Narrative:

On a flight from tulsa, ok, en route to dfw, we had descended to 7000 ft to join the bonham 2 arrival. Approximately 15 mi southwest of bonham VOR on the 219 degree radial was advised by dfw TRACON that a jump plane was at our 2 O'clock position and 2 mi at 13000 ft or 14000 ft and had just released skydivers that would be free-falling through 6000 ft. We selected the 'above' mode on our TCASII screen and saw the jump aircraft representation exactly where the TRACON controller had advised. I then looked to my right out of the cockpit side window to our 2 O'clock position just in time to see a skydiver falling past our aircraft at approximately 1/2 mi from our position. After discussing this incident with TRACON supervisors, chief pilots, etc, I have learned that numerous incidents have occurred on both the bonham arrival and in particular the bowie arrival rtes for some time. So far the FAA, even though they had tried, has been unsuccessful in their attempts to convince these jump schools to relocate their operations in the interest of safety, both theirs and ours. I am forming the opinion that, as usual, people will die before any changes are made, even though everyone has had plenty of warning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this ATR72-212 captain said that he has talked to a number of people since his encounter with the skydiver. He alleged that some of his fellow pilots have had closer encounters. What surprised him after he started talking about the skydiver problem was that a number of supervisors and safety activists knew about the problem, yet there was no safety bulletin out that mentioned this problem. There is now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR AT72 FLC HAS AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SKYDIVER WHILE ON A STAR RTE INTO DFW.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM TULSA, OK, ENRTE TO DFW, WE HAD DSNDED TO 7000 FT TO JOIN THE BONHAM 2 ARR. APPROX 15 MI SW OF BONHAM VOR ON THE 219 DEG RADIAL WAS ADVISED BY DFW TRACON THAT A JUMP PLANE WAS AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI AT 13000 FT OR 14000 FT AND HAD JUST RELEASED SKYDIVERS THAT WOULD BE FREE-FALLING THROUGH 6000 FT. WE SELECTED THE 'ABOVE' MODE ON OUR TCASII SCREEN AND SAW THE JUMP ACFT REPRESENTATION EXACTLY WHERE THE TRACON CTLR HAD ADVISED. I THEN LOOKED TO MY R OUT OF THE COCKPIT SIDE WINDOW TO OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS JUST IN TIME TO SEE A SKYDIVER FALLING PAST OUR ACFT AT APPROX 1/2 MI FROM OUR POS. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS INCIDENT WITH TRACON SUPVRS, CHIEF PLTS, ETC, I HAVE LEARNED THAT NUMEROUS INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED ON BOTH THE BONHAM ARR AND IN PARTICULAR THE BOWIE ARR RTES FOR SOME TIME. SO FAR THE FAA, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD TRIED, HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CONVINCE THESE JUMP SCHOOLS TO RELOCATE THEIR OPS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, BOTH THEIRS AND OURS. I AM FORMING THE OPINION THAT, AS USUAL, PEOPLE WILL DIE BEFORE ANY CHANGES ARE MADE, EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE HAS HAD PLENTY OF WARNING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ATR72-212 CAPT SAID THAT HE HAS TALKED TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SINCE HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE SKYDIVER. HE ALLEGED THAT SOME OF HIS FELLOW PLTS HAVE HAD CLOSER ENCOUNTERS. WHAT SURPRISED HIM AFTER HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE SKYDIVER PROB WAS THAT A NUMBER OF SUPVRS AND SAFETY ACTIVISTS KNEW ABOUT THE PROB, YET THERE WAS NO SAFETY BULLETIN OUT THAT MENTIONED THIS PROB. THERE IS NOW.

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.