Narrative:

My passenger and I departed casa grande municipal airport in route to tucson international airport. While we were climbing through 4300 ft on our way to 5500 ft, I looked down at the eloy airport that was 1 mi off of my left wing. When I looked forward, I was startled to see 2 parachutists in front of the plane. The one to my left was approximately 200 ft vertical above and 250 horizontal from my line of flight. The one on my right was approximately 150 ft vertical above and 200 ft horizontal. I made a slight turn to the left to pass through the center of the pair. Our flight continued to tucson. In 40 yrs of flying airplanes, I have never had anything scare me as much as this incident. I was very upset and sleep that night was almost impossible. The following morning I contacted my friend, who is a flight instructor, airline captain and a FAA safety counselor. She met me at my office and I explained the whole situation to her. She then told me that it was not my fault and that the same thing had happened to her and a friend while flying by eloy. Also, her husband had a near miss with a parachutist while taking off from eloy. In addition, 2 other pilots told her they have had close calls near eloy. My friend has written to FAA/scottsdale, az, several times regarding jumpers jumping over the traffic patterns at eloy and avra valley airports. Both airports are non-tower and eloy is in uncontrolled airspace. My friend is a strong advocate for aviation safety and is continuing to work on this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CLBING THROUGH ELOY MUNI ARPT PUBLISHED PARACHUTE JUMPING AREA HAD CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH 2 PARACHUTISTS.

Narrative: MY PAX AND I DEPARTED CASA GRANDE MUNICIPAL ARPT IN RTE TO TUCSON INTL ARPT. WHILE WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 4300 FT ON OUR WAY TO 5500 FT, I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ELOY ARPT THAT WAS 1 MI OFF OF MY L WING. WHEN I LOOKED FORWARD, I WAS STARTLED TO SEE 2 PARACHUTISTS IN FRONT OF THE PLANE. THE ONE TO MY L WAS APPROX 200 FT VERT ABOVE AND 250 HORIZ FROM MY LINE OF FLT. THE ONE ON MY R WAS APPROX 150 FT VERT ABOVE AND 200 FT HORIZ. I MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE L TO PASS THROUGH THE CTR OF THE PAIR. OUR FLT CONTINUED TO TUCSON. IN 40 YRS OF FLYING AIRPLANES, I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING SCARE ME AS MUCH AS THIS INCIDENT. I WAS VERY UPSET AND SLEEP THAT NIGHT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I CONTACTED MY FRIEND, WHO IS A FLT INSTRUCTOR, AIRLINE CAPT AND A FAA SAFETY COUNSELOR. SHE MET ME AT MY OFFICE AND I EXPLAINED THE WHOLE SIT TO HER. SHE THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT AND THAT THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED TO HER AND A FRIEND WHILE FLYING BY ELOY. ALSO, HER HUSBAND HAD A NEAR MISS WITH A PARACHUTIST WHILE TAKING OFF FROM ELOY. IN ADDITION, 2 OTHER PLTS TOLD HER THEY HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS NEAR ELOY. MY FRIEND HAS WRITTEN TO FAA/SCOTTSDALE, AZ, SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING JUMPERS JUMPING OVER THE TFC PATTERNS AT ELOY AND AVRA VALLEY ARPTS. BOTH ARPTS ARE NON-TWR AND ELOY IS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. MY FRIEND IS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR AVIATION SAFETY AND IS CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS SIT.

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.