APCH CTLR ADVISED AN ACR BE02 THAT A BE90 ABOVE HIM AND APPROX 7 NM AWAY WOULD BE DROPPING JUMPERS. THE ACR ASKED THE CTLR TO STOP THE JUMPERS UNTIL HE WAS PAST THE DROP ZONE; BUT IT WAS TOO LATE; THE JUMPERS WERE ALREADY OUT. CTLR FEELS THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STOP THE JUMPERS FOR OTHER TFC.

Date: 1996-10 · Aircraft: King Air C90 E90

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict

Synopsis

APCH CTLR ADVISED AN ACR BE02 THAT A BE90 ABOVE HIM AND APPROX 7 NM AWAY WOULD BE DROPPING JUMPERS. THE ACR ASKED THE CTLR TO STOP THE JUMPERS UNTIL HE WAS PAST THE DROP ZONE; BUT IT WAS TOO LATE; THE JUMPERS WERE ALREADY OUT. CTLR FEELS THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STOP THE JUMPERS FOR OTHER TFC.

Narrative

A BE90; CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS CLBING OVER THE 00NC ARPT UP TO 14000 FT MSL FOR A PARACHUTE DROP. I RADAR INDENTED THE BE90 AND GAVE HIM THE RDU ALTIMETER SETTING. I ALSO REQUESTED THAT HE GIVE ME A 2 MIN WARNING PRIOR TO COMMENCING PARACHUTE DROP. ACR Y; A BE02 WAS INBOUND TO RDU ON THE ARGAL ARR WHICH IS NE OF THE JUMP AREA. I EXCHANGED TFC; WHEN ACFT WERE APPROX 15 MI APART. THE BE90 THEN ISSUED ME A 1 MIN WARNING PRIOR TO COMMENCING DROP. I BROADCAST THIS INFO TO ACR Y. WHEN ACR Y WAS APPROX 7 MI NE OF THE BE90 THE PLT OF ACR Y REQUESTED IF I COULD TELL THE PLT OF THE BE90 TO HOLD UP ON THE DROP UNTIL ACFT HAD PASSED. I TOLD ACR Y THAT I COULD NOT FORCE HIM TO HOLD UP THE OP; BUT THAT I WOULD ASK HIM. I THEN ASKED THE BE90 IF HE COULD HOLD UP OP AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY STARTED THE OP. THE BE90 SAID THAT HE WAS SORRY AND THAT HAD HE KNOWN EARLIER OF THE REQUEST THEN HE WOULD HAVE COMPLIED. THIS IS AN UNSAFE SIT. THE CTLR DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTH TO STOP THE PARACHUTE DROP BECAUSE IT IS IN CLASS E AIRSPACE. EITHER THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE THE AUTH TO STOP JUMP; OR THE PLT SHOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT DROP JUMPERS UNTIL HE OR SHE HAS BEEN INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT TFC UNDER ATC CTL IS NO FACTOR. I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT ACR Y ALT WAS 10000 FT MSL.

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