A B90 jump aircraft pilot reported the portable GPS came loose in flight at 17;500 ft pulling the ox...

Narrative:

I was flying a skydiver aircraft to FL175 and as I approached my jump run; my GPS failed and I no longer had a signal. I had just put in 70 degrees of flaps (which gives me some extra attitude) and I turned to yell back to my tandem masters that they would need to 'spot' their landing site; my GPS fell from its position (suctioned to the window) and as it fell it hit my oxygen line; which ripped my oxygen canula out of my nose and the oxygen line grabbed my headset earpiece (clarity aloft - the ear bud type. I only had one ear bud in as I had pulled the right ear bud out of my ear so I could hear the tandem masters) and yanked that out of my ear. I'm flying and setting up for the jump run (which is a busy time). I have lost GPS; need to put my oxygen back in my nose which is now tangled in my headset ear piece which I need to get back in my ear when the tandem masters yell 'go-around.' so now I'm 'going around' for another approach to a jump run so I'm putting my oxygen back on; placing my headset earpiece back in my ear and holding my GPS that has fallen from the windshield and is tangled in my oxygen line. (If I release it; it yanks at the oxygen line); and ATC notifies me that I'm above FL180 and I correct my altitude. I asked for the altimeter setting and promptly corrected. In the future my GPS will not be mounted on the windshield. I will use the yoke mount which will ensure a secure position from which the GPS unit cannot fall.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B90 jump aircraft pilot reported the portable GPS came loose in flight at 17;500 FT pulling the oxygen canula and ear piece out as the jumpers were preparing to go. Aircraft control was momentarily lost and the aircraft climbed above FL180.

Narrative: I was flying a skydiver aircraft to FL175 and as I approached my jump run; my GPS failed and I no longer had a signal. I had just put in 70 degrees of flaps (which gives me some extra attitude) and I turned to yell back to my Tandem Masters that they would need to 'spot' their landing site; my GPS fell from its position (suctioned to the window) and as it fell it hit my oxygen line; which ripped my oxygen canula out of my nose and the oxygen line grabbed my headset earpiece (clarity aloft - the ear bud type. I only had one ear bud in as I had pulled the right ear bud out of my ear so I could hear the Tandem Masters) and yanked that out of my ear. I'm flying and setting up for the jump run (which is a busy time). I have lost GPS; need to put my oxygen back in my nose which is now tangled in my headset ear piece which I need to get back in my ear when the Tandem Masters yell 'go-around.' So now I'm 'going around' for another approach to a jump run so I'm putting my oxygen back on; placing my headset earpiece back in my ear and holding my GPS that has fallen from the windshield and is tangled in my oxygen line. (If I release it; it yanks at the oxygen line); and ATC notifies me that I'm above FL180 and I correct my altitude. I asked for the altimeter setting and promptly corrected. In the future my GPS will not be mounted on the windshield. I will use the yoke mount which will ensure a secure position from which the GPS unit cannot fall.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	892112
Time
Date	201006
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.ARTCC
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Other Part 105
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Private Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35 Flight Crew Total 1600 Flight Crew Type 250
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Airspace Violation All Types Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural FAR

A B90 jump aircraft pilot reported the portable GPS came loose in flight at 17;500 ft pulling the oxygen canula and ear piece out as the jumpers were preparing to go. Aircraft control was momentarily lost and the aircraft climbed above FL180.