pilot who was releasing jumpers, but of course I had no idea where he was, as the controller covers a large area. I wasn't particularly worried since, in the past, any time I had flown through an area where jumps were taking place I had been made aware of them by NOTAM, and ATC had always advised me well in advance so could avoid the drop area. Anyway, the ATC controller radioed, and what I heard was, 'grumman XXX, parachute jump 12 O'clock position (unreadable words following).' (I later deduced that the unreadable words must have been '1 mi' or something close to that.) at this point I was 8 or 9 mi south of hollister airport, which was insight. Believing that the drop was probably right over the airport, and having not heard the '1 mi' part of the ATC message, I immediately radioed back and asked, 'is that right over the hollister airport?' she replied, 'it's 7 mi south first officer the airport.' on hearing that I immediately began a sharp right turn, but just as I began turning the wheel, the 2 parachutists (strapped together) tell past our nose. I turned nearly 90 degrees to the right and flew a couple of mi east before heading back to the north, to avoid any other jumpers who could potentially be or have been released. I have thought a lot about this sequence of events, asking myself what I could have/should have done differently. I can't really think of anything, nor could the ATP-rated pilot who was my passenger in the right seat. (I know that, in the future, I'll avoid flying through that particular geographic area on nice wkend days.) I place some blame on the flight briefer for not giving me the NOTAM that probably existed for that area, and even more with the ATC controller (who didn't appear to be all that busy, unless she was working other frequencys too) for not giving me more warning. And, of course, if I had clearly understood or been able to hear the first radio call, I'd have had 5 or 7 extra seconds to turn away. (I know, it's the pilot's responsibility to see and avoid, but it's mighty hard to see and avoid people dropping from 5000 ft above you.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GRUMMAN TIGER PLT HAS NMAC WITH SKYDIVERS DURING VFR CRUISE.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT 6500 FT IN A STAGGERED DSCNT INTO THE BAY AREA, I HAD AN NMAC WITH 2 PARACHUTISTS JUMPING IN TANDEM. I BELIEVE THE PARACHUTISTS DROPPED WITHIN 500-600 FT OF MY ACFT, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE NOSE. BELOW IS THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE FLT, I GOT A TELEPHONE WX BRIEFING (I REQUESTED A 'STANDARD BRIEFING' WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE PERTINENT NOTAMS) FROM FSS. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY NOTAMS FOR PARACHUTE ACTIVITY OR DROP ZONES ON MY RTE OF FLT. WE DEPARTED ON SCHEDULE AND THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL TO THAT POINT. AS IS MY NORMAL PRACTICE, I WAS USING ATC FLT FOLLOWING. (WE WERE FLYING VFR.) I WAS AWARE THAT THEY DID PARACHUTE JUMPING AROUND HOLLISTER AND SALINAS ARPTS, AND ON THE ATC FREQ I HEARD ZOA (OR PERHAPS IT WAS BAY APCH AT THAT POINT, DON'T REMEMBER) TALKING TO A JUMP PLT WHO WAS RELEASING JUMPERS, BUT OF COURSE I HAD NO IDEA WHERE HE WAS, AS THE CTLR COVERS A LARGE AREA. I WASN'T PARTICULARLY WORRIED SINCE, IN THE PAST, ANY TIME I HAD FLOWN THROUGH AN AREA WHERE JUMPS WERE TAKING PLACE I HAD BEEN MADE AWARE OF THEM BY NOTAM, AND ATC HAD ALWAYS ADVISED ME WELL IN ADVANCE SO COULD AVOID THE DROP AREA. ANYWAY, THE ATC CTLR RADIOED, AND WHAT I HEARD WAS, 'GRUMMAN XXX, PARACHUTE JUMP 12 O'CLOCK POS (UNREADABLE WORDS FOLLOWING).' (I LATER DEDUCED THAT THE UNREADABLE WORDS MUST HAVE BEEN '1 MI' OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO THAT.) AT THIS POINT I WAS 8 OR 9 MI S OF HOLLISTER ARPT, WHICH WAS INSIGHT. BELIEVING THAT THE DROP WAS PROBABLY RIGHT OVER THE ARPT, AND HAVING NOT HEARD THE '1 MI' PART OF THE ATC MESSAGE, I IMMEDIATELY RADIOED BACK AND ASKED, 'IS THAT RIGHT OVER THE HOLLISTER ARPT?' SHE REPLIED, 'IT'S 7 MI S FO THE ARPT.' ON HEARING THAT I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A SHARP R TURN, BUT JUST AS I BEGAN TURNING THE WHEEL, THE 2 PARACHUTISTS (STRAPPED TOGETHER) TELL PAST OUR NOSE. I TURNED NEARLY 90 DEGS TO THE R AND FLEW A COUPLE OF MI E BEFORE HEADING BACK TO THE N, TO AVOID ANY OTHER JUMPERS WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE OR HAVE BEEN RELEASED. I HAVE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, ASKING MYSELF WHAT I COULD HAVE/SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. I CAN'T REALLY THINK OF ANYTHING, NOR COULD THE ATP-RATED PLT WHO WAS MY PAX IN THE R SEAT. (I KNOW THAT, IN THE FUTURE, I'LL AVOID FLYING THROUGH THAT PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHIC AREA ON NICE WKEND DAYS.) I PLACE SOME BLAME ON THE FLT BRIEFER FOR NOT GIVING ME THE NOTAM THAT PROBABLY EXISTED FOR THAT AREA, AND EVEN MORE WITH THE ATC CTLR (WHO DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE ALL THAT BUSY, UNLESS SHE WAS WORKING OTHER FREQS TOO) FOR NOT GIVING ME MORE WARNING. AND, OF COURSE, IF I HAD CLRLY UNDERSTOOD OR BEEN ABLE TO HEAR THE FIRST RADIO CALL, I'D HAVE HAD 5 OR 7 EXTRA SECONDS TO TURN AWAY. (I KNOW, IT'S THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE AND AVOID, BUT IT'S MIGHTY HARD TO SEE AND AVOID PEOPLE DROPPING FROM 5000 FT ABOVE YOU.)

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.