Narrative:

While practicing approach to landing stalls west of kobelt (N45) in a maule (high wing) we saw a high wing twin-engine airplane ahead to the south; about 1 mi and about 5000 ft above. Our altitude was about 5000 ft MSL. The plane was wbound; left to right. Recognizing the plane as a skydiving platform; and aware of skydiving activity at gardner; about 3 mi north; we turned to keep the airplane in sight. Almost immediately we saw a skydiver in freefall about 1/2 mi distant. We made an immediate 180 degrees to the left; with full power; and in descent; to clear the area as rapidly as possible. The owner of the plane and PNF had briefed the flight with duats including kobelt (N45) as a possible destination. He did not receive any briefing of parachute activity at kobelt; including no NOTAM for gardner. The new york approach frequency was not the usual frequency. It had either changed recently or temporarily. In any case; we were not monitoring. We were aware from the dutchess county (pou) ATIS that the frequency was different. Earlier in the day the PF; in another airplane; had received a negative transponder report from the dutchess tower. We heard another airplane receiving a similar report on return to dutchess. We did not receive any such report in the maule. The maule is equipped with mode south transponder and tis on garmin 530. In hindsight; winds aloft were from the south; and it is possible that: 1) we were further north than we thought; nearer gardner; and/or 2) jumpers were leaving the plane upwind; to the south of gardner. Also; this is not a good place to practice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAULE PLT PERFORMS EVASIVE MANEUVER WHEN SPOTTING SKYDIVER JUMPING FROM ACFT ABOVE.

Narrative: WHILE PRACTICING APCH TO LNDG STALLS W OF KOBELT (N45) IN A MAULE (HIGH WING) WE SAW A HIGH WING TWIN-ENG AIRPLANE AHEAD TO THE S; ABOUT 1 MI AND ABOUT 5000 FT ABOVE. OUR ALT WAS ABOUT 5000 FT MSL. THE PLANE WAS WBOUND; L TO R. RECOGNIZING THE PLANE AS A SKYDIVING PLATFORM; AND AWARE OF SKYDIVING ACTIVITY AT GARDNER; ABOUT 3 MI N; WE TURNED TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE IN SIGHT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE SAW A SKYDIVER IN FREEFALL ABOUT 1/2 MI DISTANT. WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEGS TO THE L; WITH FULL PWR; AND IN DSCNT; TO CLR THE AREA AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE OWNER OF THE PLANE AND PNF HAD BRIEFED THE FLT WITH DUATS INCLUDING KOBELT (N45) AS A POSSIBLE DEST. HE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY BRIEFING OF PARACHUTE ACTIVITY AT KOBELT; INCLUDING NO NOTAM FOR GARDNER. THE NEW YORK APCH FREQ WAS NOT THE USUAL FREQ. IT HAD EITHER CHANGED RECENTLY OR TEMPORARILY. IN ANY CASE; WE WERE NOT MONITORING. WE WERE AWARE FROM THE DUTCHESS COUNTY (POU) ATIS THAT THE FREQ WAS DIFFERENT. EARLIER IN THE DAY THE PF; IN ANOTHER AIRPLANE; HAD RECEIVED A NEGATIVE XPONDER RPT FROM THE DUTCHESS TWR. WE HEARD ANOTHER AIRPLANE RECEIVING A SIMILAR RPT ON RETURN TO DUTCHESS. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SUCH RPT IN THE MAULE. THE MAULE IS EQUIPPED WITH MODE S XPONDER AND TIS ON GARMIN 530. IN HINDSIGHT; WINDS ALOFT WERE FROM THE S; AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT: 1) WE WERE FURTHER N THAN WE THOUGHT; NEARER GARDNER; AND/OR 2) JUMPERS WERE LEAVING THE PLANE UPWIND; TO THE S OF GARDNER. ALSO; THIS IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO PRACTICE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.