A skydive pilot lets skydivers jump without the required cloud distance requirements.

Attributes
ACN	577001
Time
Date	200303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lpc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 6
Operating Under FAR Part	other : 105
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 64 flight time total : 716 flight time type : 23
ASRS Report	577001
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The marine layer of clouds had been moving in and out over the airport all day. At approximately XA00 local time, a load of skydivers were released from the aircraft. After a 'borderline' decision to allow them to jump (due to cloud clearance requirements, skydivers must maintain 2000 ft horizontal distance from clouds). The skydivers meandered too close to the clouds for safety, even though their landing site was not clouded over. The pilot's decision to allow the skydivers to jump should have been considered more carefully, as well as the skydivers using poor judgement to continue with the skydive. The skydivers were also found to have not known the regulations very well. Contributing factors were the inexperience of the pilot in skydiving operations, and the ignorance of the pilot and skydivers with regards to the situation and cloud clearance requirements. The marine layer's rapid movements were also a contributing factor. Corrective actions should be the absolute education of skydiving pilots and skydivers on cloud clearance requirements. This may be better accomplished through written testing (a short written test administered to the pilots and skydivers by the operator of the jumping operation).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SKYDIVE PLT LETS SKYDIVERS JUMP WITHOUT THE REQUIRED CLOUD DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: THE MARINE LAYER OF CLOUDS HAD BEEN MOVING IN AND OUT OVER THE ARPT ALL DAY. AT APPROX XA00 LCL TIME, A LOAD OF SKYDIVERS WERE RELEASED FROM THE ACFT. AFTER A 'BORDERLINE' DECISION TO ALLOW THEM TO JUMP (DUE TO CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS, SKYDIVERS MUST MAINTAIN 2000 FT HORIZ DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS). THE SKYDIVERS MEANDERED TOO CLOSE TO THE CLOUDS FOR SAFETY, EVEN THOUGH THEIR LNDG SITE WAS NOT CLOUDED OVER. THE PLT'S DECISION TO ALLOW THE SKYDIVERS TO JUMP SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED MORE CAREFULLY, AS WELL AS THE SKYDIVERS USING POOR JUDGEMENT TO CONTINUE WITH THE SKYDIVE. THE SKYDIVERS WERE ALSO FOUND TO HAVE NOT KNOWN THE REGS VERY WELL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE INEXPERIENCE OF THE PLT IN SKYDIVING OPS, AND THE IGNORANCE OF THE PLT AND SKYDIVERS WITH REGARDS TO THE SIT AND CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS. THE MARINE LAYER'S RAPID MOVEMENTS WERE ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SHOULD BE THE ABSOLUTE EDUCATION OF SKYDIVING PLTS AND SKYDIVERS ON CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS. THIS MAY BE BETTER ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH WRITTEN TESTING (A SHORT WRITTEN TEST ADMINISTERED TO THE PLTS AND SKYDIVERS BY THE OPERATOR OF THE JUMPING OP).

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.