Rotary winged pilot encounters skydivers 1 NM from his aircraft while passing near a class G airport...

Attributes
ACN	560483
Time
Date	200209
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 7d8.airport
State Reference	OH
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	560483
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : skydivers non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Came close to jumpers (1 mi). Was just outside youngstown approach airspace and had not tuned approach frequency when I saw jumpers. Had plenty of room to avoid. Called approach to let them know I had jumpers in sight. Gates airport is just outside youngstown airspace. Now that I know it's there, I can be better prepared and keep an eye out for jumpers. There seem to be more skydiver operations than previously. The airspace gets more crowded everyday. Pilots need to be even more vigilant. Being new to this particular area didn't help matters. VFR pilots especially should be intimately familiar with all of the parachute drop zones in the areas where they fly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED PLT ENCOUNTERS SKYDIVERS 1 NM FROM HIS ACFT WHILE PASSING NEAR A CLASS G ARPT, 7D8, OH.

Narrative: CAME CLOSE TO JUMPERS (1 MI). WAS JUST OUTSIDE YOUNGSTOWN APCH AIRSPACE AND HAD NOT TUNED APCH FREQ WHEN I SAW JUMPERS. HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO AVOID. CALLED APCH TO LET THEM KNOW I HAD JUMPERS IN SIGHT. GATES ARPT IS JUST OUTSIDE YOUNGSTOWN AIRSPACE. NOW THAT I KNOW IT'S THERE, I CAN BE BETTER PREPARED AND KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR JUMPERS. THERE SEEM TO BE MORE SKYDIVER OPS THAN PREVIOUSLY. THE AIRSPACE GETS MORE CROWDED EVERYDAY. PLTS NEED TO BE EVEN MORE VIGILANT. BEING NEW TO THIS PARTICULAR AREA DIDN'T HELP MATTERS. VFR PLTS ESPECIALLY SHOULD BE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH ALL OF THE PARACHUTE DROP ZONES IN THE AREAS WHERE THEY FLY.

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.

Rotary winged pilot encounters skydivers 1 NM from his aircraft while passing near a class G airport, 7d8, oh.