An air carrier B737-200 had an near midair collision with a parasail above the las TCA-B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	269482
Time
Date	199404
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : las
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	269482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 14000
ASRS Report	269052
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 75 vertical : 5
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain was beginning acceleration at 10000 MSL. I saw what I assumed to be a WX balloon. It quickly materialized as a large yellow parachute at our 12 O'clock and slightly above us, headed opposite our direction of flight. I shouted 'parachute 12 O'clock.' as the parachute and man filled the window, the initiated a turn to the right, the parasail also initiated a turn to his right. The captain did not bank sharply for fear of hitting the parasail with the high wing. The parasail passed to our left close enough to make out the clothing, helmet, and expression of surprise on the individual's face. He was actively looking over his shoulder as we passed him. The incident occurred north of a ridge of hills which could be used to launch a hang glider or parasail. There was a lot of thermal activity and many dust devils in the area. We feel the parasail had used thermals to climb to our altitude. There were no aircraft in the area that could have dropped him. There was no target on departure radar. The day before, another air carrier had an identical incident in phoenix at 9000 ft. TCASII was never intended to pick up either a man or a parachute. There are too many people in the air with no knowledge, training or regulation to protect those of us who do. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer states that this incident was reported to las departure who did not want to believe the story. The 'identical incident' in phoenix that the reporter alludes to was a hang glider that was reported in the newspapers. See acn 269245. The reporting first officer states that he did not believe that parasails had the ability to climb. His captain stated that he had seen and item on television that very day showing climb performance in thermals, taking off initially from a ridge in up-slope wind conditions. The parasail pilot looked very concerned as the B737-200 went by. Apparently the parasail was above the las TCA-B airspace if the reporter's position estimate is good.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-200 HAD AN NMAC WITH A PARASAIL ABOVE THE LAS TCA-B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: CAPT WAS BEGINNING ACCELERATION AT 10000 MSL. I SAW WHAT I ASSUMED TO BE A WX BALLOON. IT QUICKLY MATERIALIZED AS A LARGE YELLOW PARACHUTE AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE US, HEADED OPPOSITE OUR DIRECTION OF FLT. I SHOUTED 'PARACHUTE 12 O'CLOCK.' AS THE PARACHUTE AND MAN FILLED THE WINDOW, THE INITIATED A TURN TO THE R, THE PARASAIL ALSO INITIATED A TURN TO HIS R. THE CAPT DID NOT BANK SHARPLY FOR FEAR OF HITTING THE PARASAIL WITH THE HIGH WING. THE PARASAIL PASSED TO OUR L CLOSE ENOUGH TO MAKE OUT THE CLOTHING, HELMET, AND EXPRESSION OF SURPRISE ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S FACE. HE WAS ACTIVELY LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER AS WE PASSED HIM. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED N OF A RIDGE OF HILLS WHICH COULD BE USED TO LAUNCH A HANG GLIDER OR PARASAIL. THERE WAS A LOT OF THERMAL ACTIVITY AND MANY DUST DEVILS IN THE AREA. WE FEEL THE PARASAIL HAD USED THERMALS TO CLB TO OUR ALT. THERE WERE NO ACFT IN THE AREA THAT COULD HAVE DROPPED HIM. THERE WAS NO TARGET ON DEP RADAR. THE DAY BEFORE, ANOTHER ACR HAD AN IDENTICAL INCIDENT IN PHOENIX AT 9000 FT. TCASII WAS NEVER INTENDED TO PICK UP EITHER A MAN OR A PARACHUTE. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE AIR WITH NO KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING OR REG TO PROTECT THOSE OF US WHO DO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO LAS DEP WHO DID NOT WANT TO BELIEVE THE STORY. THE 'IDENTICAL INCIDENT' IN PHOENIX THAT THE RPTR ALLUDES TO WAS A HANG GLIDER THAT WAS RPTED IN THE NEWSPAPERS. SEE ACN 269245. THE RPTING FO STATES THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT PARASAILS HAD THE ABILITY TO CLB. HIS CAPT STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN AND ITEM ON TELEVISION THAT VERY DAY SHOWING CLB PERFORMANCE IN THERMALS, TAKING OFF INITIALLY FROM A RIDGE IN UP-SLOPE WIND CONDITIONS. THE PARASAIL PLT LOOKED VERY CONCERNED AS THE B737-200 WENT BY. APPARENTLY THE PARASAIL WAS ABOVE THE LAS TCA-B AIRSPACE IF THE RPTR'S POS ESTIMATE IS GOOD.

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.