Narrative:

During the morning, the owner of our drop zone sent a load of skydivers down to the hangar. I did not feel the WX was safe to take off in. After 10 mins, owner called down to ask me why we had not taken off yet. I told him the WX was too bad and I should wait a few mins to see if it clears. He told me I have to go fly. I told him no, so he said I was fired. After about 1/2 hour, the other part-owner of the drop zone told me I was not fired, and asked me to fly if I could. Since it had cleared up enough to jump, I took off. First load was uneventful, but second load, the jumpers got out and fell through the clouds. Hawaii is known for the legal 'holes' (4000 ft) between the clouds to open and close rather rapidly. Before turning on jump run, there appeared to be a legal open area to jump into, but as it is impossible to see below you on jump run in a king air, you must rely on the jump master (skydiver spotting the load). After they left the aircraft, I realized they were going to go through the clouds. I believe that the problem is mostly related to feeling my job is in jeopardy by the owner. Although I truly believe the biggest cause of jumpers going through the clouds is the jumpers themselves. In a larger plane like the king air, it is nearly impossible to see below you once you have turned onto jump run. By the time you fly down to the drop situation, conditions can change, and you are relying on the jumper not to violate you. More responsibility needs to be placed on the skydiver to prevent this from happening. The pilot can do his best to fly safely, but when a jumper gets out, he is flying his body and his canopy sometimes more than 5 mi. It seems unbelievable that the pilot is responsible once the jumper leaves the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SKYDIVERS JUMP THROUGH CLOUDS.

Narrative: DURING THE MORNING, THE OWNER OF OUR DROP ZONE SENT A LOAD OF SKYDIVERS DOWN TO THE HANGAR. I DID NOT FEEL THE WX WAS SAFE TO TAKE OFF IN. AFTER 10 MINS, OWNER CALLED DOWN TO ASK ME WHY WE HAD NOT TAKEN OFF YET. I TOLD HIM THE WX WAS TOO BAD AND I SHOULD WAIT A FEW MINS TO SEE IF IT CLRS. HE TOLD ME I HAVE TO GO FLY. I TOLD HIM NO, SO HE SAID I WAS FIRED. AFTER ABOUT 1/2 HR, THE OTHER PART-OWNER OF THE DROP ZONE TOLD ME I WAS NOT FIRED, AND ASKED ME TO FLY IF I COULD. SINCE IT HAD CLRED UP ENOUGH TO JUMP, I TOOK OFF. FIRST LOAD WAS UNEVENTFUL, BUT SECOND LOAD, THE JUMPERS GOT OUT AND FELL THROUGH THE CLOUDS. HAWAII IS KNOWN FOR THE LEGAL 'HOLES' (4000 FT) BTWN THE CLOUDS TO OPEN AND CLOSE RATHER RAPIDLY. BEFORE TURNING ON JUMP RUN, THERE APPEARED TO BE A LEGAL OPEN AREA TO JUMP INTO, BUT AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE BELOW YOU ON JUMP RUN IN A KING AIR, YOU MUST RELY ON THE JUMP MASTER (SKYDIVER SPOTTING THE LOAD). AFTER THEY LEFT THE ACFT, I REALIZED THEY WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROB IS MOSTLY RELATED TO FEELING MY JOB IS IN JEOPARDY BY THE OWNER. ALTHOUGH I TRULY BELIEVE THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF JUMPERS GOING THROUGH THE CLOUDS IS THE JUMPERS THEMSELVES. IN A LARGER PLANE LIKE THE KING AIR, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE BELOW YOU ONCE YOU HAVE TURNED ONTO JUMP RUN. BY THE TIME YOU FLY DOWN TO THE DROP SIT, CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE, AND YOU ARE RELYING ON THE JUMPER NOT TO VIOLATE YOU. MORE RESPONSIBILITY NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON THE SKYDIVER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. THE PLT CAN DO HIS BEST TO FLY SAFELY, BUT WHEN A JUMPER GETS OUT, HE IS FLYING HIS BODY AND HIS CANOPY SOMETIMES MORE THAN 5 MI. IT SEEMS UNBELIEVABLE THAT THE PLT IS RESPONSIBLE ONCE THE JUMPER LEAVES THE ACFT.

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.