Narrative:

We departed 8n2; skydive chicago; for normal skydive operations. We contacted ZAU between 4000-5000 ft in altitude; notifying them that we were climbing to 14500 ft for parachute operations over skydive chicago. We were southwest of the airport at that time. The sky conditions were scattered layers at 8000 ft and 10000 ft. We turned east on our downwind leg; and center called to say that they had airplanes stacking up in holds for ord airport above 11000 ft. I asked them what this meant to us; and the controller replied that he would work us in and that we would be able to climb to 14500 ft. We continued our downwind leg and climb. When we were southeast of the airport; the controller called to tell us to limit our climb to 12500 ft for passing traffic at 13000 ft and to say that we could turn north towards the airport at our discretion. I called back to acknowledge the altitude restr and to say that we would continue on our current heading for the time being -- there was a large cloud at our 11 O'clock position and I thought that we would fly counterclockwise around the cloud and pick up our inbound course to the airport on the other side of it. But after taking a closer look at the cloud; I determined that it might extend too far to the east and take too much time for that routing. So; I called center and informed them that I was turning to a nnw heading to avoid a cloud and again acknowledged the 12500 ft altitude restr. As I flew a heading of approximately 340-350 degrees around the cloud; we watched the airliner pass from our right to left at what appeared to be 13000 ft. I called center; informing them that we watched the traffic pass and asked if we could continue our climb. They did not respond. I repeated the request to continue the climb 2 additional times. We had leveled off at 12500 ft MSL. When center did respond; they said that they were 'building the stack' and that we were limited to 12500 ft for our climb. I acknowledged this restr and turned back towards the airport. I believed that I told them I was turning back to the airport as well. With the traffic backing up into ord; the controllers were busy on the frequency directing a number of aircraft. The frequency was very busy. We normally call them when we are 2 mins prior to jumpers; but the frequency was busy. I heard them call another aircraft; I believe it was an airliner; at 11000 ft and informed them about the jump operations; our location; and our altitude -- we were at 12300 ft MSL at that moment. Then they called us and told us about that other aircraft. I immediately called them back and told them that we were 1 min from jumpers inbound to the airport. The controller sounded alarmed and immediately called the other aircraft to divert it 15 degrees to avoid conflict. The sky conditions were scattered. We had just watched an airliner at 13000 ft and observed an earlier airliner around 11000 ft below us while we were avoiding clouds to our east. The airspace between our location and the airport and for some distance to the west of the airport was clear. Because we were 1 min from jumpers exiting the aircraft; we were very busy flying the airplane; navigating; and making radio calls. I did not see the conflicting aircraft. We have time dated video footage of the jump. It clearly shows that the sky conditions in the vicinity of the airport were clear. At no time did center tell us to hold the jumpers or to turn away from our inbound course. At 1 min out; this could have been easily accomplished and is not uncommonly done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CASA 212 FLT CREW ON A SKYDIVING MISSION OVER 8N2 PASSED WITHIN 2 MI OF AN AIRLINER INBOUND TO ORD.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED 8N2; SKYDIVE CHICAGO; FOR NORMAL SKYDIVE OPS. WE CONTACTED ZAU BTWN 4000-5000 FT IN ALT; NOTIFYING THEM THAT WE WERE CLBING TO 14500 FT FOR PARACHUTE OPS OVER SKYDIVE CHICAGO. WE WERE SW OF THE ARPT AT THAT TIME. THE SKY CONDITIONS WERE SCATTERED LAYERS AT 8000 FT AND 10000 FT. WE TURNED E ON OUR DOWNWIND LEG; AND CTR CALLED TO SAY THAT THEY HAD AIRPLANES STACKING UP IN HOLDS FOR ORD ARPT ABOVE 11000 FT. I ASKED THEM WHAT THIS MEANT TO US; AND THE CTLR REPLIED THAT HE WOULD WORK US IN AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CLB TO 14500 FT. WE CONTINUED OUR DOWNWIND LEG AND CLB. WHEN WE WERE SE OF THE ARPT; THE CTLR CALLED TO TELL US TO LIMIT OUR CLB TO 12500 FT FOR PASSING TFC AT 13000 FT AND TO SAY THAT WE COULD TURN N TOWARDS THE ARPT AT OUR DISCRETION. I CALLED BACK TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ALT RESTR AND TO SAY THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE ON OUR CURRENT HDG FOR THE TIME BEING -- THERE WAS A LARGE CLOUD AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK POS AND I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD FLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE AROUND THE CLOUD AND PICK UP OUR INBOUND COURSE TO THE ARPT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. BUT AFTER TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CLOUD; I DETERMINED THAT IT MIGHT EXTEND TOO FAR TO THE E AND TAKE TOO MUCH TIME FOR THAT ROUTING. SO; I CALLED CTR AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS TURNING TO A NNW HDG TO AVOID A CLOUD AND AGAIN ACKNOWLEDGED THE 12500 FT ALT RESTR. AS I FLEW A HDG OF APPROX 340-350 DEGS AROUND THE CLOUD; WE WATCHED THE AIRLINER PASS FROM OUR R TO L AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE 13000 FT. I CALLED CTR; INFORMING THEM THAT WE WATCHED THE TFC PASS AND ASKED IF WE COULD CONTINUE OUR CLB. THEY DID NOT RESPOND. I REPEATED THE REQUEST TO CONTINUE THE CLB 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES. WE HAD LEVELED OFF AT 12500 FT MSL. WHEN CTR DID RESPOND; THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE 'BUILDING THE STACK' AND THAT WE WERE LIMITED TO 12500 FT FOR OUR CLB. I ACKNOWLEDGED THIS RESTR AND TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT. I BELIEVED THAT I TOLD THEM I WAS TURNING BACK TO THE ARPT AS WELL. WITH THE TFC BACKING UP INTO ORD; THE CTLRS WERE BUSY ON THE FREQ DIRECTING A NUMBER OF ACFT. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. WE NORMALLY CALL THEM WHEN WE ARE 2 MINS PRIOR TO JUMPERS; BUT THE FREQ WAS BUSY. I HEARD THEM CALL ANOTHER ACFT; I BELIEVE IT WAS AN AIRLINER; AT 11000 FT AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE JUMP OPS; OUR LOCATION; AND OUR ALT -- WE WERE AT 12300 FT MSL AT THAT MOMENT. THEN THEY CALLED US AND TOLD US ABOUT THAT OTHER ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THEM BACK AND TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE 1 MIN FROM JUMPERS INBOUND TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR SOUNDED ALARMED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE OTHER ACFT TO DIVERT IT 15 DEGS TO AVOID CONFLICT. THE SKY CONDITIONS WERE SCATTERED. WE HAD JUST WATCHED AN AIRLINER AT 13000 FT AND OBSERVED AN EARLIER AIRLINER AROUND 11000 FT BELOW US WHILE WE WERE AVOIDING CLOUDS TO OUR E. THE AIRSPACE BTWN OUR LOCATION AND THE ARPT AND FOR SOME DISTANCE TO THE W OF THE ARPT WAS CLR. BECAUSE WE WERE 1 MIN FROM JUMPERS EXITING THE ACFT; WE WERE VERY BUSY FLYING THE AIRPLANE; NAVING; AND MAKING RADIO CALLS. I DID NOT SEE THE CONFLICTING ACFT. WE HAVE TIME DATED VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE JUMP. IT CLRLY SHOWS THAT THE SKY CONDITIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT WERE CLR. AT NO TIME DID CTR TELL US TO HOLD THE JUMPERS OR TO TURN AWAY FROM OUR INBOUND COURSE. AT 1 MIN OUT; THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY ACCOMPLISHED AND IS NOT UNCOMMONLY DONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.