BE55 PILOT REPORTS NMAC WITH SKYDIVERS OVER CCC VOR AT 4500 FEET.

Narrative

WHILE IN CRUISE ON VFR FLT; I WAS IN CLR AIR APCHING CCC VOR AT 4500 FT. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CALLING NEW YORK TRACON FOR ADVISORIES. ALL AT ONCE; I SAW AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY TO MY L; A SKYDIVER PERHAPS 100 YARDS AWAY. I BEGAN A TURN TO THE R; AND ANOTHER DIVER WENT BY ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE TO MY R. ABOUT THIS TIME; NEW YORK GOT A RADAR CONTACT AND ADVISED ME OF SKYDIVING IN PROGRESS IN THE AREA. HE ALSO TOLD ME OF A FREQ THEY USE TO ANNOUNCE IT; BUT IN MY STATE OF MIND I HAVE FORGOTTEN IT. I HAD NO IDEA THAT CALVERTON SUPPORTED AIR OPS; MUCH LESS SKYDIVING. I AM AN AIRLINE PLT; AND FLY INTO JFK FREQUENTLY. WE ARRIVE OVER CCC; AT 12000 FT. NEVER WOULD I HAVE GUESSED THAT SKYDIVING WAS APPROVED OVER A BUSY VOR STATION; OVER A CLOSED ARPT. I LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE CHART AND SAW THE PARACHUTE SYMBOL S OF THE CALVERTON ARPT. I HAVE LOOKED AT THAT CHART HUNDREDS OF TIMES AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT SYMBOL BEFORE. I HAVE MISSED SEEING IT AND I BET OTHERS HAVE TOO. IT IS NOT REASONABLE TO EXPECT PLTS FROM OTHER AREAS TO HAVE INTIMATE LCL KNOWLEDGE OF OPS LIKE THIS. I ACKNOWLEDGE MY ERROR IN MISSING THIS; BUT I FIRMLY MAINTAIN THAT SKYDIVING OPS IN THAT AREA ARE A DISTINCT HAZARD. IF THIS EVENT COULD HAPPEN TO ME; IT COULD HAPPEN MANY TIMES (AND PROBABLY HAS) WITH OTHERS. I BEG FOR APPROPRIATE AUTH TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND TAKE ACTION. I COULD HAVE EASILY KILLED OTHERS; AND MYSELF. I ACKNOWLEDGE MY PART OF THIS; BUT I THINK THE BIGGER PICTURE IS A NONSENSICAL OP IN THIS BUSY AIRSPACE.