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|
Attributes | |
ACN | 589927 |
Time | |
Date | 200307 |
Day | Mon |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : sdm.airport |
State Reference | CA |
Altitude | agl single value : 50 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Night |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
Make Model Name | MU-2 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff climbout : initial |
Route In Use | departure : vfr |
Flight Plan | None |
Aircraft 2 | |
Make Model Name | Twin Otter DHC-6 |
Operating Under FAR Part | other : 105 |
Flight Phase | descent : approach |
Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air taxi |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 450 |
ASRS Report | 589927 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter : skydivers |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : pax 3 |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 500 vertical : 0 |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airport |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Before taxi to runway 26R, pilot called traffic (jump aircraft was only other aircraft present at the time of the conflict), stated intentions to depart runway 26R, right downwind to the north. The jump aircraft responded by asking the MU2 to 'make an early right turnout. Jumpers were over the airport.' after the jump aircraft cleared runway 26R, the MU2 restated intentions and initiated the takeoff roll. After approximately 2000 ft, the MU2 rotated and while retracting the landing gear, the passenger in the right seat pointed at the 12 O'clock position. At that point, the PIC saw a skydiver at 12 O'clock position, and slightly above MU2 altitude. The pilot immediately started a right turn to avoid skydiver, only to spot an additional skydiver 30 degrees right of centerline at the MU2's altitude. The pilot then increased the rate of turn to avoid the second skydiver. After clearing the skydivers and climbing into the right downwind, the pilot of the MU2 asked the jump aircraft if it was normal for skydivers to jump over the runway in use at night. The jump aircraft pilot responded by stating 'you know...they don't have motors.' MU2 pilot responded by describing how close he had come to a collision with skydivers. Flight continued without further incident. Note: 1) jumpers were apparently military, 2) jump aircraft was a twin otter, 3) airport was notamed for jumpers over the airport, but did not close airport or state they would be jumping onto the runways 26R or 26L.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MU2 PLT DESCRIBED CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH SKYDIVERS AT SDM ARPT.
Narrative: BEFORE TAXI TO RWY 26R, PLT CALLED TFC (JUMP ACFT WAS ONLY OTHER ACFT PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE CONFLICT), STATED INTENTIONS TO DEPART RWY 26R, R DOWNWIND TO THE N. THE JUMP ACFT RESPONDED BY ASKING THE MU2 TO 'MAKE AN EARLY R TURNOUT. JUMPERS WERE OVER THE ARPT.' AFTER THE JUMP ACFT CLRED RWY 26R, THE MU2 RESTATED INTENTIONS AND INITIATED THE TKOF ROLL. AFTER APPROX 2000 FT, THE MU2 ROTATED AND WHILE RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR, THE PAX IN THE R SEAT POINTED AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POS. AT THAT POINT, THE PIC SAW A SKYDIVER AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE MU2 ALT. THE PLT IMMEDIATELY STARTED A R TURN TO AVOID SKYDIVER, ONLY TO SPOT AN ADDITIONAL SKYDIVER 30 DEGS R OF CTRLINE AT THE MU2'S ALT. THE PLT THEN INCREASED THE RATE OF TURN TO AVOID THE SECOND SKYDIVER. AFTER CLRING THE SKYDIVERS AND CLBING INTO THE R DOWNWIND, THE PLT OF THE MU2 ASKED THE JUMP ACFT IF IT WAS NORMAL FOR SKYDIVERS TO JUMP OVER THE RWY IN USE AT NIGHT. THE JUMP ACFT PLT RESPONDED BY STATING 'YOU KNOW...THEY DON'T HAVE MOTORS.' MU2 PLT RESPONDED BY DESCRIBING HOW CLOSE HE HAD COME TO A COLLISION WITH SKYDIVERS. FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NOTE: 1) JUMPERS WERE APPARENTLY MIL, 2) JUMP ACFT WAS A TWIN OTTER, 3) ARPT WAS NOTAMED FOR JUMPERS OVER THE ARPT, BUT DID NOT CLOSE ARPT OR STATE THEY WOULD BE JUMPING ONTO THE RWYS 26R OR 26L.
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.