PLT CLBING THROUGH ELOY MUNI ARPT PUBLISHED PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA HAD CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH 2 PARACHUTISTS.
Synopsis
PLT CLBING THROUGH ELOY MUNI ARPT PUBLISHED PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA HAD CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH 2 PARACHUTISTS.
Narrative
MY PAX AND I DEPARTED CASA GRANDE MUNICIPAL ARPT IN RTE TO TUCSON INTL ARPT. WHILE WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 4300 FT ON OUR WAY TO 5500 FT; I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ELOY ARPT THAT WAS 1 MI OFF OF MY L WING. WHEN I LOOKED FORWARD; I WAS STARTLED TO SEE 2 PARACHUTISTS IN FRONT OF THE PLANE. THE ONE TO MY L WAS APPROX 200 FT VERT ABOVE AND 250 HORIZ FROM MY LINE OF FLT. THE ONE ON MY R WAS APPROX 150 FT VERT ABOVE AND 200 FT HORIZ. I MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE L TO PASS THROUGH THE CTR OF THE PAIR. OUR FLT CONTINUED TO TUCSON. IN 40 YRS OF FLYING AIRPLANES; I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING SCARE ME AS MUCH AS THIS INCIDENT. I WAS VERY UPSET AND SLEEP THAT NIGHT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I CONTACTED MY FRIEND; WHO IS A FLT INSTRUCTOR; AIRLINE CAPT AND A FAA SAFETY COUNSELOR. SHE MET ME AT MY OFFICE AND I EXPLAINED THE WHOLE SIT TO HER. SHE THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT AND THAT THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED TO HER AND A FRIEND WHILE FLYING BY ELOY. ALSO; HER HUSBAND HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A PARACHUTIST WHILE TAKING OFF FROM ELOY. IN ADDITION; 2 OTHER PLTS TOLD HER THEY HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS NEAR ELOY. MY FRIEND HAS WRITTEN TO FAA/SCOTTSDALE; AZ; SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING JUMPERS JUMPING OVER THE TFC PATTERNS AT ELOY AND AVRA VALLEY ARPTS. BOTH ARPTS ARE NON-TWR AND ELOY IS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. MY FRIEND IS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR AVIATION SAFETY AND IS CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS SIT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.