PA28 PLT FOUND SKYDIVERS FALLING FROM THE SKY; OVER HIS HEAD; AT HIS ARR AT TAZ.

Narrative

AT 2700 FT; I WAS APCHING TAZ; FROM THE SW. I WAS MONITORING 122.8 FROM 18 NM OUT. MY INTENT WAS TO DO TOUCH AND GO'S AT TAZ. I KNOW THE AREA WELL AND KNOW THAT PARACHUTE ACTIVITY IS PRESENT ON THE WEEKENDS. AT 10 NM; I ANNOUNCED MY POSITION AND INTENTIONS FROM THAT POINT UNTIL I WAS 2 NM OUT; SLOWED DOWN TO 75 KTS; AT 2700 FT AND I LOOKED UP TO SEE JUMPERS ABOVE THE ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED E AND PROCEEDED FOR 1 MI. DURING THAT TIME A CESSNA PLT CALLED MY N-NUMBER AND ASKED HOW I WAS READING HIM; I REPLIED; LOUD AND CLEAR. AFTER THAT I TURNED N FOR ANOTHER 2 MINS; THEN TURNED W FOR ANOTHER 2 MINS; AT THAT POINT I TURNED S. AS THE ARPT CAME IN VIEW FROM MY L; I ANNOUNCED ON 122.8 THAT I WAS W OF THE ARPT; WITH THE INTENT OF DEP THE AREA TO THE SW. AT NO TIME DURING THAT 18 NM APCH TO THE ARPT DID I HEAR ANY RPT ON 122.8 'THAT JUMPERS WERE AWAY AT TAZ.' AS A COMPLICATING FACTOR THERE WAS JUMPING ACTIVITY SIMULTANEOUSLY AT VLA; JUST 25 NM TO THE SE OF TAZ... THEY ALSO USE 122.8. AND I HEARD PLENTY OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS CONCERNING THEIR JUMPING. GETTING OUT OF THE WAY WAS MY FIRST CONCERN. ABORTING MY TOUGH AND GO'S WAS A GIVEN...FOR ME THE OVERRIDING SAFETY CONCERN WAS THE LACK OF COM. AT 10 NM; MY ANNOUNCEMENT OF POSITION WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE ALERTED THE JUMP PLT AND AT THE VERY LEAST DESERVED A HEADS UP RETURN CALL...A SECONDARY FACTOR IS 122.8. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE FAA FOR YRS THAT THIS SYSTEM OF CTAF IS BOTH ANTIQUATED AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. I MENTION THIS BECAUSE IN THIS RPTED INCIDENT; IT IS CONCEIVABLE; THAT WITH THE FREQUENCY CLUTTERED WITH CHATTER AS IT WAS (FROM MANY DIFFERENT LOCS...SOME OF WHICH WERE 100 NM AWAY); I COULD HAVE MISSED OR BEEN CONFUSED BY A MIS-HEAR OR A MIS-READ.