SMA PLT ON TKOF TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID SKYDIVERS LNDG ON ACTIVE RWY.

Date: 1992-05 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA PLT ON TKOF TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID SKYDIVERS LNDG ON ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative

INBOUND TO E SOUND ARPT; A CALL WAS MADE ON UNICOM THAT JUMPERS WOULD BE IN THE AIR OVER THE NW CORNER OF THE ARPT (RWY 34 IN USE). I WAITED FOR THESE JUMPERS TO LAND ON THE W SIDE OF THE ACTIVE AND THEN LANDED. PRIOR TO TAXIING FOR TKOF; I NOTED THAT THERE WERE NOT PARACHUTISTS IN THE AIR AND SAW NO SIGNS OF THE JUMPER ACFT. NO CALLS WERE MADE ON UNICOM PERTAINING TO PARACHUTE ACTIVITY BTWN MANNING MY PLANE AND TKOF. UPON TAKING THE RWY; I COULD SEE NO JUMPERS; BUT I HAD POOR VISIBILITY STRAIGHT UP DUE TO THE HIGH WING SMA. AT ROTATION; I COULD SEE 5 JUMPERS. ONE OF WHOM WAS MIDFIELD ON RWY CTRLINE. AFTER LIFTOFF I MANEUVERED E AVOIDING WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HEAD ON PASS WITH APPROX 300 FT OF VERT SEPARATION. WHILE I REALIZE THE VALUE OF PROX TO AN ARPT FOR SKYDIVING; IT SEEMS INHERENTLY OBVIOUS THAT SUCH ACTIVITIES SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED OVER A RWY IN USE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED; AND; I BELIEVE; CONSERVATIVE PLT. I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID THE DIVERS PRIOR TO TKOF AND WAS STILL PUT IN A HAZARDOUS SITUATION WHERE AN ABORT WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE PRESENTED A PROBLEM AND THE ONLY REMEDY NOT A GOOD OPTION EITHER.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.