Narrative:

On sep/xx/93 I checked duat for a local area VFR flight. The WX was good VFR and I found no NOTAMS related to my intended flight. I planned to depart manassas airport, go direct to casanova VOR, then track the 206 degree radial (victor 453) for navigation practice because I am undergoing training for an instrument rating. The flight proceeded normally and I tracked the 206 degree radial at 2500 ft, while monitoring dulles approach on 124.65. After passing culpeper, I switched to 122.8 to monitor orange county airport because the airway passes over the airport. I heard planes in the pattern at orange using runway 25 but did not observe any traffic. There were other airports using 122.8 and a great deal of chatter and noise on the radio which is normal for a sunday morning. There were 2 pilots who I could hear clearly discussing which frequency to utilize, but did not say what for. I continued to scan for traffic in the pattern, and seeing none, continued over the airport. A short time later, I decided I would return and land at orange because I had never been there. I turned nward, entered the pattern on a 45 degree to downwind, and announced each position in the pattern as normal. While on base leg, an small transport back-taxied and could not get off in time, so I conducted a go around, then flew a normal pattern and landed. I was told to report to the ramp and met by the airport manager and an assistant. I was told that when I flew over the airport sbound that a plane was directly over me dropping jumpers. I was also told that on my go around that by going along the right side on the runway, I was conflicting with the drop zone which is adjacent to the runway. They also indicated that they have filed a standing NOTAM for wkends and holidays regarding parachute operations but the field is open to normal airplane operations also. The airport manager, jumpers, and I discussed the situation and felt that a ground observer with a portable radio would be of benefit. At no time did I ever hear a warning regarding jumpers at orange, although I did hear several regarding jumpers at chambersburg, PA, which uses the same frequency of 122.8. Although I felt I was being vigilant, I never saw any parachutes or airborne traffic until I was on downwind leg after the go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT INADVERTENTLY FAILED TO LOOK FOR SKY DIVING ACTIVITY OVER AN UNCTLED ARPT RESULTING IN AN AIRBORNE CONFLICT.

Narrative: ON SEP/XX/93 I CHKED DUAT FOR A LCL AREA VFR FLT. THE WX WAS GOOD VFR AND I FOUND NO NOTAMS RELATED TO MY INTENDED FLT. I PLANNED TO DEPART MANASSAS ARPT, GO DIRECT TO CASANOVA VOR, THEN TRACK THE 206 DEG RADIAL (VICTOR 453) FOR NAV PRACTICE BECAUSE I AM UNDERGOING TRAINING FOR AN INST RATING. THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY AND I TRACKED THE 206 DEG RADIAL AT 2500 FT, WHILE MONITORING DULLES APCH ON 124.65. AFTER PASSING CULPEPER, I SWITCHED TO 122.8 TO MONITOR ORANGE COUNTY ARPT BECAUSE THE AIRWAY PASSES OVER THE ARPT. I HEARD PLANES IN THE PATTERN AT ORANGE USING RWY 25 BUT DID NOT OBSERVE ANY TFC. THERE WERE OTHER ARPTS USING 122.8 AND A GREAT DEAL OF CHATTER AND NOISE ON THE RADIO WHICH IS NORMAL FOR A SUNDAY MORNING. THERE WERE 2 PLTS WHO I COULD HEAR CLRLY DISCUSSING WHICH FREQ TO UTILIZE, BUT DID NOT SAY WHAT FOR. I CONTINUED TO SCAN FOR TFC IN THE PATTERN, AND SEEING NONE, CONTINUED OVER THE ARPT. A SHORT TIME LATER, I DECIDED I WOULD RETURN AND LAND AT ORANGE BECAUSE I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE. I TURNED NWARD, ENTERED THE PATTERN ON A 45 DEG TO DOWNWIND, AND ANNOUNCED EACH POS IN THE PATTERN AS NORMAL. WHILE ON BASE LEG, AN SMT BACK-TAXIED AND COULD NOT GET OFF IN TIME, SO I CONDUCTED A GAR, THEN FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN AND LANDED. I WAS TOLD TO RPT TO THE RAMP AND MET BY THE ARPT MGR AND AN ASSISTANT. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN I FLEW OVER THE ARPT SBOUND THAT A PLANE WAS DIRECTLY OVER ME DROPPING JUMPERS. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ON MY GAR THAT BY GOING ALONG THE R SIDE ON THE RWY, I WAS CONFLICTING WITH THE DROP ZONE WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE RWY. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE FILED A STANDING NOTAM FOR WKENDS AND HOLIDAYS REGARDING PARACHUTE OPS BUT THE FIELD IS OPEN TO NORMAL AIRPLANE OPS ALSO. THE ARPT MGR, JUMPERS, AND I DISCUSSED THE SIT AND FELT THAT A GND OBSERVER WITH A PORTABLE RADIO WOULD BE OF BENEFIT. AT NO TIME DID I EVER HEAR A WARNING REGARDING JUMPERS AT ORANGE, ALTHOUGH I DID HEAR SEVERAL REGARDING JUMPERS AT CHAMBERSBURG, PA, WHICH USES THE SAME FREQ OF 122.8. ALTHOUGH I FELT I WAS BEING VIGILANT, I NEVER SAW ANY PARACHUTES OR AIRBORNE TFC UNTIL I WAS ON DOWNWIND LEG AFTER THE GAR.

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.