Narrative:

Departed oxb on an IFR flight plan in a BE23 (beech sundowner), filed as direct sby, direct balance, direct mtn. I had received a standard briefing approximately two hours prior to the flight, and, as was noted in the briefing, haze was significant, with reported conditions at oxb of 5 miles. Similar conditions prevailed en route, that's why I filed. The WX was advertised as VFR, but I'd say it was marginal, given the haze and the time of day (it was approaching sunset, so things seemed more hazy, with the sun low on the horizon). The controller (nhk) seemed to be having a hard time keeping track of the aircraft locations, and asked numerous pilots to confirm positions, identify, etc. I was asked to make two position reports during this short flight: a) upon crossing sby (4000 ft), and B) 20 miles northwest of sby. These seemed like strange requests, since I should have been within his radar coverage area. I've flown in this area previously, and never have I heard such uncertainly as to who's where in the air. After climbing to 6000 ft past sby, a single-engine aircraft popped up from under the right wing at approximately 2 O'clock and turned left into my flight path at my altitude approximately half a mile ahead. As the distance closed rapidly, while I was trying to decide on what evasive action to take (climb or descend), what appeared to be a body exited the aircraft wearing a dark gray/black jumpsuit. The jumpsuit was noticeably wrinkled, but the shoes were well accessorized (that's how close we got). Never did look down, though, to see if a chute opened, instead, my passenger and I focused on the aircraft in an attempt to get out of the way. After jettisoning the body, the aircraft made a sharp descending spiral turn and crossed underneath us, departing toward the southeast, apparently oblivious to the entire encounter. I was too focused on the falling object to take much notice of the aircraft type, I think it was a high wing. Afterwards, I called nhk and notified them that I had to take some evasive action to avoid a skydiver, to which the nhk controller responded, 'you're near bennett, they do that over there.' bennett (1n5) is located on the edge of sby's class D airspace and the surrounding class east airspace (which I believe nhk TRACON owns). I'm not sure whom the pilot of the jump aircraft was communicating with, if anyone. Additionally, bennett airfield is not marked with the parachute symbology on the sectional, however it would be helpful to add it, since 'that's what they do over there.' I had the VFR sectional open and, had the parachute logo been there, I might just have taken notice and been extra cautious in that area. While understanding that see-and-avoid is a pilot's responsibility, even while on an IFR flight plan, I do believe nhk TRACON could have been more attentive and issued a traffic advisory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B23 PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN AT 6000 FT IN CONTACT WITH NHK APCH CONTROL HAS A NEAR MISS WITH A HIGH WING ACFT DROPPING A SKYDIVER.

Narrative: DEPARTED OXB ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN A BE23 (BEECH SUNDOWNER), FILED AS DIRECT SBY, DIRECT BAL, DIRECT MTN. I HAD RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING APPROX TWO HRS PRIOR TO THE FLT, AND, AS WAS NOTED IN THE BRIEFING, HAZE WAS SIGNIFICANT, WITH REPORTED CONDITIONS AT OXB OF 5 MILES. SIMILAR CONDITIONS PREVAILED ENRTE, THAT'S WHY I FILED. THE WX WAS ADVERTISED AS VFR, BUT I'D SAY IT WAS MARGINAL, GIVEN THE HAZE AND THE TIME OF DAY (IT WAS APCHING SUNSET, SO THINGS SEEMED MORE HAZY, WITH THE SUN LOW ON THE HORIZON). THE CTLR (NHK) SEEMED TO BE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING TRACK OF THE ACFT LOCATIONS, AND ASKED NUMEROUS PLTS TO CONFIRM POSITIONS, IDENT, ETC. I WAS ASKED TO MAKE TWO POSITION RPTS DURING THIS SHORT FLT: A) UPON CROSSING SBY (4000 FT), AND B) 20 MILES NW OF SBY. THESE SEEMED LIKE STRANGE REQUESTS, SINCE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITHIN HIS RADAR COVERAGE AREA. I'VE FLOWN IN THIS AREA PREVIOUSLY, AND NEVER HAVE I HEARD SUCH UNCERTAINLY AS TO WHO'S WHERE IN THE AIR. AFTER CLBING TO 6000 FT PAST SBY, A SINGLE-ENGINE ACFT POPPED UP FROM UNDER THE R WING AT APPROX 2 O'CLOCK AND TURNED L INTO MY FLT PATH AT MY ALT APPROX HALF A MILE AHEAD. AS THE DISTANCE CLOSED RAPIDLY, WHILE I WAS TRYING TO DECIDE ON WHAT EVASIVE ACTION TO TAKE (CLIMB OR DESCEND), WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BODY EXITED THE ACFT WEARING A DARK GRAY/BLACK JUMPSUIT. THE JUMPSUIT WAS NOTICEABLY WRINKLED, BUT THE SHOES WERE WELL ACCESSORIZED (THAT'S HOW CLOSE WE GOT). NEVER DID LOOK DOWN, THOUGH, TO SEE IF A CHUTE OPENED, INSTEAD, MY PAX AND I FOCUSED ON THE ACFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AFTER JETTISONING THE BODY, THE ACFT MADE A SHARP DESCENDING SPIRAL TURN AND CROSSED UNDERNEATH US, DEPARTING TOWARD THE SE, APPARENTLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE ENTIRE ENCOUNTER. I WAS TOO FOCUSED ON THE FALLING OBJECT TO TAKE MUCH NOTICE OF THE ACFT TYPE, I THINK IT WAS A HIGH WING. AFTERWARDS, I CALLED NHK AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT I HAD TO TAKE SOME EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A SKYDIVER, TO WHICH THE NHK CTLR RESPONDED, 'YOU'RE NEAR BENNETT, THEY DO THAT OVER THERE.' BENNETT (1N5) IS LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF SBY'S CLASS D AIRSPACE AND THE SURROUNDING CLASS E AIRSPACE (WHICH I BELIEVE NHK TRACON OWNS). I'M NOT SURE WHOM THE PLT OF THE JUMP ACFT WAS COMMUNICATING WITH, IF ANYONE. ADDITIONALLY, BENNETT AIRFIELD IS NOT MARKED WITH THE PARACHUTE SYMBOLOGY ON THE SECTIONAL, HOWEVER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ADD IT, SINCE 'THAT'S WHAT THEY DO OVER THERE.' I HAD THE VFR SECTIONAL OPEN AND, HAD THE PARACHUTE LOGO BEEN THERE, I MIGHT JUST HAVE TAKEN NOTICE AND BEEN EXTRA CAUTIOUS IN THAT AREA. WHILE UNDERSTANDING THAT SEE-AND-AVOID IS A PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, I DO BELIEVE NHK TRACON COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE AND ISSUED A TFC ADVISORY.

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.