Near midair collision between sky diving small transport drop plane and medium large transport.

Attributes
ACN	96580
Time
Date	198810
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 2w7
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11700 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : circling enroute airway : v39
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time total : 1860 flight time type : 39
ASRS Report	96580
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On sunday, october, at around xc:30, I climbed to 13,000 feet in the small transport. The climb generally is done with a big circle around the devener airport in hanover, PA. The devener airport is close to the binns intersection of V39 and V265. I believe I was at 12,000 feet, heading south, when north.Y. Center informed me of medium large transport being five miles to the northeast, heading in my direction. The medium large transport crew asked the controller for vectors around the traffic, which the controller denied. I scanned mostly at my eight O'clock position and only after a while I spotted the medium large transport over by left wing, about two miles away, proceeding towards a collision course at the same altitude. After a few seconds, I realized that the crew did not see the small transport. I started to dive and advised north.Y. Center that I was diving to avoid the oncoming traffic. The medium large transport crossed our path straight overhead, maybe 400 feet above us. I am not sure to what extent the controller could have given some vectors around our airplane. Maybe other traffic did not allow this. It seemed like a safe alternative. The medium large transport was heading to some extent towards the sun and may not have seen us at the same altitude. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: that 2w7 airport is actually right under V-39 rather than just off as shown on charts for clarity. Airport is over 600 MSL and jumpers want 12000 ft for jump so that is why drop ship goes to 13000 MSL to have the minimum 12000. Reporter stated that they get on frequency and advise what altitude climbing to and from and then per regulations advise when jump is to occur so controllers know they are there, and should be alerting traffic. He says some controllers are very good and others don't want to be bothered. I suggested he contact FSDO and advise them of problem so possibly procedure could be set up so ARTCC keeps traffic through zone above 13000 MSL during jump periods. Reporter stated most of traffic is from northeast very seldom from opposite direction. Stated mlgs never changed course in either case. Also said now have encoding altimeter is better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN SKY DIVING SMT DROP PLANE AND MLG.

Narrative: ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER, AT AROUND XC:30, I CLIMBED TO 13,000 FEET IN THE SMT. THE CLIMB GENERALLY IS DONE WITH A BIG CIRCLE AROUND THE DEVENER AIRPORT IN HANOVER, PA. THE DEVENER AIRPORT IS CLOSE TO THE BINNS INTERSECTION OF V39 AND V265. I BELIEVE I WAS AT 12,000 FEET, HEADING SOUTH, WHEN N.Y. CENTER INFORMED ME OF MLG BEING FIVE MILES TO THE NE, HEADING IN MY DIRECTION. THE MLG CREW ASKED THE CTLR FOR VECTORS AROUND THE TFC, WHICH THE CTLR DENIED. I SCANNED MOSTLY AT MY EIGHT O'CLOCK POSITION AND ONLY AFTER A WHILE I SPOTTED THE MLG OVER BY LEFT WING, ABOUT TWO MILES AWAY, PROCEEDING TOWARDS A COLLISION COURSE AT THE SAME ALTITUDE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, I REALIZED THAT THE CREW DID NOT SEE THE SMT. I STARTED TO DIVE AND ADVISED N.Y. CENTER THAT I WAS DIVING TO AVOID THE ONCOMING TFC. THE MLG CROSSED OUR PATH STRAIGHT OVERHEAD, MAYBE 400 FEET ABOVE US. I AM NOT SURE TO WHAT EXTENT THE CTLR COULD HAVE GIVEN SOME VECTORS AROUND OUR AIRPLANE. MAYBE OTHER TFC DID NOT ALLOW THIS. IT SEEMED LIKE A SAFE ALTERNATIVE. THE MLG WAS HEADING TO SOME EXTENT TOWARDS THE SUN AND MAY NOT HAVE SEEN US AT THE SAME ALTITUDE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THAT 2W7 ARPT IS ACTUALLY RIGHT UNDER V-39 RATHER THAN JUST OFF AS SHOWN ON CHARTS FOR CLARITY. ARPT IS OVER 600 MSL AND JUMPERS WANT 12000 FT FOR JUMP SO THAT IS WHY DROP SHIP GOES TO 13000 MSL TO HAVE THE MINIMUM 12000. REPORTER STATED THAT THEY GET ON FREQ AND ADVISE WHAT ALT CLIMBING TO AND FROM AND THEN PER REGS ADVISE WHEN JUMP IS TO OCCUR SO CTLRS KNOW THEY ARE THERE, AND SHOULD BE ALERTING TFC. HE SAYS SOME CTLRS ARE VERY GOOD AND OTHERS DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED. I SUGGESTED HE CONTACT FSDO AND ADVISE THEM OF PROBLEM SO POSSIBLY PROC COULD BE SET UP SO ARTCC KEEPS TFC THROUGH ZONE ABOVE 13000 MSL DURING JUMP PERIODS. REPORTER STATED MOST OF TFC IS FROM NE VERY SELDOM FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION. STATED MLGS NEVER CHANGED COURSE IN EITHER CASE. ALSO SAID NOW HAVE ENCODING ALTIMETER IS BETTER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.