Narrative:

At one point while conducting jump operations I turned onto jump run at 11500 ft MSL continuing the climb to 13500 ft MSL. I gave the prerequisite red light for opening the jump door, and the green light to let the jumpers know they may leave the aircraft. When I turn onto jump run the aircraft is in a nose high attitude (for the climb) I cannot see directly below the aircraft as there are no downward facing windows, and the FAA 'opspecs' for the jump aircraft mandate that no banks over 15 degrees can be made. My view limited and everything seemingly ok, the jumpers opened the door, observed the WX conditions below them, and exited the aircraft without incident. At that point I made the appropriate radio calls and proceeded with the GA equivalent of an emergency descent. While in the descent I spotted 2-3 parachutes clearly violating cloud clearance requirements, in their approach to the drop zone landing area. I was the PIC of the aircraft and allowed the jump door to come open and gave the jumpers the option to jump. Upon the completion of that jump, I clearly had problems with the way in which these licensed jumpers exercised this option. The skydivers opened the jump door and: observed the WX conditions below them, made a voluntary decision to jump, exited the aircraft, deployed their steerable parachutes at designated altitude of their choice, and they then steered their parachutes clearly toward the clouds, violating far's. The resulting parachute flight resulted in a clear violation of VFR cloud clearance requirements. The resulting demonstration of poor judgement forced me to take the cloud clearance issue partially out of their hands. While on jump run I had to make a judgement of cloud conditions in the general area while being unable to directly see the drop zone, this resulted inbtwn 3-6 aborted jump runs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF A DHC6 RELEASED SKYDIVERS IN VMC CONDITIONS BUT JUMPERS VIOLATE MINIMUM CLOUD CLRNC DURING DSCNT.

Narrative: AT ONE POINT WHILE CONDUCTING JUMP OPS I TURNED ONTO JUMP RUN AT 11500 FT MSL CONTINUING THE CLB TO 13500 FT MSL. I GAVE THE PREREQUISITE RED LIGHT FOR OPENING THE JUMP DOOR, AND THE GREEN LIGHT TO LET THE JUMPERS KNOW THEY MAY LEAVE THE ACFT. WHEN I TURN ONTO JUMP RUN THE ACFT IS IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE (FOR THE CLB) I CANNOT SEE DIRECTLY BELOW THE ACFT AS THERE ARE NO DOWNWARD FACING WINDOWS, AND THE FAA 'OPSPECS' FOR THE JUMP ACFT MANDATE THAT NO BANKS OVER 15 DEGS CAN BE MADE. MY VIEW LIMITED AND EVERYTHING SEEMINGLY OK, THE JUMPERS OPENED THE DOOR, OBSERVED THE WX CONDITIONS BELOW THEM, AND EXITED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THAT POINT I MADE THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS AND PROCEEDED WITH THE GA EQUIVALENT OF AN EMER DSCNT. WHILE IN THE DSCNT I SPOTTED 2-3 PARACHUTES CLRLY VIOLATING CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS, IN THEIR APCH TO THE DROP ZONE LNDG AREA. I WAS THE PIC OF THE ACFT AND ALLOWED THE JUMP DOOR TO COME OPEN AND GAVE THE JUMPERS THE OPTION TO JUMP. UPON THE COMPLETION OF THAT JUMP, I CLRLY HAD PROBS WITH THE WAY IN WHICH THESE LICENSED JUMPERS EXERCISED THIS OPTION. THE SKYDIVERS OPENED THE JUMP DOOR AND: OBSERVED THE WX CONDITIONS BELOW THEM, MADE A VOLUNTARY DECISION TO JUMP, EXITED THE ACFT, DEPLOYED THEIR STEERABLE PARACHUTES AT DESIGNATED ALT OF THEIR CHOICE, AND THEY THEN STEERED THEIR PARACHUTES CLRLY TOWARD THE CLOUDS, VIOLATING FAR'S. THE RESULTING PARACHUTE FLT RESULTED IN A CLR VIOLATION OF VFR CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS. THE RESULTING DEMONSTRATION OF POOR JUDGEMENT FORCED ME TO TAKE THE CLOUD CLRNC ISSUE PARTIALLY OUT OF THEIR HANDS. WHILE ON JUMP RUN I HAD TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT OF CLOUD CONDITIONS IN THE GENERAL AREA WHILE BEING UNABLE TO DIRECTLY SEE THE DROP ZONE, THIS RESULTED INBTWN 3-6 ABORTED JUMP RUNS.

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.