Narrative:

Aircraft ahead of us going to ord advised of TCASII alert for another aircraft hovering over bearz intersection on approach frequency. We saw the conflict on TCASII and were also alerted by approach control. Expecting a helicopter type target, we were vigilant looking into the setting sun in haze. We picked up the target aircraft at our altitude closing. Having acquired the traffic visually now less than 3 mi away, I began a left turn just as the target aircraft ejected 2 parachute jumpers. Had I begun the descent per TCASII alert, we would have flown through the chutist's path. The course of action taken to turn vice descend was voiced to approach control, and we were cleared back to ord when clear of traffic. Drop aircraft was on the arrival route to ord at an even altitude of 11000 ft. Given the poor visibility and sun angle, this was not a safe time and place to be dropping skydivers with parasail chutes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: by reporter's account, the traffic was reported by the aircraft in front of them as hovering, which he understood as a helicopter. In fact, the aircraft was a fixed, high wing, single engine aircraft which was flying a circular pattern in the vicinity of the bearz intersection. While approach control alerted the flight to the traffic, they were apparently not aware that it was a skydiving aircraft. The flight monitored the aircraft on TCASII. The first officer acquired the aircraft visually on the right side as the captain began an evasive left bank. They did receive a TCASII RA but did not respond since to do so would have put them in a descent through the 2 parachute jumpers. The reporter received a response from his company indicating that C90 TRACON realizes that skydiving is authority/authorized in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC AVOIDS CONFLICT WITH SKYDIVERS AND ACFT WHILE ON STAR FROM ORD.

Narrative: ACFT AHEAD OF US GOING TO ORD ADVISED OF TCASII ALERT FOR ANOTHER ACFT HOVERING OVER BEARZ INTXN ON APCH FREQ. WE SAW THE CONFLICT ON TCASII AND WERE ALSO ALERTED BY APCH CTL. EXPECTING A HELI TYPE TARGET, WE WERE VIGILANT LOOKING INTO THE SETTING SUN IN HAZE. WE PICKED UP THE TARGET ACFT AT OUR ALT CLOSING. HAVING ACQUIRED THE TFC VISUALLY NOW LESS THAN 3 MI AWAY, I BEGAN A L TURN JUST AS THE TARGET ACFT EJECTED 2 PARACHUTE JUMPERS. HAD I BEGUN THE DSCNT PER TCASII ALERT, WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THE CHUTIST'S PATH. THE COURSE OF ACTION TAKEN TO TURN VICE DSND WAS VOICED TO APCH CTL, AND WE WERE CLRED BACK TO ORD WHEN CLR OF TFC. DROP ACFT WAS ON THE ARR RTE TO ORD AT AN EVEN ALT OF 11000 FT. GIVEN THE POOR VISIBILITY AND SUN ANGLE, THIS WAS NOT A SAFE TIME AND PLACE TO BE DROPPING SKYDIVERS WITH PARASAIL CHUTES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: BY RPTR'S ACCOUNT, THE TFC WAS RPTED BY THE ACFT IN FRONT OF THEM AS HOVERING, WHICH HE UNDERSTOOD AS A HELI. IN FACT, THE ACFT WAS A FIXED, HIGH WING, SINGLE ENG ACFT WHICH WAS FLYING A CIRCULAR PATTERN IN THE VICINITY OF THE BEARZ INTXN. WHILE APCH CTL ALERTED THE FLT TO THE TFC, THEY WERE APPARENTLY NOT AWARE THAT IT WAS A SKYDIVING ACFT. THE FLT MONITORED THE ACFT ON TCASII. THE FO ACQUIRED THE ACFT VISUALLY ON THE R SIDE AS THE CAPT BEGAN AN EVASIVE L BANK. THEY DID RECEIVE A TCASII RA BUT DID NOT RESPOND SINCE TO DO SO WOULD HAVE PUT THEM IN A DSCNT THROUGH THE 2 PARACHUTE JUMPERS. THE RPTR RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM HIS COMPANY INDICATING THAT C90 TRACON REALIZES THAT SKYDIVING IS AUTH IN THE AREA.

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.