Narrative:

On sunss 5 arrival landing phx, given clearance to cross bball at 11000 ft and 250 KTS. Around 15000 ft, ZAB gave TA of VFR aircraft climbing to 12500 ft for parachute jump. Traffic was reported at 1-2 O'clock position and 10 mi. At approximately 13000 ft MSL, received TCAS TA, followed immediately by TCAS RA and 'climb, climb.' target appeared to be 1 O'clock position and about 2 mi. I don't recall the vertical separation, but it was approximately 2000 ft at that time. I responded by climbing until the RA was resolved, then started back down to assigned altitude. First officer reported to ATC that we were responding to an RA. By the time we leveled at 11000 ft, we were nearly 10 mi past bball on the arrival. I contacted ZAB after arriving at the gate. The operations manager was very helpful and courteous, and stated they have had other instances of conflicts involving jump aircraft and aircraft inbound on the arrival. My comment was why not amend our clearance to level at 14000 ft so as to avoid a TA or RA and prevent aggressive maneuvering of aircraft? It would only be necessary when jump aircraft are in the vicinity. He said we were more than welcome to level off at a higher altitude to avoid a conflict, as long as we could still make our crossing restr. Another solution might be to require the jump aircraft to have an IFR flight plan, or at least treat them as such so as to require the minimum separation of 5 mi or 1000 ft. Even a slight turn off the arrival would work well in that situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 ARR TO PHX ON SUNSS 5 EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING PARACHUTE ACFT TFC NEAR DSCNT ROUTING.

Narrative: ON SUNSS 5 ARR LNDG PHX, GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS BBALL AT 11000 FT AND 250 KTS. AROUND 15000 FT, ZAB GAVE TA OF VFR ACFT CLBING TO 12500 FT FOR PARACHUTE JUMP. TFC WAS RPTED AT 1-2 O'CLOCK POS AND 10 MI. AT APPROX 13000 FT MSL, RECEIVED TCAS TA, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY TCAS RA AND 'CLB, CLB.' TARGET APPEARED TO BE 1 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 2 MI. I DON'T RECALL THE VERT SEPARATION, BUT IT WAS APPROX 2000 FT AT THAT TIME. I RESPONDED BY CLBING UNTIL THE RA WAS RESOLVED, THEN STARTED BACK DOWN TO ASSIGNED ALT. FO RPTED TO ATC THAT WE WERE RESPONDING TO AN RA. BY THE TIME WE LEVELED AT 11000 FT, WE WERE NEARLY 10 MI PAST BBALL ON THE ARR. I CONTACTED ZAB AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE. THE OPS MGR WAS VERY HELPFUL AND COURTEOUS, AND STATED THEY HAVE HAD OTHER INSTANCES OF CONFLICTS INVOLVING JUMP ACFT AND ACFT INBOUND ON THE ARR. MY COMMENT WAS WHY NOT AMEND OUR CLRNC TO LEVEL AT 14000 FT SO AS TO AVOID A TA OR RA AND PREVENT AGGRESSIVE MANEUVERING OF ACFT? IT WOULD ONLY BE NECESSARY WHEN JUMP ACFT ARE IN THE VICINITY. HE SAID WE WERE MORE THAN WELCOME TO LEVEL OFF AT A HIGHER ALT TO AVOID A CONFLICT, AS LONG AS WE COULD STILL MAKE OUR XING RESTR. ANOTHER SOLUTION MIGHT BE TO REQUIRE THE JUMP ACFT TO HAVE AN IFR FLT PLAN, OR AT LEAST TREAT THEM AS SUCH SO AS TO REQUIRE THE MINIMUM SEPARATION OF 5 MI OR 1000 FT. EVEN A SLIGHT TURN OFF THE ARR WOULD WORK WELL IN THAT SIT.

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.