Narrative:

I had been flying skydivers over the winterset airport. I had been flying all day long and made several jump runs. When I would takeoff each time I would contact des moines approach and tell them I was just off winterset climbing to 10500 ft with jumpers. I had done this several times that day. I would climb up to altitude staying within 5 NM of the airport. I would be in contact with des moines approach the whole way to altitude and on the way back down. I also stay on and monitor the local frequency for other local traffic. I would announce my intentions on the local frequency. The situation started when I took off. Des moines approach control was very busy. I was able to contact des moines approach shortly after takeoff just like I had been several times before that. The controller said to report 1 min to jumpers away; I said roger report 1 min to jumpers away. The airplane is equipped with a mode C transponder and I had the same code all day. At this point nothing is out of the ordinary. Des moines approach continued to be extremely busy. There was continuous radio xmissions from the controller and calling aircraft and it was difficult for anyone to get on the radio to call des moines approach. It continued to be very busy. I got to altitude 10500 ft within 2 NM of the winterset airport. I was able to get in to des moines approach and I reported 'I am turning jump run; 1 min to jump.' the controller said 'roger aircraft X' so I continued. Des moines approach is still very busy at this point. About a min later the jumpers left the plane; I was able to get in on des moines approach and announced jumpers away over winterset. I did not hear a response from the controller. At this point I am within 3 NM from the airport. I call back and report jumpers away and starting to descend. I thought the controller said roger; so I continued to descend. The radios are still very busy at this point. I am about 10000 ft and the controller comes back and I thought he said stay at or below 11000 ft. I said roger that I am at 10000 ft. The controller come back 'no! Traffic a citation 12 O'clock 1 mi 10000 ft. I wanted you above 11000. Aircraft X squawk VFR frequency change approved; don't call me back the rest of the day.' the radios are still very busy and I replied roger going VFR. I am still about 4 NM north of the airport starting to turn back inbound and continue to descend and land. I never saw the other traffic. I did not make evasive action. I was communicating with des moines approach like I always do. I was within 5 NM of the airport like usual. Des moines approach was very busy at the time and I think it was just a miscom between the controller and me. I am assuming that the citation was on an IFR flight plan and was talking to des moines. I don't know why the controller would have routed him that close to winterset with jumpers in the air. I don't know if the citation had TCAS or if he saw me or if he made evasive action. The controller called the airport manager looking for me. I called him back on his personal cell phone. He apologized and said he was unprofessional and we discussed the situation and concluded it was a miscom. He said he was very busy. He also said the situation set off an alarm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICT DEVELOPS BETWEEN SKY DIVER JUMP PLANE AND IFR CITATION WHEN AN UNEXPECTED DESCENT IS INITIATED BY JUMP ACFT.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN FLYING SKYDIVERS OVER THE WINTERSET ARPT. I HAD BEEN FLYING ALL DAY LONG AND MADE SEVERAL JUMP RUNS. WHEN I WOULD TKOF EACH TIME I WOULD CONTACT DES MOINES APCH AND TELL THEM I WAS JUST OFF WINTERSET CLBING TO 10500 FT WITH JUMPERS. I HAD DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES THAT DAY. I WOULD CLB UP TO ALT STAYING WITHIN 5 NM OF THE ARPT. I WOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH DES MOINES APCH THE WHOLE WAY TO ALT AND ON THE WAY BACK DOWN. I ALSO STAY ON AND MONITOR THE LCL FREQ FOR OTHER LCL TFC. I WOULD ANNOUNCE MY INTENTIONS ON THE LCL FREQ. THE SITUATION STARTED WHEN I TOOK OFF. DES MOINES APCH CTL WAS VERY BUSY. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT DES MOINES APCH SHORTLY AFTER TKOF JUST LIKE I HAD BEEN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THAT. THE CTLR SAID TO RPT 1 MIN TO JUMPERS AWAY; I SAID ROGER RPT 1 MIN TO JUMPERS AWAY. THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A MODE C XPONDER AND I HAD THE SAME CODE ALL DAY. AT THIS POINT NOTHING IS OUT OF THE ORDINARY. DES MOINES APCH CONTINUED TO BE EXTREMELY BUSY. THERE WAS CONTINUOUS RADIO XMISSIONS FROM THE CTLR AND CALLING ACFT AND IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO GET ON THE RADIO TO CALL DES MOINES APCH. IT CONTINUED TO BE VERY BUSY. I GOT TO ALT 10500 FT WITHIN 2 NM OF THE WINTERSET ARPT. I WAS ABLE TO GET IN TO DES MOINES APCH AND I RPTED 'I AM TURNING JUMP RUN; 1 MIN TO JUMP.' THE CTLR SAID 'ROGER ACFT X' SO I CONTINUED. DES MOINES APCH IS STILL VERY BUSY AT THIS POINT. ABOUT A MIN LATER THE JUMPERS LEFT THE PLANE; I WAS ABLE TO GET IN ON DES MOINES APCH AND ANNOUNCED JUMPERS AWAY OVER WINTERSET. I DID NOT HEAR A RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. AT THIS POINT I AM WITHIN 3 NM FROM THE ARPT. I CALL BACK AND RPT JUMPERS AWAY AND STARTING TO DSND. I THOUGHT THE CTLR SAID ROGER; SO I CONTINUED TO DSND. THE RADIOS ARE STILL VERY BUSY AT THIS POINT. I AM ABOUT 10000 FT AND THE CTLR COMES BACK AND I THOUGHT HE SAID STAY AT OR BELOW 11000 FT. I SAID ROGER THAT I AM AT 10000 FT. THE CTLR COME BACK 'NO! TFC A CITATION 12 O'CLOCK 1 MI 10000 FT. I WANTED YOU ABOVE 11000. ACFT X SQUAWK VFR FREQ CHANGE APPROVED; DON'T CALL ME BACK THE REST OF THE DAY.' THE RADIOS ARE STILL VERY BUSY AND I REPLIED ROGER GOING VFR. I AM STILL ABOUT 4 NM N OF THE ARPT STARTING TO TURN BACK INBOUND AND CONTINUE TO DSND AND LAND. I NEVER SAW THE OTHER TFC. I DID NOT MAKE EVASIVE ACTION. I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH DES MOINES APCH LIKE I ALWAYS DO. I WAS WITHIN 5 NM OF THE ARPT LIKE USUAL. DES MOINES APCH WAS VERY BUSY AT THE TIME AND I THINK IT WAS JUST A MISCOM BTWN THE CTLR AND ME. I AM ASSUMING THAT THE CITATION WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND WAS TALKING TO DES MOINES. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CTLR WOULD HAVE ROUTED HIM THAT CLOSE TO WINTERSET WITH JUMPERS IN THE AIR. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITATION HAD TCAS OR IF HE SAW ME OR IF HE MADE EVASIVE ACTION. THE CTLR CALLED THE ARPT MGR LOOKING FOR ME. I CALLED HIM BACK ON HIS PERSONAL CELL PHONE. HE APOLOGIZED AND SAID HE WAS UNPROFESSIONAL AND WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND CONCLUDED IT WAS A MISCOM. HE SAID HE WAS VERY BUSY. HE ALSO SAID THE SITUATION SET OFF AN ALARM.

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.