This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
Skydiving was occurring at the field. I heard the jump plane on CTAF occasionally.
The pilot who took off ahead of me called the jump plane on CTAF asking for the status of the skydivers and received no answer.
I then heard that a group was being released from 14,000 feet.
I had to do my run-up and checks, but I never saw them. While doing this, I heard another call for release of skydivers from 14,000 feet. I called and asked if the first group was on the ground and someone (not the jump pilot) answered that the only ones up were the ones that had just released.
I thought I had a couple minutes before they would be down, so I looked around, didn’t see any, and rolled onto the runway to takeoff.
As I was doing this, I heard the jump plane call. It was a very rushed transmission, so I couldn’t make out exactly where he was, but I heard the runway number and gathered that he was coming in to land.
I expedited my takeoff and, as I started rolling, I saw a skydiver appear from behind my wing. He seemed to be off to the side of the runway and traveling parallel to it so I did not abort the takeoff as I wasn’t sure where the jump plane was and wanted to get out of the way.
Well, shortly after I lifted off, the skydiver turned right in front of me. I made a sharp turn to the right, just clearing the trees and ended up buzzing a neighborhood.
I got away from the field, re-established a normal climb to altitude, and took a minute to breathe. During this, I ended up too close to final, looked up, and saw the jump plane filling my windscreen. More evasive action.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
I flew for a small skydiving company back in the late 90’s. It all comes down to communication and situational awareness of the jump pilot. As I climbed to 10,500’ I was listening to Unicom and communicating with ATC. If there was a plane in the vicinity of the airport or waiting to takeoff, quite often we would circle back to the jump run to give the plane time to land or depart. The pilot in this story clearly knew there was an active DZ and should have waited for the jumpers to land.
As for the jumpers in this story, they have a view of what’s going on beneath them. Not knowing the layout of this particular DZ. it sounds to me like they knew there was a plane departing and it wasn’t as close as the author makes it sound.
Stay safe my fellow pilots, let’s all play together.
The pilot made too many assumptions before taking off. He/she should have waited. I would have. Glad there were no injuries. I hope all involved learned a lesson or two. Dave
I’m amazed at many of the responses here.
Since when does an aircraft have to wait for sky divers to finish their activities before a plane can use the runway? My point is why do sky divers get to fowl the runway so that aircraft have to wait around for them to be done? Seems like a recipe for disaster. I’m not against skydivers using airports to pursue their activity, I oppose them denying the use of the airport to others when they do. Is it necessary for skydivers to cross the approach or departure ends of the runway or fly directly over the runway? In particular, in this incident there were at least some occasions where the jump plane pilot didn’t respond to radio calls. Another thing to consider is the sky divers don’t have radios to report their position.
It sounds to me like the jump school may have some loose operating practices.
I believe in sharing facilities, but that doesn’t mean aircraft should have to sit on the runway threshold, wasting fuel, excessive idling of air cooled engines, just so skydivers can monopolize the runway environment when it isn’t necessary. If sky divers have to cross the runway and interfere with and create a dangerous situations for aircraft operations then maybe the FAA needs to do another safety evaluation for jump operations at that airport. Jmo
An unpowered aeronautical operation has precedent over powered aircraft, which is why one waits. One also waits if they are fifth in line for takeoff, or for aircraft within a 2 mile instrument final at an airport with an ATCT, or for any number of other reasons. It’s not like a parachute landing occurs every 2-5 minutes to disrupt one’s flight.
The jump plane was releasing at 14,000 feet. As req’d, they’re talking to ATC at that altitude. ATC announces jumpers away. As the aircraft descends and is released from ATC, the jump aircraft announces on CTAF or unicom as appropriate for the field (or doesn’t…not required). If the jump aircraft doesn’t have anyone on ADS-B, (which an aircraft on the ground would not be broadcasting), they may forego the call as well.
There are established guidelines developed by the U.S. Sport Parachuting Association that helps skydive operators to encompass standard operating procedures. I see KMWO has a landing zone between the taxiway and the ramp. I suspect their procedures call for a left or right hand pattern to the zone (depending on wind) on the southeast side of the airfield (as evidenced by right hand powered traffic for rwy 23). They might overfly the airport just as an aircraft would for a standard traffic pattern entry, but I further suspect the skydivers are instructed to stay southeast of the runway. Keep in mind though, they are at the mercy of the wind and the skydiver may be inexperienced. Vigilance is necessary.
As a rhetorical question, why does a corporate jet operator taxiing out for takeoff and burning more expensive fuel at a greater rate have to wait for a slow GA piston engine aircraft to do its run up and monopolize the only taxiway to the runway end? Also, how does a non-radio equipped aircraft announce its position? Same as a skydiver… they rely on everybody in the vicinity to be on alert and exercise due caution, especially when the field is known to have frequent non radio traffic or skydiving.
We are all in this together. Be diligent, be courteous, be safe.
It still amazes me how little most pilots know about skydiving. Jumpers getting out at 14,000 feet have about seventy seconds of freefall. Common opening altitudes are 2500 feet AGL. They will be under canopy 4-5 minutes and usually less. The jump aircraft will be back in the pattern very shortly after that. Total time: seven or eight minutes. Local pilots using an airport facility co-located with a DZ know all this. There are at least a dozen jump operations in Ohio and transient pilots need to understand the drill before plopping themselves down in an environment they aren’t ready for. If you are in such a hurry that you can’t wait seven minutes then you would probably be happier at a different airport. This fellow clearly needs to be somewhere where he can rule the roost.
Two things. First, if a skydiver has to cross an active runway then he better own the airport. Same would apply if it were another aircraft.
Second, I know of no airport where skydivers co-exist with regular air traffic that there are NOT conflicts. And that is reason one or the other have to give in. And it usually involves separate airfields.
You can write all the rules you want but Safety is common sense. A skydiver has to plan his approach and landing just like an aircraft, helicopter, glider or balloon does. You misjudge your landing, or make a last minute change, you take the risk.
Nope Gary, that ain’t how it works. “As I started rolling, I saw a skydiver appear from behind my wing…” That means that the jumpers were not only under canopy, but 500 feet or less AGL. As other readers have pointed out, the jumpers have the right of way. Why you would start your takeoff with canopies over the airport is hard to understand.. Here we have a guy that made a hard right turn from the departure leg, “buzzed” a neighborhood and then ended up crossways with an aircraft on final. Diagram that and tell me it’s good situational awareness. And don’t forget this is an ASRS report, preferred tool of the CYA crowd. He probably thought they had his tail number. Finally, I have jumped all over the world and while there are many jump operations with their own fields, the vast majority coexist successfully with GA operations. Pick up a sectional and count them…..
I fly for a major skydiving operation in Florida. At an incredibly busy airport with multiple training aircraft coming in and out all day, two flight schools, Sheriff’s helicopters and an RC field. It is a large airport, so skydivers are trained not to go over any runway below 1000′. There are also multiple landing areas for beginner, intermediate and expert skydivers. On a super busy skydiving day – even with multiple jump aircraft, it is remarkable how few “issues” we have. When things do happen, it is usually someone flying into the airport who is completely unfamiliar and has not listened to the AWOS… which very clearly states all that a pilot needs to know about operations at the airport. I’ve actually been in the middle of a busy day of nonstop skydiving and heard someone announce over the radio that they are going to fly right over the top of the field to enter the pattern. Great way to kill someone! I always (very politely) point out that this is one of the busiest airports in the world and please fly around. At this particular airport, a vast majority of us know exactly what is going on and work together for safe operations.
@Dan+B
Skydiving is another form of aviation and a valid use of an airport.
You have to wait. Just like with any other landing aircraft.
Please stop flying until you correct these incorrect and dangerous thoughts of yours.
I find that for sound ADM, it’s best to start at the “target” (in this case, a safe departure) and work backwards.
Airfield was KMWO, in Middletown OH. From the Airport Remarks in the Chart Supplement for KMWO:
“ Extensive Parachute Jumping.”
Should’ve, Could’ve, Would’ve.
Right or wrong, entitled or not, bicycles, lane splitting motorcycles, hot air balloons, jaywalkers, gliders, ultra lights and sometimes helos all represent their individual hazards to “normal” traffic operations.
Perhaps in the interest of safety he should have taxied back, shut down and set there until the jump plane returned….assuming it was even returning to that airport.
Why are skydiving activities even allowed on fields that receive federal funding? Does such an airport comply with Federal Grant Assurances? Look up the Grant Assurances, and then solve that riddle for me.
What makes you think that airfield gets federal funding? Nothing in the article indicates that.
Don’t assume it.
Are you suggesting this was some sort of renegade jump operation? Do you know how unlikely that is? Flight operations on fields where jumpers are active require particular care. Our reporting pilot here sounds clueless.
Sharon, complying with the federal grant assurances means just the opposite of your inference…. airport operators actually have to accommodate parachute/skydive operations (unless a safety study approved by the FAA limits them). FAA Order 5190.6B, Airport Compliance Manual, which is the FAA guidance material used when enforcing grant assurances, identifies parachute operations as an aeronautical activity.
A basic premise the FAA and courts have asserted about aeronautical activities is: If a pilot is conducting an aeronautical activity in accordance with FAA regulations, then the operator and the operation are presumed to be operating in a safe manner (Citizens for Quiet Skies v. Mile-Hi Skydiving Center, Inc. 2015).
To more specifically address your riddle question, Sponsor Assurance 22,
Economic Nondiscrimination identifies the requirement to accommodate aeronautical activity at a federally obligated airport:
a. It will make the airport available as an airport for public use on reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination to all types, kinds and classes of aeronautical activities, including commercial aeronautical activities offering services to the public at the airport.
Skydivers get equal access to the airport (especially since they are considered a commercial activity), just as airships, balloons, ultralights, gliders, acrobatic flying, banner towing and agricultural activities do. Riddle is solved.
I suppose a counter point could be balloons(obviously) and skydivers don’t need a runway to land, hence chase teams. Haven’t read the regs but any aircraft has the right to use the airport, commercial or not, it would be questionable whether the jumpers are commercial. Somewhat akin to dropping cargo on the runway…lol
If everything mentioned is allowable, then RC and drones could make a case to get their time on the runways also.
First and foremost , don’t fly , this situation clearly displays the common , have to get there , have to take off mind set . It would have been better to wait , be clear as to the situation , don’t be dead right ,
Pilot in command , includes this responsibility,
My opinion is that all this pilot had to do is wait. Rushing thru a departure with an unknown number of divers in the air and an unknown position of a landing aircraft was and is just plain stupid. At worse it’s a 10 minute delay (probably less). I don’t understand the rush to takeoff. He almost killed people here. This pilot needs to understand priorities and get his straight.
Judging by the jump altitude, it probably was a turbine jump plane, like a Caravan, King Air or Twin Otter. These type of drop zones are very well established and they have a very consistent procedure and routine for their jump operations.
There is also a Notam in place and most likely, a parachute symbol on the charts.
The jump plane is with ATC for the most, but they have to announce on local frequency the status of the operation several times before and after dropping skydivers. Most common calls are jumpers in 5 minutes, jumpers in 1 minute, jumpers away, parachutes open over the field, and jumpers on the ground.
So, deciding to take off while knowing that there’s a bunch of skydivers are up in the air, and without having a visual contact with them or a clear communication with the jump plane for location, altitude of the jumpers and/or hearing the final call “jumpers on the ground”, is not prudent or safe at all.
If “skydiving activity” is listed in the Chart Supplement (previous responder noted that it is) and if there is a parachute symbol on the chart (which would first require a Chart Supplement remark) than there would be no NOTAM issued. NOTAMs are issued when things are different than published.
I fly into a couple of airports where there are skydiving operations and I find that it really helps to know the routine and landing zone locations ahead of time. The report is too vague to really know what the pilot should have done (other than not go flying!), but situational awareness was definitely lacking all around. The airport in the report is just an accident waiting to happen in my opinion. Everybody was way too casual and cavalier at this airport!