Narrative:

I filed a VFR flight plan from ZZZ to pvd. Ete 3 hours 40 mins. I departed ZZZ around XA30. I opened my flight plan with FSS. For most of the trip I was maintaining 5500 ft. I climbed to 7500 ft; but decided the winds were better lower; so I returned to 5500 ft MSL. I followed the same heading for 2.5 hours and was in constant communications with ATC (from station-to-station) until moments before this incident took place. I clearly recall talking with albany and they handed me off to bradley. I may or may not have contacted bradley ATC. I remember looking at my GPS and seeing that I was 76 NM from pvd; I tuned-in pvd approach; tower and ATIS to determine I should expect as an approach to help pvd with landing sequencing. It was at this time I saw something unusual in the skies ahead of me. It was about 10-15 degrees to the left of my heading (of approximately 115 degrees); about 1/2 mi ahead and slightly lower than my altitude. I quickly realized it was a parachute jumper. He had an open canopy and was now doing a twist/turn maneuver to further increase the distance and path angle between himself and me. Recognizing I had wandered into an active drop zone and fearing other jumpers may be above me in blind spots; seeing the clear path ahead of me and a generous high and wide 'tunnel of airspace' in front of me; I decided to make a slight (1 or 2 degree) veer to my right (away from the jumper) and continue a forward; straight and level exit out of the jump zone while sitting far forward in my seat to get the best possible; unobstructed view of the clear area ahead of me. I felt if I had made sudden; dramatic; evasive maneuvers in the jump zone to avoid the one jumper who I could clearly see; I would have greatly increased the risk to other jumpers had they been in the same airspace. I felt a steady; straight and level exit from the jump zone was the best and safest situation. At this time the cessna caravan 208B (jump plane) was approximately 1000-2000 ft above me and performing a very steep turn. From my point of view he was flying from right to left. Moments later; while I was making my exit out of the jump zone this cessna had circled me and was now 100 ft off my right wingtip. I'm sure he was fuming mad and was probably trying to demonstrate his frustration with me. I didn't see the pilot as I was stunned to see such a large aircraft suddenly appear alongside of me; and I was still so thrown (and pumped with adrenaline) recounting the dangerous situation that I'd placed myself and the jumper(south) into. I realized at this point my radio was tuned to albany; not bradley ATC. I changed frequencys and talked with bradley ATC. They immediately said; 'aircraft X; we've been trying to reach you for 15 mi.' I replied 'I lost communications.' they asked if I saw the jumper. I replied 'affirmative; I saw the jumper.' shortly after this they passed me over to ZBW. From this point; it became a pretty routine landing at pvd; but I was thoroughly distraction by the jump zone incident and the cessna 208B alongside of me. After parking at FBO; I called FSS to review my flight path and to see if there were any tfr's along my course. The answer was no. I then drove to FBO #2 and spoke with a CFI. I explained what had just happened. He explained lost communications and lost situational awareness was my fault as PIC. He advised I should spend more time reviewing my flight plans and being aware of my intended and actual flight path -- which I will. However; bradley ATC; knowing they couldn't verbally contact me for 15 mi and could see I was on a straight and steady heading (at approximately 120 KTS) at approximately 115 degrees at 5500 ft for quite a while -- leading right into the active jump zone; didn't notify the cessna 208B jump plane. In this shared 'see and avoid' airspace the jump plane allowed jumpers to leap from his plane. Why didn't bradley ATC ask the jump plane to wait a min or two until I was through the area? Why didn't the jump plane see me? I even called a C206 jump plane pilot to discuss this event. He agreed the area of the incident is a shared airspace. Even a bare bones piper J-3 cub (with no radios and no transponder) is permitted to pass directly through the jump zone. It's not advisable but it's still FAA legal. No one was injured. However; this was far too close for me. I will spend more time reviewing my flight path and ensuring I'm tuned into to correct frequencys. I am a safe pilot. I am better than what I exhibited on sunday afternoon. I've been flying for 4.5 yrs and I feel I'm a more 'aware' and capable pilot than other pilots I know. I feel this incident happened and will keep this experience in the forefront of my mind while flying in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAS CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH SKYDIVER OVER 7B9 ARPT AT 5500 FT.

Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FROM ZZZ TO PVD. ETE 3 HRS 40 MINS. I DEPARTED ZZZ AROUND XA30. I OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH FSS. FOR MOST OF THE TRIP I WAS MAINTAINING 5500 FT. I CLBED TO 7500 FT; BUT DECIDED THE WINDS WERE BETTER LOWER; SO I RETURNED TO 5500 FT MSL. I FOLLOWED THE SAME HDG FOR 2.5 HRS AND WAS IN CONSTANT COMS WITH ATC (FROM STATION-TO-STATION) UNTIL MOMENTS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. I CLRLY RECALL TALKING WITH ALBANY AND THEY HANDED ME OFF TO BRADLEY. I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE CONTACTED BRADLEY ATC. I REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY GPS AND SEEING THAT I WAS 76 NM FROM PVD; I TUNED-IN PVD APCH; TWR AND ATIS TO DETERMINE I SHOULD EXPECT AS AN APCH TO HELP PVD WITH LNDG SEQUENCING. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I SAW SOMETHING UNUSUAL IN THE SKIES AHEAD OF ME. IT WAS ABOUT 10-15 DEGS TO THE L OF MY HDG (OF APPROX 115 DEGS); ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN MY ALT. I QUICKLY REALIZED IT WAS A PARACHUTE JUMPER. HE HAD AN OPEN CANOPY AND WAS NOW DOING A TWIST/TURN MANEUVER TO FURTHER INCREASE THE DISTANCE AND PATH ANGLE BTWN HIMSELF AND ME. RECOGNIZING I HAD WANDERED INTO AN ACTIVE DROP ZONE AND FEARING OTHER JUMPERS MAY BE ABOVE ME IN BLIND SPOTS; SEEING THE CLR PATH AHEAD OF ME AND A GENEROUS HIGH AND WIDE 'TUNNEL OF AIRSPACE' IN FRONT OF ME; I DECIDED TO MAKE A SLIGHT (1 OR 2 DEG) VEER TO MY R (AWAY FROM THE JUMPER) AND CONTINUE A FORWARD; STRAIGHT AND LEVEL EXIT OUT OF THE JUMP ZONE WHILE SITTING FAR FORWARD IN MY SEAT TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE; UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE CLR AREA AHEAD OF ME. I FELT IF I HAD MADE SUDDEN; DRAMATIC; EVASIVE MANEUVERS IN THE JUMP ZONE TO AVOID THE ONE JUMPER WHO I COULD CLRLY SEE; I WOULD HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE RISK TO OTHER JUMPERS HAD THEY BEEN IN THE SAME AIRSPACE. I FELT A STEADY; STRAIGHT AND LEVEL EXIT FROM THE JUMP ZONE WAS THE BEST AND SAFEST SITUATION. AT THIS TIME THE CESSNA CARAVAN 208B (JUMP PLANE) WAS APPROX 1000-2000 FT ABOVE ME AND PERFORMING A VERY STEEP TURN. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW HE WAS FLYING FROM R TO L. MOMENTS LATER; WHILE I WAS MAKING MY EXIT OUT OF THE JUMP ZONE THIS CESSNA HAD CIRCLED ME AND WAS NOW 100 FT OFF MY R WINGTIP. I'M SURE HE WAS FUMING MAD AND WAS PROBABLY TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE HIS FRUSTRATION WITH ME. I DIDN'T SEE THE PLT AS I WAS STUNNED TO SEE SUCH A LARGE ACFT SUDDENLY APPEAR ALONGSIDE OF ME; AND I WAS STILL SO THROWN (AND PUMPED WITH ADRENALINE) RECOUNTING THE DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT I'D PLACED MYSELF AND THE JUMPER(S) INTO. I REALIZED AT THIS POINT MY RADIO WAS TUNED TO ALBANY; NOT BRADLEY ATC. I CHANGED FREQS AND TALKED WITH BRADLEY ATC. THEY IMMEDIATELY SAID; 'ACFT X; WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU FOR 15 MI.' I REPLIED 'I LOST COMS.' THEY ASKED IF I SAW THE JUMPER. I REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE; I SAW THE JUMPER.' SHORTLY AFTER THIS THEY PASSED ME OVER TO ZBW. FROM THIS POINT; IT BECAME A PRETTY ROUTINE LNDG AT PVD; BUT I WAS THOROUGHLY DISTR BY THE JUMP ZONE INCIDENT AND THE CESSNA 208B ALONGSIDE OF ME. AFTER PARKING AT FBO; I CALLED FSS TO REVIEW MY FLT PATH AND TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY TFR'S ALONG MY COURSE. THE ANSWER WAS NO. I THEN DROVE TO FBO #2 AND SPOKE WITH A CFI. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. HE EXPLAINED LOST COMS AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS MY FAULT AS PIC. HE ADVISED I SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME REVIEWING MY FLT PLANS AND BEING AWARE OF MY INTENDED AND ACTUAL FLT PATH -- WHICH I WILL. HOWEVER; BRADLEY ATC; KNOWING THEY COULDN'T VERBALLY CONTACT ME FOR 15 MI AND COULD SEE I WAS ON A STRAIGHT AND STEADY HDG (AT APPROX 120 KTS) AT APPROX 115 DEGS AT 5500 FT FOR QUITE A WHILE -- LEADING RIGHT INTO THE ACTIVE JUMP ZONE; DIDN'T NOTIFY THE CESSNA 208B JUMP PLANE. IN THIS SHARED 'SEE AND AVOID' AIRSPACE THE JUMP PLANE ALLOWED JUMPERS TO LEAP FROM HIS PLANE. WHY DIDN'T BRADLEY ATC ASK THE JUMP PLANE TO WAIT A MIN OR TWO UNTIL I WAS THROUGH THE AREA? WHY DIDN'T THE JUMP PLANE SEE ME? I EVEN CALLED A C206 JUMP PLANE PLT TO DISCUSS THIS EVENT. HE AGREED THE AREA OF THE INCIDENT IS A SHARED AIRSPACE. EVEN A BARE BONES PIPER J-3 CUB (WITH NO RADIOS AND NO XPONDER) IS PERMITTED TO PASS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE JUMP ZONE. IT'S NOT ADVISABLE BUT IT'S STILL FAA LEGAL. NO ONE WAS INJURED. HOWEVER; THIS WAS FAR TOO CLOSE FOR ME. I WILL SPEND MORE TIME REVIEWING MY FLT PATH AND ENSURING I'M TUNED INTO TO CORRECT FREQS. I AM A SAFE PLT. I AM BETTER THAN WHAT I EXHIBITED ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. I'VE BEEN FLYING FOR 4.5 YRS AND I FEEL I'M A MORE 'AWARE' AND CAPABLE PLT THAN OTHER PLTS I KNOW. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AND WILL KEEP THIS EXPERIENCE IN THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND WHILE FLYING IN THE FUTURE.

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.