Narrative:

Today flying at 9000 ft near msv on an IFR flight plan I saw 2 parachuters drop past within 100 ft. The first at my 11 O'clock position, between 50 ft and 100 ft away, saw that one, but didn't comprehend what it was, went by too fast. I thought it was some kind of collapsed balloon at first, then another at my 2:30-3 O'clock position, less than 50 ft off my wing. Just after that, ATC told me to turn to an immediate 160 degree heading (I had been on a 90 degree heading). I told them what I had just seen, and he said yeah, there was a jump aircraft above me. Only mention of para jumping in the FSS briefing was northwest of wilkes-barre, and ATC hadn't said a peep before the incident. I was in and out of cumulus at that altitude, and had only been out of a cloud for about 30 seconds before. The jumpers passed through my altitude too fast for me to attempt any evasive action. Their parachutes were not deployed, but a small parachute or an unreleased parachute trailed each by a few ft. The jumpers were close enough to see clearly that they were wearing helmets with visors. It took me a good 1/2 hour to calm down. Sky condition was twring cumulus with coverage of around 50%. According to the bread-crumb trail on my GPS, the turn directed by ATC occurred 6 NM east of helon, 2 NM northwest of N45. A subsequent search on WX brief website revealed a parachute jumping NOTAM for 1 NM radius over N45. This NOTAM was not passed on by williamsport FSS during my telephone briefing prior to my departure from ipt.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT MISSES A COLLISION WITH A PARACHUTE JUMPER BY 50 FT.

Narrative: TODAY FLYING AT 9000 FT NEAR MSV ON AN IFR FLT PLAN I SAW 2 PARACHUTERS DROP PAST WITHIN 100 FT. THE FIRST AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS, BTWN 50 FT AND 100 FT AWAY, SAW THAT ONE, BUT DIDN'T COMPREHEND WHAT IT WAS, WENT BY TOO FAST. I THOUGHT IT WAS SOME KIND OF COLLAPSED BALLOON AT FIRST, THEN ANOTHER AT MY 2:30-3 O'CLOCK POS, LESS THAN 50 FT OFF MY WING. JUST AFTER THAT, ATC TOLD ME TO TURN TO AN IMMEDIATE 160 DEG HDG (I HAD BEEN ON A 90 DEG HDG). I TOLD THEM WHAT I HAD JUST SEEN, AND HE SAID YEAH, THERE WAS A JUMP ACFT ABOVE ME. ONLY MENTION OF PARA JUMPING IN THE FSS BRIEFING WAS NW OF WILKES-BARRE, AND ATC HADN'T SAID A PEEP BEFORE THE INCIDENT. I WAS IN AND OUT OF CUMULUS AT THAT ALT, AND HAD ONLY BEEN OUT OF A CLOUD FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE. THE JUMPERS PASSED THROUGH MY ALT TOO FAST FOR ME TO ATTEMPT ANY EVASIVE ACTION. THEIR PARACHUTES WERE NOT DEPLOYED, BUT A SMALL PARACHUTE OR AN UNRELEASED PARACHUTE TRAILED EACH BY A FEW FT. THE JUMPERS WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE CLRLY THAT THEY WERE WEARING HELMETS WITH VISORS. IT TOOK ME A GOOD 1/2 HR TO CALM DOWN. SKY CONDITION WAS TWRING CUMULUS WITH COVERAGE OF AROUND 50%. ACCORDING TO THE BREAD-CRUMB TRAIL ON MY GPS, THE TURN DIRECTED BY ATC OCCURRED 6 NM E OF HELON, 2 NM NW OF N45. A SUBSEQUENT SEARCH ON WX BRIEF WEBSITE REVEALED A PARACHUTE JUMPING NOTAM FOR 1 NM RADIUS OVER N45. THIS NOTAM WAS NOT PASSED ON BY WILLIAMSPORT FSS DURING MY TELEPHONE BRIEFING PRIOR TO MY DEP FROM IPT.

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.