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Pilot of small aircraft has exciting day during in-flight encounter with WX and an near midair collision with an illegal parachute jumper.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 188479 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cll |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu tower : cll |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other landing : missed approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 188479 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 300 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
On approaching cll, I obtained ATIS information on the handheld on 126.85 reporting 600 scattered with a ceiling at something like 12000 (above my aircraft operational ceiling), and skydiving in progress in the area (had to be VFR). At my position about 270/20 DME out of the cll VOR the WX was continuous IMC at my assigned altitude of 5000. Houston center requested an approach request, so I replied that ATIS information had college station as VFR so request the VOR 28 with a circle to land on 16. All runways except 16/34 have been closed for quite some long period of time. Since I was approaching from the west, the controller caught my error and asked if I didn't mean the VOR 10 approach with circle to land 16. I accepted the clearance for VOR 10 circle to 16. He was busy with other traffic, and had put several into holding. After positioning, center cleared me for the approach and turned me to tower on 118.5. I descended to the VOR crossing altitude while talking with tower, mentioning I was IMC. Tower replied the field was IFR. I inquired about ATIS information and the tower responded that the next ATIS update would be current within a few mins and that the field was IFR. This would seem to have put a small problem into completing the current approach clearance, so I requested special permission to land 10. The usual holding area is over the VOR. Tower replied with an order to execute a left turn to stay on the northwest of the airport while circling to land 16 (turn toward the holding IMC)! I stopped the descent, executed the turn, and inquired of tower if they wanted me back on houston center (since cll has no radar). I was immediately instructed to complete the published miss on the VOR 10 and contact houston. I replied immediately that this clearance was now impossible since I was well northwest of the airport and off the approach and IMC. I was ordered to a heading of 270 and climb and to contact houston. Houston was a bit busy, put me on a heading of 290 to 3000 when there then 350 at 3000. I stayed there for at least 20 NM, according to the DME and the LORAN, while houston cleared up the traffic at cll. I spent the time setting up for the localizer back course 16 approach on the VOR and localizer equipment and reviewing the plate. WX was IMC so I didn't spend any time in a traffic scan, spending my time in an instrument scan, at least until the skydiver went by. I didn't have the opportunity to observe him long. I must have missed him by a good 300 ft. He had to have heard the airplane engine in the fog growing louder and louder for quite some time. I attempted to contact houston and after what seemed like at least a couple of mins, they responded. I related the incident, and they gave me an immediate turn to 080. The remainder of the approach went normally except for the fact that I was too far out (progressing at min airspeed) to receive the localizer. Once down through the overcast, I reported to tower the WX as bases estimated at 1600 MSL (VFR) overcast while setting up for the landing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA HAS EXCITING DAY DURING INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX AND AN NMAC WITH AN ILLEGAL PARACHUTE JUMPER.
Narrative: ON APCHING CLL, I OBTAINED ATIS INFO ON THE HANDHELD ON 126.85 RPTING 600 SCATTERED WITH A CEILING AT SOMETHING LIKE 12000 (ABOVE MY ACFT OPERATIONAL CEILING), AND SKYDIVING IN PROGRESS IN THE AREA (HAD TO BE VFR). AT MY POS ABOUT 270/20 DME OUT OF THE CLL VOR THE WX WAS CONTINUOUS IMC AT MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000. HOUSTON CENTER REQUESTED AN APCH REQUEST, SO I REPLIED THAT ATIS INFO HAD COLLEGE STATION AS VFR SO REQUEST THE VOR 28 WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND ON 16. ALL RWYS EXCEPT 16/34 HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR QUITE SOME LONG PERIOD OF TIME. SINCE I WAS APCHING FROM THE W, THE CTLR CAUGHT MY ERROR AND ASKED IF I DIDN'T MEAN THE VOR 10 APCH WITH CIRCLE TO LAND 16. I ACCEPTED THE CLRNC FOR VOR 10 CIRCLE TO 16. HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC, AND HAD PUT SEVERAL INTO HOLDING. AFTER POSITIONING, CENTER CLRED ME FOR THE APCH AND TURNED ME TO TWR ON 118.5. I DSNDED TO THE VOR XING ALT WHILE TALKING WITH TWR, MENTIONING I WAS IMC. TWR REPLIED THE FIELD WAS IFR. I INQUIRED ABOUT ATIS INFO AND THE TWR RESPONDED THAT THE NEXT ATIS UPDATE WOULD BE CURRENT WITHIN A FEW MINS AND THAT THE FIELD WAS IFR. THIS WOULD SEEM TO HAVE PUT A SMALL PROBLEM INTO COMPLETING THE CURRENT APCH CLRNC, SO I REQUESTED SPECIAL PERMISSION TO LAND 10. THE USUAL HOLDING AREA IS OVER THE VOR. TWR REPLIED WITH AN ORDER TO EXECUTE A L TURN TO STAY ON THE NW OF THE ARPT WHILE CIRCLING TO LAND 16 (TURN TOWARD THE HOLDING IMC)! I STOPPED THE DSCNT, EXECUTED THE TURN, AND INQUIRED OF TWR IF THEY WANTED ME BACK ON HOUSTON CENTER (SINCE CLL HAS NO RADAR). I WAS IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED TO COMPLETE THE PUBLISHED MISS ON THE VOR 10 AND CONTACT HOUSTON. I REPLIED IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS CLRNC WAS NOW IMPOSSIBLE SINCE I WAS WELL NW OF THE ARPT AND OFF THE APCH AND IMC. I WAS ORDERED TO A HDG OF 270 AND CLB AND TO CONTACT HOUSTON. HOUSTON WAS A BIT BUSY, PUT ME ON A HDG OF 290 TO 3000 WHEN THERE THEN 350 AT 3000. I STAYED THERE FOR AT LEAST 20 NM, ACCORDING TO THE DME AND THE LORAN, WHILE HOUSTON CLRED UP THE TFC AT CLL. I SPENT THE TIME SETTING UP FOR THE LOC BACK COURSE 16 APCH ON THE VOR AND LOC EQUIP AND REVIEWING THE PLATE. WX WAS IMC SO I DIDN'T SPEND ANY TIME IN A TFC SCAN, SPENDING MY TIME IN AN INST SCAN, AT LEAST UNTIL THE SKYDIVER WENT BY. I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE HIM LONG. I MUST HAVE MISSED HIM BY A GOOD 300 FT. HE HAD TO HAVE HEARD THE AIRPLANE ENG IN THE FOG GROWING LOUDER AND LOUDER FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HOUSTON AND AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MINS, THEY RESPONDED. I RELATED THE INCIDENT, AND THEY GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 080. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WENT NORMALLY EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I WAS TOO FAR OUT (PROGRESSING AT MIN AIRSPD) TO RECEIVE THE LOC. ONCE DOWN THROUGH THE OVCST, I RPTED TO TWR THE WX AS BASES ESTIMATED AT 1600 MSL (VFR) OVCST WHILE SETTING UP FOR THE LNDG.
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.