SMT JUMP ACFT WAS NOT PROVIDED ACCEPTABLE ATC HANDLING.
Synopsis
SMT JUMP ACFT WAS NOT PROVIDED ACCEPTABLE ATC HANDLING.
Narrative
THIS SIT I BELIEVE WAS CREATED BY AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TFC BEING HANDLED BY 1 CTLR. I DEPARTED PARKMAN; OH; WITH A LOAD OF JUMPERS TO DROP AT PARKMAN. I DID NOTE A LOT OF RADIO TFC; SO I WAITED TO GET A LONG ENOUGH PAUSE TO GET MY INITIAL RADIO CALL IN. THE CTLR RESPONDED BY SAYING HE COULD NOT GIVE ME ADVISORIES DUE TO WORKLOAD. I THEN TOLD HIM THAT I WAS 15 MINS TO JUMP OVER PARKMAN AT ABOUT 9000 FT. DURING CLB; AN AIRLINER CALLED THE CTLR TO RPT A NEAR MISS. THE CTLR AND MYSELF THOUGHT THAT I WAS THE ACFT THE AIRLINER HAD TO AVOID. I DID FINALLY SEE ANOTHER ACFT; BUT IT WAS JUST PASSING MY ALT ABOUT 3 MI AWAY AND CLBING. THEN AS I PASSED 12000 FT; ANOTHER AIRLINER CALLED THAT HE WAS MANEUVERING AROUND A MOONEY AT 9000 FT. I NOW BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST CALL WAS ALSO THE SAME MOONEY BECAUSE THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT I WAS CLOSE TO CHARDON VOR. I RPTED THAT I WAS NOT AT THAT LOCATION. AFTER MAKING MY 5 MIN AND 1 MIN TO JUMP CALLOUT; I LET MY JUMPERS OUT AND STARTED DSNDING. WHEN I RPTED THIS; THE CTLR ASKED ME TO CALL CTR ON THE TELEPHONE AND GAVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL. THE PERSON I TALKED TO ON THE PHONE TOLD ME THAT I WAS NOT IN ERROR AND THE CTLR WORKING AT THAT TIME HAD NOT HANDLED MY REQUEST PROPERLY. LATER THAT EVENING THE SUPVR CALLED ME AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT I HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG. I THOUGHT HE WAS VERY NICE TO ME IN HIS CONVERSATION WITH ME. HE EXPLAINED TO ME HOW HE POINTED OUT THE RULES THAT I HAVE TO FOLLOW TO HIS CTLR WORKING ME THAT EVENING. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NEVER HAD A NEAR MISS FLYING JUMPERS; I HAVE HAD SEVERAL FLTS WHERE THE CTLR REFUSED SVC DUE TO WORKLOAD. PART 105 ONLY REQUIRES ME TO RPT JUMP ACTIVITY 5 MINS PRIOR TO JUMP; IN CLASS E AIRSPACE. I BELIEVE THAT MANY CTLRS ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS. I ALSO BELIEVE THE PRACTICE OF HAVING CTLRS WORK MULTIPLE FREQS AT THE SAME TIME IS A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. I BELIEVE THE CTLRS ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES. IT IS TIME THE FAA STARTS STAFFING THE CTL CTRS WITH MORE CTLRS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.