Narrative:

The problem arose due to saturation of airspace during the evening push into major hub. Inexperienced controller/trainee at ATC. During climb out it was evident ATC was very busy, calls coming in continuously and calls being stepped on. On first call up a 6500 ft MSL was told to identify. At 9500 ft MSL ATC transmitted radar contact 9500 ft advise of any altitude changes. I immediately transmitted climbing to 13500 ft. There was no response and radar calls were at saturation point. Around 11000 ft a controller I have recognized as the supervisor and in all my flying time the best and most professional controller I have heard, took over at ATC. Traffic was audibly put back on track. (Note first controller did not understand we were jump aircraft.) at 12500 ft ATC said radar contact report 1 min to jumpers away, my response was 2 mins to jump at this time. Her response roger during jump run while the 15 jumpers were exiting. I overheard an air carrier call that they have big birds down here really big birds. ATC then transmitted, suspend jumping aircraft directly below 9000 ft. During that transmission the last jumpers exited the aircraft. I transmitted jumpers away descending. ATC transmitted, 'oh well.' I turned left and viewed an air carrier B727 cruising below at 9000 ft. One jumper interviewed on the ground said he passed less than 2000 ft vertically from the B727. One other jumper remembers seeing a jet. What I think should be done to prevent this again, a color symbol on IFR charts at permanent drop zones and a larger symbol on VFR charts. I need to say again I have flown this area 4 yrs and the controller on duty was always of the best. I hate to think of disciplinary action against one of the most professional controllers out there. It was unfortunate a trainee, myself, and the airlines all pushing into hub at same time. One of the problems is too many aircraft airlines pushing to hub at the same time. I have to add that as I turned hard left to see the traffic and saw an intact B727 flying off, I was extremely relieved because no matter whose fault, if a jumper and air carrier midair had occurred with the politics in place now skydiving would have become the scapegoat and would have probably been eradicated by the political powers and media. Also everyone, even air carrier's need to not gloss over a permanent NOTAM of skydiving operations where they fly into. I also see my own failing in not getting an acknowledgement from ATC when radar contact was established initially, but like I said, frequency congestion did not allow that. Normally the xmissions go smoothly and purposely. During this incident all normal radio calls went out the window and the system suffered. I hope I get to read the reports of the other two sides some day.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONGESTED ATC FREQ AND QUESTIONABLE COORD BTWN CTLR AND JUMP PLT LED TO SKYDIVERS JUMPING THROUGH AN ACR B727 ALT.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE DUE TO SATURATION OF AIRSPACE DURING THE EVENING PUSH INTO MAJOR HUB. INEXPERIENCED CTLR/TRAINEE AT ATC. DURING CLBOUT IT WAS EVIDENT ATC WAS VERY BUSY, CALLS COMING IN CONTINUOUSLY AND CALLS BEING STEPPED ON. ON FIRST CALL UP A 6500 FT MSL WAS TOLD TO IDENT. AT 9500 FT MSL ATC XMITTED RADAR CONTACT 9500 FT ADVISE OF ANY ALT CHANGES. I IMMEDIATELY XMITTED CLBING TO 13500 FT. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND RADAR CALLS WERE AT SATURATION POINT. AROUND 11000 FT A CTLR I HAVE RECOGNIZED AS THE SUPVR AND IN ALL MY FLYING TIME THE BEST AND MOST PROFESSIONAL CTLR I HAVE HEARD, TOOK OVER AT ATC. TFC WAS AUDIBLY PUT BACK ON TRACK. (NOTE FIRST CTLR DID NOT UNDERSTAND WE WERE JUMP ACFT.) AT 12500 FT ATC SAID RADAR CONTACT RPT 1 MIN TO JUMPERS AWAY, MY RESPONSE WAS 2 MINS TO JUMP AT THIS TIME. HER RESPONSE ROGER DURING JUMP RUN WHILE THE 15 JUMPERS WERE EXITING. I OVERHEARD AN ACR CALL THAT THEY HAVE BIG BIRDS DOWN HERE REALLY BIG BIRDS. ATC THEN XMITTED, SUSPEND JUMPING ACFT DIRECTLY BELOW 9000 FT. DURING THAT XMISSION THE LAST JUMPERS EXITED THE ACFT. I XMITTED JUMPERS AWAY DSNDING. ATC XMITTED, 'OH WELL.' I TURNED L AND VIEWED AN ACR B727 CRUISING BELOW AT 9000 FT. ONE JUMPER INTERVIEWED ON THE GND SAID HE PASSED LESS THAN 2000 FT VERTLY FROM THE B727. ONE OTHER JUMPER REMEMBERS SEEING A JET. WHAT I THINK SHOULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS AGAIN, A COLOR SYMBOL ON IFR CHARTS AT PERMANENT DROP ZONES AND A LARGER SYMBOL ON VFR CHARTS. I NEED TO SAY AGAIN I HAVE FLOWN THIS AREA 4 YRS AND THE CTLR ON DUTY WAS ALWAYS OF THE BEST. I HATE TO THINK OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST ONE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL CTLRS OUT THERE. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE A TRAINEE, MYSELF, AND THE AIRLINES ALL PUSHING INTO HUB AT SAME TIME. ONE OF THE PROBS IS TOO MANY ACFT AIRLINES PUSHING TO HUB AT THE SAME TIME. I HAVE TO ADD THAT AS I TURNED HARD L TO SEE THE TFC AND SAW AN INTACT B727 FLYING OFF, I WAS EXTREMELY RELIEVED BECAUSE NO MATTER WHOSE FAULT, IF A JUMPER AND ACR MIDAIR HAD OCCURRED WITH THE POLITICS IN PLACE NOW SKYDIVING WOULD HAVE BECOME THE SCAPEGOAT AND WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN ERADICATED BY THE POLITICAL POWERS AND MEDIA. ALSO EVERYONE, EVEN ACR'S NEED TO NOT GLOSS OVER A PERMANENT NOTAM OF SKYDIVING OPS WHERE THEY FLY INTO. I ALSO SEE MY OWN FAILING IN NOT GETTING AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM ATC WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED INITIALLY, BUT LIKE I SAID, FREQ CONGESTION DID NOT ALLOW THAT. NORMALLY THE XMISSIONS GO SMOOTHLY AND PURPOSELY. DURING THIS INCIDENT ALL NORMAL RADIO CALLS WENT OUT THE WINDOW AND THE SYS SUFFERED. I HOPE I GET TO READ THE RPTS OF THE OTHER TWO SIDES SOME DAY.

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.