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Inbound aircraft pilot voices concern over the newly established drop area for parachute activity 3 to 4 NM east and on centerline of runway 26R at sdm, ca.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 615357 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200404 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sdm.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sdm.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Other |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : vfr |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Twin Otter DHC-6 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : 105 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 615357 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | observation : observer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical inflight encounter : skydivers non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airport Airspace Structure Environmental Factor FAA Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Airspace Structure |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Approaching brown field (sdm) in a jet, we were advised of the 3 parachute zones just east of the field, at least one being 'hot.' at 5 miles east we went a little south of the centerline of runway 26R, knowing or assuming that the one south of the centerline would be cold (it's military and not used much), but we really did not know for sure. At 3.5 miles we corrected back to the centerline and noticed the twin otter jump plane above us. The tower treats these jump areas as though they are restr areas but they are not. Getting in and out of brown to the east safely is now impossible. The 3RD jump zone is north of the centerline. Runway 26R is the main runway used by transients jets. If we have a midair between a jumper and an air plane would they recognize the danger of this situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot is very concerned with this new procedure. The AFD indicated drop activity but the one on the centerline of runway 26R is newly established within the last 6 weeks, the other two having been well established prior to that. A lease operator has acquired rental rights at the airport and land rights 3 miles east for drop recovery efforts. The class D area is not 5 miles out, but 3 NM out at sdm. It appears tower is acting like the centerline of runway 26R is a prohibited area and does not coordination well with inbound aircraft, ie, not stopping the parachute activity during other aircraft approach periods. Tower simply advises that jump zone is 'hot.' reporter is concerned that transient aircraft might get in trouble with procedure. He is local and knows the area well, although he admits he cut back to centerline too soon. The jump aircraft was above him, he did not know if it was climbing or in a descent. He did not hear or see anything that indicated jumpers were away. The jump aircraft climb to about 12000 ft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INBOUND ACFT PLT VOICES CONCERN OVER THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED DROP AREA FOR PARACHUTE ACTIVITY 3 TO 4 NM E AND ON CTRLINE OF RWY 26R AT SDM, CA.
Narrative: APCHING BROWN FIELD (SDM) IN A JET, WE WERE ADVISED OF THE 3 PARACHUTE ZONES JUST E OF THE FIELD, AT LEAST ONE BEING 'HOT.' AT 5 MILES E WE WENT A LITTLE S OF THE CTRLINE OF RWY 26R, KNOWING OR ASSUMING THAT THE ONE S OF THE CTRLINE WOULD BE COLD (IT'S MILITARY AND NOT USED MUCH), BUT WE REALLY DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE. AT 3.5 MILES WE CORRECTED BACK TO THE CTRLINE AND NOTICED THE TWIN OTTER JUMP PLANE ABOVE US. THE TWR TREATS THESE JUMP AREAS AS THOUGH THEY ARE RESTR AREAS BUT THEY ARE NOT. GETTING IN AND OUT OF BROWN TO THE E SAFELY IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE. THE 3RD JUMP ZONE IS N OF THE CTRLINE. RWY 26R IS THE MAIN RWY USED BY TRANSIENTS JETS. IF WE HAVE A MIDAIR BETWEEN A JUMPER AND AN AIR PLANE WOULD THEY RECOGNIZE THE DANGER OF THIS SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT IS VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS NEW PROC. THE AFD INDICATED DROP ACTIVITY BUT THE ONE ON THE CTRLINE OF RWY 26R IS NEWLY ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE LAST 6 WEEKS, THE OTHER TWO HAVING BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THAT. A LEASE OPERATOR HAS ACQUIRED RENTAL RIGHTS AT THE ARPT AND LAND RIGHTS 3 MILES E FOR DROP RECOVERY EFFORTS. THE CLASS D AREA IS NOT 5 MILES OUT, BUT 3 NM OUT AT SDM. IT APPEARS TWR IS ACTING LIKE THE CTRLINE OF RWY 26R IS A PROHIBITED AREA AND DOES NOT COORD WELL WITH INBOUND ACFT, IE, NOT STOPPING THE PARACHUTE ACTIVITY DURING OTHER ACFT APCH PERIODS. TWR SIMPLY ADVISES THAT JUMP ZONE IS 'HOT.' RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT TRANSIENT ACFT MIGHT GET IN TROUBLE WITH PROC. HE IS LCL AND KNOWS THE AREA WELL, ALTHOUGH HE ADMITS HE CUT BACK TO CTRLINE TOO SOON. THE JUMP ACFT WAS ABOVE HIM, HE DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS CLBING OR IN A DESCENT. HE DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANYTHING THAT INDICATED JUMPERS WERE AWAY. THE JUMP ACFT CLB TO ABOUT 12000 FT.
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.