Narrative:

Approached N68 at 6500 ft MSL from northeast; en route from ns to ths VOR; hence to cbe. Used this route to stay well clear of camp david airspace. Was a little north of course and angling southward to get back on. Heard an aircraft announce something along the lines of 'jumpers away; 10000 ft; over chambersburg.' was using VFR flight following and under advisory service at harrisburg approach. Soon after jumper plane announcement; harrisburg approach asked for my heading; which was about 265 degree heading. He asked me to turn to 290 degrees to pass north of N68 to keep airport clear for jumpers. I complied. Saw N68 on my 9 O'clock position; at about 4 mi (our closest approach to N68) as we passed by. Soon afterwards my son; riding in the right front seat; exclaimed something like 'look at that.' I looked over his way and saw a piston twin banking away from us; same altitude and initially close to same heading; about 500 or so ft (maybe less) away at our 3 O'clock position. The twin appeared to have an open left fuselage door and was presumably the jumper plane. About that time harrisburg approach called and asked if we had 2 xponders on board. I answered negative and advised the controller that a twin just banked away from us off our right wing. My son took a picture of the twin after it was about 1 mi from us; on a nearly reverse heading; and a little lower than us. I saw or heard nothing more of the twin after seeing it bank away from us. I did not take evasive action since the twin was already rapidly separating from us. I heard nothing more from the controller about this incident; and that was the end of it. What caused incident: twin pilot either accidentally or intentionally passed close by us. Do not know why harrisburg approach did not see situation developing; although I do not blame them. I had no way of seeing the twin as it overtook us from right side and it did not announce its location after jumpers left the aircraft. Preventive measures: also monitor N68 CTAF on 122.8 when in area. Also; give N68 a wide berth if parachuting activity suspected. Note: I contacted flight service at about XA30 before departing on trip; and again just before departing lns on homeward leg. Neither briefing mentioned anything about parachuting activity at N68. Also; why could not the jump plane pilot contact harrisburg approach prior to jumpers leaving the plane? He could ask the controller if he was painting any aircraft in the area. I know radar will not show everything; but the controller was certainly aware of our presence in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT RECEIVING TA'S NEAR N68 SPOTTED A PARACHUTE JUMPER ACFT BANKING AND DSNDING NEARBY AFTER ATC HAD GIVEN JUMP ADVISORY.

Narrative: APCHED N68 AT 6500 FT MSL FROM NE; ENRTE FROM NS TO THS VOR; HENCE TO CBE. USED THIS RTE TO STAY WELL CLR OF CAMP DAVID AIRSPACE. WAS A LITTLE N OF COURSE AND ANGLING SOUTHWARD TO GET BACK ON. HEARD AN ACFT ANNOUNCE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF 'JUMPERS AWAY; 10000 FT; OVER CHAMBERSBURG.' WAS USING VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND UNDER ADVISORY SVC AT HARRISBURG APCH. SOON AFTER JUMPER PLANE ANNOUNCEMENT; HARRISBURG APCH ASKED FOR MY HDG; WHICH WAS ABOUT 265 DEG HDG. HE ASKED ME TO TURN TO 290 DEGS TO PASS N OF N68 TO KEEP ARPT CLR FOR JUMPERS. I COMPLIED. SAW N68 ON MY 9 O'CLOCK POS; AT ABOUT 4 MI (OUR CLOSEST APCH TO N68) AS WE PASSED BY. SOON AFTERWARDS MY SON; RIDING IN THE R FRONT SEAT; EXCLAIMED SOMETHING LIKE 'LOOK AT THAT.' I LOOKED OVER HIS WAY AND SAW A PISTON TWIN BANKING AWAY FROM US; SAME ALT AND INITIALLY CLOSE TO SAME HDG; ABOUT 500 OR SO FT (MAYBE LESS) AWAY AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS. THE TWIN APPEARED TO HAVE AN OPEN L FUSELAGE DOOR AND WAS PRESUMABLY THE JUMPER PLANE. ABOUT THAT TIME HARRISBURG APCH CALLED AND ASKED IF WE HAD 2 XPONDERS ON BOARD. I ANSWERED NEGATIVE AND ADVISED THE CTLR THAT A TWIN JUST BANKED AWAY FROM US OFF OUR R WING. MY SON TOOK A PICTURE OF THE TWIN AFTER IT WAS ABOUT 1 MI FROM US; ON A NEARLY REVERSE HDG; AND A LITTLE LOWER THAN US. I SAW OR HEARD NOTHING MORE OF THE TWIN AFTER SEEING IT BANK AWAY FROM US. I DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION SINCE THE TWIN WAS ALREADY RAPIDLY SEPARATING FROM US. I HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM THE CTLR ABOUT THIS INCIDENT; AND THAT WAS THE END OF IT. WHAT CAUSED INCIDENT: TWIN PLT EITHER ACCIDENTALLY OR INTENTIONALLY PASSED CLOSE BY US. DO NOT KNOW WHY HARRISBURG APCH DID NOT SEE SITUATION DEVELOPING; ALTHOUGH I DO NOT BLAME THEM. I HAD NO WAY OF SEEING THE TWIN AS IT OVERTOOK US FROM R SIDE AND IT DID NOT ANNOUNCE ITS LOCATION AFTER JUMPERS LEFT THE ACFT. PREVENTIVE MEASURES: ALSO MONITOR N68 CTAF ON 122.8 WHEN IN AREA. ALSO; GIVE N68 A WIDE BERTH IF PARACHUTING ACTIVITY SUSPECTED. NOTE: I CONTACTED FLT SVC AT ABOUT XA30 BEFORE DEPARTING ON TRIP; AND AGAIN JUST BEFORE DEPARTING LNS ON HOMEWARD LEG. NEITHER BRIEFING MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT PARACHUTING ACTIVITY AT N68. ALSO; WHY COULD NOT THE JUMP PLANE PLT CONTACT HARRISBURG APCH PRIOR TO JUMPERS LEAVING THE PLANE? HE COULD ASK THE CTLR IF HE WAS PAINTING ANY ACFT IN THE AREA. I KNOW RADAR WILL NOT SHOW EVERYTHING; BUT THE CTLR WAS CERTAINLY AWARE OF OUR PRESENCE IN THE AREA.

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.