Narrative:

This was a training jump for a first-time skydiving student. For this jump, 2 aff-rated instructors would accompany the student through preflight. The drop zone area was clear and VFR. There was a cloud layer about 2 NM upwind (ie, east) of the drop zone. The aircraft was on jump run, well before the drop zone. While climbing out, the instructors and student took much longer than usual. By the time they were ready to jump, we had flown over the cloud layer. Instead of climbing back into the plane and starting over, the instructors initiated the jump. As a result, they went through the clouds. Not only is this a violation of far 105, it is also in violation of uspa basic safety requirements and other skydiving regulation. The instructors were told that they exercised extremely poor judgement in jumping with a student through clouds. They agreed and would do a better job in planning their jump run.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402A PLT ALLOWS HIS SKYDIVERS TO DROP OVER AND THROUGH A LAYER OF CLOUDS 2 MI E OF HDH, HI.

Narrative: THIS WAS A TRAINING JUMP FOR A FIRST-TIME SKYDIVING STUDENT. FOR THIS JUMP, 2 AFF-RATED INSTRUCTORS WOULD ACCOMPANY THE STUDENT THROUGH PREFLT. THE DROP ZONE AREA WAS CLR AND VFR. THERE WAS A CLOUD LAYER ABOUT 2 NM UPWIND (IE, E) OF THE DROP ZONE. THE ACFT WAS ON JUMP RUN, WELL BEFORE THE DROP ZONE. WHILE CLBING OUT, THE INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENT TOOK MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL. BY THE TIME THEY WERE READY TO JUMP, WE HAD FLOWN OVER THE CLOUD LAYER. INSTEAD OF CLBING BACK INTO THE PLANE AND STARTING OVER, THE INSTRUCTORS INITIATED THE JUMP. AS A RESULT, THEY WENT THROUGH THE CLOUDS. NOT ONLY IS THIS A VIOLATION OF FAR 105, IT IS ALSO IN VIOLATION OF USPA BASIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER SKYDIVING REG. THE INSTRUCTORS WERE TOLD THAT THEY EXERCISED EXTREMELY POOR JUDGEMENT IN JUMPING WITH A STUDENT THROUGH CLOUDS. THEY AGREED AND WOULD DO A BETTER JOB IN PLANNING THEIR JUMP RUN.

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.