Narrative:

Day had just begun; and it appeared sky conditions may have been setting up to remain scattered in the vicinity of the airport for most of the day; though most of the surrounding areas were broken to overcast at about 3500 ft MSL. There was a fairly consistent blue sky area over the public airport and the co-located parachute landing area. One load went up and jumped in nice blue sky and was uneventful. When the next load was ready after about 10 mins of ground time; and launched into conditions that appeared to be closing in. However; there was still a hole in the broken layer directly above the airport which I utilized for climb out; as I simultaneously monitored the situation of the hole in the broken layer. It seemed the hole would remain in position for the time that it took to climb to at least 10500 ft to drop the skydivers. FARS require that skydivers maintain cloud clrncs identical to aircraft (500 ft below; 1000 ft above; 2000 ft horizontal; and 3 mi visibility below 10000 ft); and place the responsibility on the pilot to not release jumpers in conditions that will cause them to jump through clouds. On the line-up for jump run at 10500 ft (though the load was originally slated to go to 13000 ft; the decision was made to drop early) it became apparent that hole was closing quick. It did seem that there was still a hole; but it was no longer in the perfect position to release the skydivers. I determined that the size of the hole was enough; and the clouds were in a position that the skydivers could pull their chutes above the clouds; fly through the hole; and then fly under the clouds back to the landing area; though I knew they would have a difficult time getting back to the landing area from the position I was in. I instructed them to open the door; and advised them that the jump spot was short so they should wait to jump out until they were comfortable they could make it back to the landing area. Once lined up on jump run; it is very difficult for the pilot to see the conditions of the clouds below him. The 2 experienced tandem master jumpers jumped out; and I began the descent. On the descent; I observed the 2 canopies open above the cloud layer and shoot for the hole in the clouds. Unfortunately; even from the 2 mins from which I had last observed the hole in the clouds; it had almost completely closed up and the jumpers almost certainly could not maintain their cloud clrncs in the descent. Furthermore; the strange spotting forced them to land out from the landing area; directly below the final approach for the airport's one runway. Lndgs were accomplished safely. No traffic conflicts are believed to have occurred. For many drop zones; this occurrence would not even be remotely reportable -- it is commonplace. However; our drop zone is at a public airport; and is somewhat subject to scrutiny due to a prevalence of 'hangar pilots' and others nearby that do not appreciate skydivers. Thus; our drop zone makes every effort to conduct all operations in accordance with the FARS. We also have an alternate landing area away from the airport that can be used if there are clouds over the airport. However; using the alternate landing area significantly slows down the operation; and the tandem instructors prefer not to use it when there is a chance of dropping at the normal landing area. While the pilot is legally PIC of the jump operations; there is significant pressure on him/her to conduct jump operations in sometimes marginal cloud conditions from the tandem instructors that want to make their maximum jump fee for the day; from the tandem students that want to get their jump in; and sometimes from the drop zone owner (though it is made clear drops should not be made that will put skydivers through clouds; no one hesitates to launch the aircraft into marginal jump conditions (though flying conditions are safe...)). There is significant pressure on the pilot to drop the load once the aircraft has taken off; because a takeoff and landing with jumpers on board results in a waste of time and money for everyone involved. Also; for the most part; while skydivers are friendly with pilots;their interest is not in the flying; the career of the pilot; or the FARS. A better decision in this case would have been to check the alternate landing area or simply land the aircraft with the skydivers onboard. Another factor in this 'incident' was the rapidly changing WX conditions and their unpredictability; even over the course of 1-2 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PILOT REPORTS DROPPING SKYDIVERS IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS AND OUTSIDE THE NORMAL DROP ZONE.

Narrative: DAY HAD JUST BEGUN; AND IT APPEARED SKY CONDITIONS MAY HAVE BEEN SETTING UP TO REMAIN SCATTERED IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT FOR MOST OF THE DAY; THOUGH MOST OF THE SURROUNDING AREAS WERE BROKEN TO OVCST AT ABOUT 3500 FT MSL. THERE WAS A FAIRLY CONSISTENT BLUE SKY AREA OVER THE PUBLIC ARPT AND THE CO-LOCATED PARACHUTE LNDG AREA. ONE LOAD WENT UP AND JUMPED IN NICE BLUE SKY AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN THE NEXT LOAD WAS READY AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS OF GND TIME; AND LAUNCHED INTO CONDITIONS THAT APPEARED TO BE CLOSING IN. HOWEVER; THERE WAS STILL A HOLE IN THE BROKEN LAYER DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ARPT WHICH I UTILIZED FOR CLBOUT; AS I SIMULTANEOUSLY MONITORED THE SITUATION OF THE HOLE IN THE BROKEN LAYER. IT SEEMED THE HOLE WOULD REMAIN IN POS FOR THE TIME THAT IT TOOK TO CLB TO AT LEAST 10500 FT TO DROP THE SKYDIVERS. FARS REQUIRE THAT SKYDIVERS MAINTAIN CLOUD CLRNCS IDENTICAL TO ACFT (500 FT BELOW; 1000 FT ABOVE; 2000 FT HORIZ; AND 3 MI VISIBILITY BELOW 10000 FT); AND PLACE THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PLT TO NOT RELEASE JUMPERS IN CONDITIONS THAT WILL CAUSE THEM TO JUMP THROUGH CLOUDS. ON THE LINE-UP FOR JUMP RUN AT 10500 FT (THOUGH THE LOAD WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED TO GO TO 13000 FT; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DROP EARLY) IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HOLE WAS CLOSING QUICK. IT DID SEEM THAT THERE WAS STILL A HOLE; BUT IT WAS NO LONGER IN THE PERFECT POS TO RELEASE THE SKYDIVERS. I DETERMINED THAT THE SIZE OF THE HOLE WAS ENOUGH; AND THE CLOUDS WERE IN A POS THAT THE SKYDIVERS COULD PULL THEIR CHUTES ABOVE THE CLOUDS; FLY THROUGH THE HOLE; AND THEN FLY UNDER THE CLOUDS BACK TO THE LNDG AREA; THOUGH I KNEW THEY WOULD HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING BACK TO THE LNDG AREA FROM THE POS I WAS IN. I INSTRUCTED THEM TO OPEN THE DOOR; AND ADVISED THEM THAT THE JUMP SPOT WAS SHORT SO THEY SHOULD WAIT TO JUMP OUT UNTIL THEY WERE COMFORTABLE THEY COULD MAKE IT BACK TO THE LNDG AREA. ONCE LINED UP ON JUMP RUN; IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE PLT TO SEE THE CONDITIONS OF THE CLOUDS BELOW HIM. THE 2 EXPERIENCED TANDEM MASTER JUMPERS JUMPED OUT; AND I BEGAN THE DSCNT. ON THE DSCNT; I OBSERVED THE 2 CANOPIES OPEN ABOVE THE CLOUD LAYER AND SHOOT FOR THE HOLE IN THE CLOUDS. UNFORTUNATELY; EVEN FROM THE 2 MINS FROM WHICH I HAD LAST OBSERVED THE HOLE IN THE CLOUDS; IT HAD ALMOST COMPLETELY CLOSED UP AND THE JUMPERS ALMOST CERTAINLY COULD NOT MAINTAIN THEIR CLOUD CLRNCS IN THE DSCNT. FURTHERMORE; THE STRANGE SPOTTING FORCED THEM TO LAND OUT FROM THE LNDG AREA; DIRECTLY BELOW THE FINAL APCH FOR THE ARPT'S ONE RWY. LNDGS WERE ACCOMPLISHED SAFELY. NO TFC CONFLICTS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE OCCURRED. FOR MANY DROP ZONES; THIS OCCURRENCE WOULD NOT EVEN BE REMOTELY REPORTABLE -- IT IS COMMONPLACE. HOWEVER; OUR DROP ZONE IS AT A PUBLIC ARPT; AND IS SOMEWHAT SUBJECT TO SCRUTINY DUE TO A PREVALENCE OF 'HANGAR PLTS' AND OTHERS NEARBY THAT DO NOT APPRECIATE SKYDIVERS. THUS; OUR DROP ZONE MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO CONDUCT ALL OPS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FARS. WE ALSO HAVE AN ALTERNATE LNDG AREA AWAY FROM THE ARPT THAT CAN BE USED IF THERE ARE CLOUDS OVER THE ARPT. HOWEVER; USING THE ALTERNATE LNDG AREA SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWS DOWN THE OP; AND THE TANDEM INSTRUCTORS PREFER NOT TO USE IT WHEN THERE IS A CHANCE OF DROPPING AT THE NORMAL LNDG AREA. WHILE THE PLT IS LEGALLY PIC OF THE JUMP OPS; THERE IS SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE ON HIM/HER TO CONDUCT JUMP OPS IN SOMETIMES MARGINAL CLOUD CONDITIONS FROM THE TANDEM INSTRUCTORS THAT WANT TO MAKE THEIR MAX JUMP FEE FOR THE DAY; FROM THE TANDEM STUDENTS THAT WANT TO GET THEIR JUMP IN; AND SOMETIMES FROM THE DROP ZONE OWNER (THOUGH IT IS MADE CLR DROPS SHOULD NOT BE MADE THAT WILL PUT SKYDIVERS THROUGH CLOUDS; NO ONE HESITATES TO LAUNCH THE ACFT INTO MARGINAL JUMP CONDITIONS (THOUGH FLYING CONDITIONS ARE SAFE...)). THERE IS SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE ON THE PLT TO DROP THE LOAD ONCE THE ACFT HAS TAKEN OFF; BECAUSE A TKOF AND LNDG WITH JUMPERS ON BOARD RESULTS IN A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. ALSO; FOR THE MOST PART; WHILE SKYDIVERS ARE FRIENDLY WITH PLTS;THEIR INTEREST IS NOT IN THE FLYING; THE CAREER OF THE PLT; OR THE FARS. A BETTER DECISION IN THIS CASE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CHK THE ALTERNATE LNDG AREA OR SIMPLY LAND THE ACFT WITH THE SKYDIVERS ONBOARD. ANOTHER FACTOR IN THIS 'INCIDENT' WAS THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WX CONDITIONS AND THEIR UNPREDICTABILITY; EVEN OVER THE COURSE OF 1-2 MINS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.