Narrative:

I departed tix on an IFR plan to jax. I was issued my clearance on the ground at tix and after takeoff from runway 27 I was told to fly runway heading and climb to 5000'. Passing through 800', I was told to contact patrick AFB departure who instructed me to turn right and join V3 and climb to 7000'. As I was joining the centerline of V3 and climbing through 4500', 2 parachute jumpers with their chutes deployed descended out of a newly solid cloud base at 5000' and passed off my right wing--missing me by about 300'. It appeared they were landing at X21. There was not time to take evasive action and the jumpers were clearly penetrating cloud layers along a federal arwy. I immediately brought this to the attention of patrick approach--they had not advised of parachute activity. They replied that orl approach must be coordinating the jump plane (orl owns the airspace above 6000'). Patrick told me to contact orl and cleared me to 7000'. I entered the clouds at 5000' and passed through a solid layer, emerging at 6000'. I advised orl of the near miss and they advised parachute jumping through clouds was prohibited. I have reported this incident to flight standards at orl. I believe this was a serious situation that could have been fatal to all concerned. I obviously cannot be expected to maintain visibility sep with parachute jumpers while operating in the clouds. I question the wisdom of the FAA even allowing parachute jumping on a federal arwy, as this is a common practice along the east coast of fl. Many of these jumps involve free-falls from about 12000', with chute deployment at 2500'. It is absurd to think a pilot in VFR conditions can see a human being falling vertically at 120 mph. VFR or IFR, even full radar coverage does nothing to assure sep. I realize that parachute jumping is a major industry in fl, but I believe a rational analysis of the situation calls for prohibiting parachute jumping within the confines of federal arwys!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR SMA EXPERIENCES NEAR MISS WITH 2 PARACHUTISTS DESCENDING OUT OF CLOUD WITH CHUTES DEPLOYED ALONG V3 OVERHEAD X21.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TIX ON AN IFR PLAN TO JAX. I WAS ISSUED MY CLRNC ON THE GND AT TIX AND AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 27 I WAS TOLD TO FLY RWY HDG AND CLB TO 5000'. PASSING THROUGH 800', I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT PATRICK AFB DEP WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN RIGHT AND JOIN V3 AND CLB TO 7000'. AS I WAS JOINING THE CENTERLINE OF V3 AND CLBING THROUGH 4500', 2 PARACHUTE JUMPERS WITH THEIR CHUTES DEPLOYED DSNDED OUT OF A NEWLY SOLID CLOUD BASE AT 5000' AND PASSED OFF MY RIGHT WING--MISSING ME BY ABOUT 300'. IT APPEARED THEY WERE LNDG AT X21. THERE WAS NOT TIME TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND THE JUMPERS WERE CLEARLY PENETRATING CLOUD LAYERS ALONG A FEDERAL ARWY. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF PATRICK APCH--THEY HAD NOT ADVISED OF PARACHUTE ACTIVITY. THEY REPLIED THAT ORL APCH MUST BE COORDINATING THE JUMP PLANE (ORL OWNS THE AIRSPACE ABOVE 6000'). PATRICK TOLD ME TO CONTACT ORL AND CLRED ME TO 7000'. I ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 5000' AND PASSED THROUGH A SOLID LAYER, EMERGING AT 6000'. I ADVISED ORL OF THE NEAR MISS AND THEY ADVISED PARACHUTE JUMPING THROUGH CLOUDS WAS PROHIBITED. I HAVE RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO FLT STANDARDS AT ORL. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A SERIOUS SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL TO ALL CONCERNED. I OBVIOUSLY CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP WITH PARACHUTE JUMPERS WHILE OPERATING IN THE CLOUDS. I QUESTION THE WISDOM OF THE FAA EVEN ALLOWING PARACHUTE JUMPING ON A FEDERAL ARWY, AS THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE ALONG THE E COAST OF FL. MANY OF THESE JUMPS INVOLVE FREE-FALLS FROM ABOUT 12000', WITH CHUTE DEPLOYMENT AT 2500'. IT IS ABSURD TO THINK A PLT IN VFR CONDITIONS CAN SEE A HUMAN BEING FALLING VERTICALLY AT 120 MPH. VFR OR IFR, EVEN FULL RADAR COVERAGE DOES NOTHING TO ASSURE SEP. I REALIZE THAT PARACHUTE JUMPING IS A MAJOR INDUSTRY IN FL, BUT I BELIEVE A RATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION CALLS FOR PROHIBITING PARACHUTE JUMPING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF FEDERAL ARWYS!

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.