Narrative:

During an IFR flight from pbi to X51 (an uncontrolled airport), the final controller was homestead AFB approach. Using a series of vector headings and controled dscnts, the aircraft was positioned southeast of the airport on a northwest heading at 2000 ft. The active runway was runway 18, using a r-hand traffic pattern. At 5 mi from the airport, the controller pointed out the airport's location at '12 O'clock, 5 mi,' and advised 'a parachute jump plane was climbing overhead the airport at 5600 ft.' at 4.6 mi from the airport (according to our FMS), the PNF spotted the airport and observed we had been vectored to a left downwind. With jumping activity in the area, we elected not to overfly the airport, cancelled the IFR flight plan, and initiated a steep right turn to vacate the area. We re-entered the traffic pattern and made an uneventful landing spaced behind a non-radio aeronca champion and a cessna with which we had been communicating. Although there was no conflict with other aircraft or parachute jumpers, the approach controller had vectored us to a left downwind entry at an airport using a r-hand pattern, and had not advised us of active parachuting until we were within 5 mi of the airport's drop zone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE HAWKER 125 PIC ELECTS TO TURN AWAY FROM HIS DEST ARPT FROM THE SE AND RE-ENTER THE TFC PATTERN FROM THE SW WHEN ADVISED OF A JUMP PLANE IN A CLB OVER HIS ARPT AT X51, FL.

Narrative: DURING AN IFR FLT FROM PBI TO X51 (AN UNCTLED ARPT), THE FINAL CTLR WAS HOMESTEAD AFB APCH. USING A SERIES OF VECTOR HDGS AND CTLED DSCNTS, THE ACFT WAS POSITIONED SE OF THE ARPT ON A NW HDG AT 2000 FT. THE ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 18, USING A R-HAND TFC PATTERN. AT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT, THE CTLR POINTED OUT THE ARPT'S LOCATION AT '12 O'CLOCK, 5 MI,' AND ADVISED 'A PARACHUTE JUMP PLANE WAS CLBING OVERHEAD THE ARPT AT 5600 FT.' AT 4.6 MI FROM THE ARPT (ACCORDING TO OUR FMS), THE PNF SPOTTED THE ARPT AND OBSERVED WE HAD BEEN VECTORED TO A L DOWNWIND. WITH JUMPING ACTIVITY IN THE AREA, WE ELECTED NOT TO OVERFLY THE ARPT, CANCELLED THE IFR FLT PLAN, AND INITIATED A STEEP R TURN TO VACATE THE AREA. WE RE-ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG SPACED BEHIND A NON-RADIO AERONCA CHAMPION AND A CESSNA WITH WHICH WE HAD BEEN COMMUNICATING. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT OR PARACHUTE JUMPERS, THE APCH CTLR HAD VECTORED US TO A L DOWNWIND ENTRY AT AN ARPT USING A R-HAND PATTERN, AND HAD NOT ADVISED US OF ACTIVE PARACHUTING UNTIL WE WERE WITHIN 5 MI OF THE ARPT'S DROP ZONE.

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.