Pilot of skydiving aircraft is accused of allowing jumpers to fall through clouds when, in fact, the...

Attributes
ACN	136666
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : w97
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 10500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : orf tower : lnk
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	136666
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was making the last jump flight of the day for a local skydiving club. The day had been clear with visibility of over 15 mi, but on this flight, a high overcast appeared to be forming. As I approached 8000' during my climb to 10,500 it seemed that I was nearing the base of an overcast and would soon need to level off. No cloud or overcast was ever encountered, however, but the visibility decreased from 15 mi to about 8 or 10 mi. Level at 10,500' (and on jump run), I could see the sun nearing the horizon, the airport drop zone, and known landmarks 10 mi away. This visibility prevailed in all directions with absolutely no intervening clouds. The drop was coordinated with norfolk radar, per standard procedures, and was uneventful. So why am I writing? Because, during descent, another aircraft on the frequency (who was nearby at a lower altitude) reported to ATC that 'it looks like those jumpers got out in the clouds, I didn't know they were allowed to jump through clouds'. I replied to ATC that it was hazy aloft but the visibility was greater than 6 mi. As I tied the aircraft down after the flight, I looked up and saw stars coming out. The jumpers that had exited the plane told me they fell through ice crystals. Apparently there was a very thin, low density area of ice crystals that lowered visibility to 10 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SKYDIVING ACFT IS ACCUSED OF ALLOWING JUMPERS TO FALL THROUGH CLOUDS WHEN, IN FACT, THERE WERE NO CLOUDS, BUT SIMPLY A HAZE LAYER MADE OPAQUE BY THE SETTING SUN.

Narrative: I WAS MAKING THE LAST JUMP FLT OF THE DAY FOR A LOCAL SKYDIVING CLUB. THE DAY HAD BEEN CLEAR WITH VISIBILITY OF OVER 15 MI, BUT ON THIS FLT, A HIGH OVERCAST APPEARED TO BE FORMING. AS I APCHED 8000' DURING MY CLIMB TO 10,500 IT SEEMED THAT I WAS NEARING THE BASE OF AN OVERCAST AND WOULD SOON NEED TO LEVEL OFF. NO CLOUD OR OVERCAST WAS EVER ENCOUNTERED, HOWEVER, BUT THE VISIBILITY DECREASED FROM 15 MI TO ABOUT 8 OR 10 MI. LEVEL AT 10,500' (AND ON JUMP RUN), I COULD SEE THE SUN NEARING THE HORIZON, THE ARPT DROP ZONE, AND KNOWN LANDMARKS 10 MI AWAY. THIS VISIBILITY PREVAILED IN ALL DIRECTIONS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO INTERVENING CLOUDS. THE DROP WAS COORDINATED WITH NORFOLK RADAR, PER STANDARD PROCS, AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. SO WHY AM I WRITING? BECAUSE, DURING DSCNT, ANOTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ (WHO WAS NEARBY AT A LOWER ALT) REPORTED TO ATC THAT 'IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE JUMPERS GOT OUT IN THE CLOUDS, I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE ALLOWED TO JUMP THROUGH CLOUDS'. I REPLIED TO ATC THAT IT WAS HAZY ALOFT BUT THE VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 6 MI. AS I TIED THE ACFT DOWN AFTER THE FLT, I LOOKED UP AND SAW STARS COMING OUT. THE JUMPERS THAT HAD EXITED THE PLANE TOLD ME THEY FELL THROUGH ICE CRYSTALS. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A VERY THIN, LOW DENSITY AREA OF ICE CRYSTALS THAT LOWERED VISIBILITY TO 10 MI.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Pilot of skydiving aircraft is accused of allowing jumpers to fall through clouds when, in fact, there were no clouds, but simply a haze layer made opaque by the setting sun.