C172 pilot encounters skydivers while on a photo flight.

Attributes
ACN	712510
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mry.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 5
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mry.tower
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : mry.tower
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	other : 105
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	712510
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter : skydivers non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

On a photo shoot; leaving carmel valley heading north to laguna. Squawking with norcal. Handoff to mry tower to cross runway 28L/right final en route to laguna seca raceway. There were a few scattered clouds over laguna; I was trying to position myself for the photos the client wanted; maintaining proper distance from event at laguna while maintaining cloud clrncs. While maneuvering into position I saw 2 jump canopies to my left. (I was heading east at this time) -- thought there could be 100 more! -- Looked south and saw the king air jump plane dropping in altitude. Told mry tower I wanted to change to norcal. Told norcal I wanted to terminate services. Wove my way away from jump site and below class C shelf and got out of there by visual references. My problem: tower nor norcal talked about jumpers in the air or vicinity. Why? I was on radar. Jump plane had to be on radar. Why didn't we know about each other?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENCOUNTERS SKYDIVERS WHILE ON A PHOTO FLT.

Narrative: ON A PHOTO SHOOT; LEAVING CARMEL VALLEY HEADING N TO LAGUNA. SQUAWKING WITH NORCAL. HDOF TO MRY TWR TO CROSS RWY 28L/R FINAL ENRTE TO LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY. THERE WERE A FEW SCATTERED CLOUDS OVER LAGUNA; I WAS TRYING TO POS MYSELF FOR THE PHOTOS THE CLIENT WANTED; MAINTAINING PROPER DISTANCE FROM EVENT AT LAGUNA WHILE MAINTAINING CLOUD CLRNCS. WHILE MANEUVERING INTO POS I SAW 2 JUMP CANOPIES TO MY L. (I WAS HEADING E AT THIS TIME) -- THOUGHT THERE COULD BE 100 MORE! -- LOOKED S AND SAW THE KING AIR JUMP PLANE DROPPING IN ALT. TOLD MRY TWR I WANTED TO CHANGE TO NORCAL. TOLD NORCAL I WANTED TO TERMINATE SVCS. WOVE MY WAY AWAY FROM JUMP SITE AND BELOW CLASS C SHELF AND GOT OUT OF THERE BY VISUAL REFS. MY PROB: TWR NOR NORCAL TALKED ABOUT JUMPERS IN THE AIR OR VICINITY. WHY? I WAS ON RADAR. JUMP PLANE HAD TO BE ON RADAR. WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER?

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.