Potential conflict between skydivers and GA small aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	97198
Time
Date	198810
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iiu
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : v51
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	97198
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 700 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying an small aircraft on an IFR flight plan through the louisville area at 8000' and was talking to louisville approach. I had been listening to a conversation approach was having with a skydiving drop aircraft about the status of his jumpers. The pilot responded that the divers were preparing to jump. The controller called me to advise of skydiving traffic at 12 O'clock at 10000' and I immediately responded that 'I do not want to get into that mess and give me a vector away from the area of conflict.' the controller immediately gave me a right turn from my 360 degree heading to 040 degrees and told the jump plane to turn (I cannot recall the heading). I turned immediately and observed 3 parachutists holding hands in free fall drop through my 8 O'clock position. Had I not turned, I am convinced that a collision was assured. I reported the event to ATC who questioned the drop plane. The pilot stated that the chutists saw the traffic and dropped behind it. This could not have been the case due to the rapidity of the occurrence plus the closeness of the miss. I never saw the jump plane. We had just passed through solid IFR approximately 40 mi south and I can only speculate that the jump plane was either in cloud bases or immediately below them. I am appalled that jumpers are allowed on an arwy!! In my opinion, blame rests with the pilot of the jump aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN SKYDIVERS AND GA SMA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMA ON AN IFR FLT PLAN THROUGH THE LOUISVILLE AREA AT 8000' AND WAS TALKING TO LOUISVILLE APCH. I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO A CONVERSATION APCH WAS HAVING WITH A SKYDIVING DROP ACFT ABOUT THE STATUS OF HIS JUMPERS. THE PLT RESPONDED THAT THE DIVERS WERE PREPARING TO JUMP. THE CTLR CALLED ME TO ADVISE OF SKYDIVING TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AT 10000' AND I IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED THAT 'I DO NOT WANT TO GET INTO THAT MESS AND GIVE ME A VECTOR AWAY FROM THE AREA OF CONFLICT.' THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME A RIGHT TURN FROM MY 360 DEG HDG TO 040 DEGS AND TOLD THE JUMP PLANE TO TURN (I CANNOT RECALL THE HDG). I TURNED IMMEDIATELY AND OBSERVED 3 PARACHUTISTS HOLDING HANDS IN FREE FALL DROP THROUGH MY 8 O'CLOCK POS. HAD I NOT TURNED, I AM CONVINCED THAT A COLLISION WAS ASSURED. I RPTED THE EVENT TO ATC WHO QUESTIONED THE DROP PLANE. THE PLT STATED THAT THE CHUTISTS SAW THE TFC AND DROPPED BEHIND IT. THIS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE DUE TO THE RAPIDITY OF THE OCCURRENCE PLUS THE CLOSENESS OF THE MISS. I NEVER SAW THE JUMP PLANE. WE HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH SOLID IFR APPROX 40 MI S AND I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT THE JUMP PLANE WAS EITHER IN CLOUD BASES OR IMMEDIATELY BELOW THEM. I AM APPALLED THAT JUMPERS ARE ALLOWED ON AN ARWY!! IN MY OPINION, BLAME RESTS WITH THE PLT OF THE JUMP ACFT.

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.