Narrative:

This is in reference to the violation I incurred during the airshow at ZZZ airport. The violation was for deviating from far part 91.211(a)(2)(3). The FAA aci who was the enforcing official was mr X. The aircraft being flown was a cessna 207 and leased for skydiving. During this day the conditions were VMC, 'clear and a million,' with winds out of the west at 8-10 KTS on the ground and 30-40 KTS out of the north at altitude. The flight was scheduled to begin at XA00 and the 'jump' was to occur after. Prior to leaving the ground the aci spent over 20 mins inspecting our aircraft and 10 more mins discussing the discrepancies, and finally cleared the aircraft for flight. I launched with 4 skydivers for 16500 ft MSL, the prearranged jump altitude. During the climb out the pro jumper and I decided 14000 ft MSL was high enough. During the process of climb out and after reaching 14000 ft I had noticed considerable updraft and downdraft activity. Once I had reached 14000 ft MSL I reduced power to 20 inches of manifold pressure (mp) and 2400 RPM's. This was approximately 10 mins prior to the scheduled launch time. 5 mins prior to launch, we were told to delay and plan the jump for 12 mins later for incoming aircraft. During this delay I was still experiencing the same updrafts. At the time of the delay call I was asked by the air boss to report my altitude as the jumpers exited the aircraft. After the 7 min delay, and the jumpers creating an aft center of gravity, resulting in constant pitch changes, I launched the jumpers and once again the air boss requested, 'the FAA would like to know your altitude, say altitude.' I was squawking 1200 and in class east airspace. When asked, I was honest and forthright, I responded with 15200 ft MSL. I descended to the south and did a low pass along runway 8-26, from the east to the west. After landing on runway 30 and returning to the parking area I was greeted by the aci. He first asked me, 'what altitude were you at when you released the jumpers?' once again, I told him the truth, 15200 ft MSL. He responded by asking me, 'does your aircraft have oxygen?' I told him it did not. He then asked, 'what altitude do you need oxygen?' I responded with, '14000 ft MSL and above.' he then asked for my ticket, and told me 'I try to have selective hearing, but I am required to do this by law.' in addition I would like to bring one more point to bear regarding his inquiry as to the presence of oxygen on the aircraft. During his 20 min inspection he scrutinized all parts of the aircraft including, but not limited to, the interior, the cockpit, and the fore and aft baggage compartments. Prior to the jump, he was aware of 2 things, the aircraft did not have oxygen and the scheduled jump altitude of 16500 ft MSL. He still allowed the jump to commence and requested an altitude confirmation. I am a safe pilot, and I have never had a violation before. This incident was inadvertent, and I was not intentionally trying to break a far. In the conditions present, the updrafts compounded by the constant movements of the jumpers, I was unable to maintain the jump altitude of 14000 ft MSL. I am first and foremost concerned with flying the plane and keeping my passenger safe. The C207 has a history of flat spins caused by aft center of gravity. During jump runs, I am concerned with maintaining the aircraft's airspeed, and staying away from those potentially dangerous stall/spin scenarios. By the time the delay had taken place and the jumpers were out the door I realized I was too high, and began to descend immediately. I broke the rule. However, I feel these issues mitigate the circumstances highly. I am requesting a full investigation of the inadvertent violation, and mr X's actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C207 SKYDIVING PLT IS CITED AND HIS 'TICKET' LIFTED AFTER A LCL FAA ACI CITES A VIOLATION REFED TO HIS FLT ABOVE 14000 FT WITHOUT OXYGEN PRIOR TO THE JUMPERS LEAVING HIS ACFT OVER ZZZ, US.

Narrative: THIS IS IN REF TO THE VIOLATION I INCURRED DURING THE AIRSHOW AT ZZZ ARPT. THE VIOLATION WAS FOR DEVIATING FROM FAR PART 91.211(A)(2)(3). THE FAA ACI WHO WAS THE ENFORCING OFFICIAL WAS MR X. THE ACFT BEING FLOWN WAS A CESSNA 207 AND LEASED FOR SKYDIVING. DURING THIS DAY THE CONDITIONS WERE VMC, 'CLR AND A MILLION,' WITH WINDS OUT OF THE W AT 8-10 KTS ON THE GND AND 30-40 KTS OUT OF THE N AT ALT. THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT XA00 AND THE 'JUMP' WAS TO OCCUR AFTER. PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GND THE ACI SPENT OVER 20 MINS INSPECTING OUR ACFT AND 10 MORE MINS DISCUSSING THE DISCREPANCIES, AND FINALLY CLRED THE ACFT FOR FLT. I LAUNCHED WITH 4 SKYDIVERS FOR 16500 FT MSL, THE PREARRANGED JUMP ALT. DURING THE CLBOUT THE PRO JUMPER AND I DECIDED 14000 FT MSL WAS HIGH ENOUGH. DURING THE PROCESS OF CLBOUT AND AFTER REACHING 14000 FT I HAD NOTICED CONSIDERABLE UPDRAFT AND DOWNDRAFT ACTIVITY. ONCE I HAD REACHED 14000 FT MSL I REDUCED PWR TO 20 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE (MP) AND 2400 RPM'S. THIS WAS APPROX 10 MINS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED LAUNCH TIME. 5 MINS PRIOR TO LAUNCH, WE WERE TOLD TO DELAY AND PLAN THE JUMP FOR 12 MINS LATER FOR INCOMING ACFT. DURING THIS DELAY I WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME UPDRAFTS. AT THE TIME OF THE DELAY CALL I WAS ASKED BY THE AIR BOSS TO RPT MY ALT AS THE JUMPERS EXITED THE ACFT. AFTER THE 7 MIN DELAY, AND THE JUMPERS CREATING AN AFT CTR OF GRAVITY, RESULTING IN CONSTANT PITCH CHANGES, I LAUNCHED THE JUMPERS AND ONCE AGAIN THE AIR BOSS REQUESTED, 'THE FAA WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR ALT, SAY ALT.' I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND IN CLASS E AIRSPACE. WHEN ASKED, I WAS HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT, I RESPONDED WITH 15200 FT MSL. I DSNDED TO THE S AND DID A LOW PASS ALONG RWY 8-26, FROM THE E TO THE W. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 30 AND RETURNING TO THE PARKING AREA I WAS GREETED BY THE ACI. HE FIRST ASKED ME, 'WHAT ALT WERE YOU AT WHEN YOU RELEASED THE JUMPERS?' ONCE AGAIN, I TOLD HIM THE TRUTH, 15200 FT MSL. HE RESPONDED BY ASKING ME, 'DOES YOUR ACFT HAVE OXYGEN?' I TOLD HIM IT DID NOT. HE THEN ASKED, 'WHAT ALT DO YOU NEED OXYGEN?' I RESPONDED WITH, '14000 FT MSL AND ABOVE.' HE THEN ASKED FOR MY TICKET, AND TOLD ME 'I TRY TO HAVE SELECTIVE HEARING, BUT I AM REQUIRED TO DO THIS BY LAW.' IN ADDITION I WOULD LIKE TO BRING ONE MORE POINT TO BEAR REGARDING HIS INQUIRY AS TO THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN ON THE ACFT. DURING HIS 20 MIN INSPECTION HE SCRUTINIZED ALL PARTS OF THE ACFT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE INTERIOR, THE COCKPIT, AND THE FORE AND AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS. PRIOR TO THE JUMP, HE WAS AWARE OF 2 THINGS, THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE OXYGEN AND THE SCHEDULED JUMP ALT OF 16500 FT MSL. HE STILL ALLOWED THE JUMP TO COMMENCE AND REQUESTED AN ALT CONFIRMATION. I AM A SAFE PLT, AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A VIOLATION BEFORE. THIS INCIDENT WAS INADVERTENT, AND I WAS NOT INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO BREAK A FAR. IN THE CONDITIONS PRESENT, THE UPDRAFTS COMPOUNDED BY THE CONSTANT MOVEMENTS OF THE JUMPERS, I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE JUMP ALT OF 14000 FT MSL. I AM FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERNED WITH FLYING THE PLANE AND KEEPING MY PAX SAFE. THE C207 HAS A HISTORY OF FLAT SPINS CAUSED BY AFT CTR OF GRAVITY. DURING JUMP RUNS, I AM CONCERNED WITH MAINTAINING THE ACFT'S AIRSPD, AND STAYING AWAY FROM THOSE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS STALL/SPIN SCENARIOS. BY THE TIME THE DELAY HAD TAKEN PLACE AND THE JUMPERS WERE OUT THE DOOR I REALIZED I WAS TOO HIGH, AND BEGAN TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. I BROKE THE RULE. HOWEVER, I FEEL THESE ISSUES MITIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES HIGHLY. I AM REQUESTING A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE INADVERTENT VIOLATION, AND MR X'S ACTIONS.

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.