Narrative:

During a solo VFR cross country to lake wales, after contacting winter haven CTAF to alert traffic that I was passing overhead, I tuned in lake wales' CTAF. I listened for any communications, but only heard new smyrna traffic, so I transmitted a communication with my location and requested TA's. I was told by st petersburg FSS when I received my standard WX briefing before the flight that there were parachute activities in the area, but I did not know the extent of the activity. I did this several times with no responses. I lost track of where the lakes wales airport was, and when I was about to overpass the airport I received a frantic radio call from which I believe was another pilot. He said to turn left immediately which I did due to parachuters. I immediately complied, and saw that there were jumpers out. Believing that this was only a one time jump for a while, I proceeded to circle the field to enter the traffic pattern in a preferred entry into an uncontrolled field. I stated my intentions over the CTAF frequency to cross mid field to enter a preferred entry into the left downwind. I crossed mid field and came around to enter the left downwind leg for runway 26. On that leg, I received another call telling me to immediately turn right for I almost hit something or someone. After removing myself from the traffic pattern, I decided for safety reasons to leave the airport, so I returned to melbourne not completing my solo cross country. I did not know how to react to the situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot was giving reports on the listed CTAF frequency of 122.8. He was also monitoring 123.0 as listed on the sectional chart. The pilot heard no reports from the jump pilot. Only when a pilot in an aircraft on the ground radioed a collision warning did the pilot take evasive action. He was told later that he almost hit the skydivers only by a matter of feet. He did not actually see the skydivers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT CAME WITHIN FEET OF HITTING SKYDIVERS JUMPING AT X07. THE PA-28 PLT WAS BROADCASTING AND LISTENING ON X07 CTAF (122 PT 8) AND ALSO LISTENING ON 123 PT 0 AS LISTED ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. THE JUMP PLT APPARENTLY WAS TALKING TO TPA APCH AS REQUIRED BY FAR 105, ON 120 PT 65.

Narrative: DURING A SOLO VFR XCOUNTRY TO LAKE WALES, AFTER CONTACTING WINTER HAVEN CTAF TO ALERT TFC THAT I WAS PASSING OVERHEAD, I TUNED IN LAKE WALES' CTAF. I LISTENED FOR ANY COMS, BUT ONLY HEARD NEW SMYRNA TFC, SO I XMITTED A COM WITH MY LOCATION AND REQUESTED TA'S. I WAS TOLD BY ST PETERSBURG FSS WHEN I RECEIVED MY STANDARD WX BRIEFING BEFORE THE FLT THAT THERE WERE PARACHUTE ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA, BUT I DID NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE ACTIVITY. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSES. I LOST TRACK OF WHERE THE LAKES WALES ARPT WAS, AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO OVERPASS THE ARPT I RECEIVED A FRANTIC RADIO CALL FROM WHICH I BELIEVE WAS ANOTHER PLT. HE SAID TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY WHICH I DID DUE TO PARACHUTERS. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED, AND SAW THAT THERE WERE JUMPERS OUT. BELIEVING THAT THIS WAS ONLY A ONE TIME JUMP FOR A WHILE, I PROCEEDED TO CIRCLE THE FIELD TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN IN A PREFERRED ENTRY INTO AN UNCTLED FIELD. I STATED MY INTENTIONS OVER THE CTAF FREQ TO CROSS MID FIELD TO ENTER A PREFERRED ENTRY INTO THE L DOWNWIND. I CROSSED MID FIELD AND CAME AROUND TO ENTER THE L DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 26. ON THAT LEG, I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL TELLING ME TO IMMEDIATELY TURN R FOR I ALMOST HIT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. AFTER REMOVING MYSELF FROM THE TFC PATTERN, I DECIDED FOR SAFETY REASONS TO LEAVE THE ARPT, SO I RETURNED TO MELBOURNE NOT COMPLETING MY SOLO XCOUNTRY. I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO REACT TO THE SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT WAS GIVING RPTS ON THE LISTED CTAF FREQ OF 122.8. HE WAS ALSO MONITORING 123.0 AS LISTED ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. THE PLT HEARD NO RPTS FROM THE JUMP PLT. ONLY WHEN A PLT IN AN ACFT ON THE GND RADIOED A COLLISION WARNING DID THE PLT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. HE WAS TOLD LATER THAT HE ALMOST HIT THE SKYDIVERS ONLY BY A MATTER OF FEET. HE DID NOT ACTUALLY SEE THE SKYDIVERS.

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.