B23 PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN AT 6000 FT IN CONTACT WITH NHK APCH CONTROL HAS A NEAR MISS WITH A HIGH WING ACFT DROPPING A SKYDIVER.

Date: 2003-11 · Aircraft: Sundowner 23 · Phase: climb

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

B23 PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN AT 6000 FT IN CONTACT WITH NHK APCH CONTROL HAS A NEAR MISS WITH A HIGH WING ACFT DROPPING A SKYDIVER.

Narrative

DEPARTED OXB ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN A BE23 (BEECH SUNDOWNER); FILED AS DIRECT SBY; DIRECT BAL; DIRECT MTN. I HAD RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING APPROX TWO HRS PRIOR TO THE FLT; AND; AS WAS NOTED IN THE BRIEFING; HAZE WAS SIGNIFICANT; WITH REPORTED CONDITIONS AT OXB OF 5 MILES. SIMILAR CONDITIONS PREVAILED ENRTE; THAT'S WHY I FILED. THE WX WAS ADVERTISED AS VFR; BUT I'D SAY IT WAS MARGINAL; GIVEN THE HAZE AND THE TIME OF DAY (IT WAS APCHING SUNSET; SO THINGS SEEMED MORE HAZY; WITH THE SUN LOW ON THE HORIZON). THE CTLR (NHK) SEEMED TO BE HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING TRACK OF THE ACFT LOCATIONS; AND ASKED NUMEROUS PLTS TO CONFIRM POSITIONS; IDENT; ETC. I WAS ASKED TO MAKE TWO POSITION RPTS DURING THIS SHORT FLT: A) UPON CROSSING SBY (4000 FT); AND B) 20 MILES NW OF SBY. THESE SEEMED LIKE STRANGE REQUESTS; SINCE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITHIN HIS RADAR COVERAGE AREA. I'VE FLOWN IN THIS AREA PREVIOUSLY; AND NEVER HAVE I HEARD SUCH UNCERTAINLY AS TO WHO'S WHERE IN THE AIR. AFTER CLBING TO 6000 FT PAST SBY; A SINGLE-ENGINE ACFT POPPED UP FROM UNDER THE R WING AT APPROX 2 O'CLOCK AND TURNED L INTO MY FLT PATH AT MY ALT APPROX HALF A MILE AHEAD. AS THE DISTANCE CLOSED RAPIDLY; WHILE I WAS TRYING TO DECIDE ON WHAT EVASIVE ACTION TO TAKE (CLIMB OR DESCEND); WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BODY EXITED THE ACFT WEARING A DARK GRAY/BLACK JUMPSUIT. THE JUMPSUIT WAS NOTICEABLY WRINKLED; BUT THE SHOES WERE WELL ACCESSORIZED (THAT'S HOW CLOSE WE GOT). NEVER DID LOOK DOWN; THOUGH; TO SEE IF A CHUTE OPENED; INSTEAD; MY PAX AND I FOCUSED ON THE ACFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AFTER JETTISONING THE BODY; THE ACFT MADE A SHARP DESCENDING SPIRAL TURN AND CROSSED UNDERNEATH US; DEPARTING TOWARD THE SE; APPARENTLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE ENTIRE ENCOUNTER. I WAS TOO FOCUSED ON THE FALLING OBJECT TO TAKE MUCH NOTICE OF THE ACFT TYPE; I THINK IT WAS A HIGH WING. AFTERWARDS; I CALLED NHK AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT I HAD TO TAKE SOME EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A SKYDIVER; TO WHICH THE NHK CTLR RESPONDED; 'YOU'RE NEAR BENNETT; THEY DO THAT OVER THERE.' BENNETT (1N5) IS LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF SBY'S CLASS D AIRSPACE AND THE SURROUNDING CLASS E AIRSPACE (WHICH I BELIEVE NHK TRACON OWNS). I'M NOT SURE WHOM THE PLT OF THE JUMP ACFT WAS COMMUNICATING WITH; IF ANYONE. ADDITIONALLY; BENNETT AIRFIELD IS NOT MARKED WITH THE PARACHUTE SYMBOLOGY ON THE SECTIONAL; HOWEVER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ADD IT; SINCE 'THAT'S WHAT THEY DO OVER THERE.' I HAD THE VFR SECTIONAL OPEN AND; HAD THE PARACHUTE LOGO BEEN THERE; I MIGHT JUST HAVE TAKEN NOTICE AND BEEN EXTRA CAUTIOUS IN THAT AREA. WHILE UNDERSTANDING THAT SEE-AND-AVOID IS A PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY; EVEN WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; I DO BELIEVE NHK TRACON COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE AND ISSUED A TFC ADVISORY.

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