2 JUMP PLANES FROM SAME ARPT HAVE CONFLICT PRIOR TO DROPPING JUMPERS. 1 ACFT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION.
Synopsis
2 JUMP PLANES FROM SAME ARPT HAVE CONFLICT PRIOR TO DROPPING JUMPERS. 1 ACFT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION.
Narrative
ZEPHYRHILLS ARPT HAS GOT 2 PARACHUTE CTRS OPERATING SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE SIT AROSE BECAUSE OF A TENSION AND COMPETITION BTWN THE 2 CTRS. ON THE DAY OF THE SIT; I FLEW AN SMT WITH CALL SIGN XX; AND THE OTHER CTR WAS FLYING AN LTT WITH CALL SIGN YY. WE WERE BOTH CLBING TO 135000 FT TO DROP OVER ZEPHYRHILLS. YY TOOK OFF ABOUT 1-2 MINS BEFORE ME. I WAS AWARE THAT MY PLANE WAS USUALLY CLBING FASTER THAT THE LTT SO I HAD IN MIND THAT WE MIGHT GET TO ALT AT THE SAME TIME; AND I TRIED TO KEEP HIM IN SIGHT DURING THE CLB. WE ARE REQUESTED BY TAMPA APCH TO CALL 2 MINS PRIOR TO DROP. IF 2 PLANES GET TO ALT AT THE SAME TIME ONE HAS TO CIRCLE AROUND AND WAIT FOR THE OTHER; TO AVOID DROPPING ON TOP OF THE FIRST PLANE'S JUMPERS. WHEN I REACHED 12500 AND ESTIMATED THAT I WAS 2 MINS OUT; I SAW YY BELOW ME AND FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ARPT THAN I WAS. THEREFORE; I CALLED 2 MINS; WHICH TAMPA ACKNOWLEDGED. TAMPA ASKED YY IF HE HAD CALLED XX IN SIGHT. HE REPLIES þAFFIRM' AND CALLS 2 MINS. THIS IS ABOUT 10 SECONDS AFTER I CALLED 2 MINS; AND THIS MADE ME SUSPICIOUS AND I KEPT MY EYES ON HIM. I KNEW HE HAD CUT PEOPLE OFF ON JUMP RUN BEFORE. I WAS ON A HDG OF S AND HE CAME IN FROM THE E; FROM THE L. I HAD A GOOD IDEA WHAT HE WAS UP TO; BUT I WAS VERY CAUTIOUS AND CLBED TO 13800 TO GET FURTHER AWAY FROM HIM. HE TURNED L TO A PARALLEL COURSE TO ME. I ESTIMATE THE DISTANCE WAS 1/2 - 3/4 MI HORIZ AND 300 FT VERT. THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT HE WAS GOING TO DROP HIS LOAD. THERE WAS NEVER A RISK FOR COLLISION; BUT AT THIS POINT; I HAD ALREADY DECIDED NOT TO LET MY JUMPERS OUT. I LET HIM FLY PARALLEL TO ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE BEFORE I MADE A R TURN TO GAR AND WAIT FOR HIM TO DROP. THEN I CALLED ANOTHER 2 MINS. THE CTLR WHO HAD FOLLOWED THE WHOLE EVENT ASKED THE PLT OF YY TO CALL THE SUPVR AT TAMPA APCH CTL. THE PLT OF YY HAS A RECORD OF SIMILAR EVENTS AND IS LIKELY TO GET HIS LICENSE SUSPENDED. HIS ATTITUDE SHOWS VERY POOR JUDGEMENT AND A LACK OF RESPECT AND IGNORANCE TOWARDS THE PEOPLE HE IS CARRYING; WHO ARE UNAWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THEM. PERSONALLY; WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS TO HAVE TURNED AWAY AS SOON AS I SAW WHAT HE WAS UP TO. THE ONLY REASON I LET HIM GET SO CLOSE WAS BECAUSE I SAW THAT HE WAS TURNING TO A PARALLEL COURSE. HE HAD ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A STRANGE AIRPLANE; THEN I WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION EARLIER. MY R TURN WAS NOT MADE TO AVOID A COLLISION BUT BECAUSE IT WAS POINTLESS IN STAYING WITH HIM. WE SOMETIMES HAVE AS MANY AS 5 AIRPLANES OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME. IT TAKES COOPERATION AND COM. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACT SAFELY AND PROFESSIONALLY IN THIS KIND OF OP. IT DOES REQUIRE THAT EVERYBODY IS WORKING TOGETHER. THE SIT HERE IS DEFINITELY UNDESIRABLE. BASICALLY; IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF 1 PERSON.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.