Narrative:

While towing a glider with a piper pawnee PA25 from ZZZ airport I observed parachute jumpers descending out of clouds near the tow plane. This happened on 2 occasions that afternoon. On the first occasion I was towing a glider slightly downwind of the center of the ZZZ airport at about 1800 ft AGL (2560 ft MSL) above ground when 2 parachute jumpers were observed flying in and between clouds over the airport in apparent violation of far 105.17(a) and (B). The base of the broken cloud layer at the time of sighting the parachutists was about 3500 ft MSL. Having observed the parachutists; I was able to maneuver the pawnee and the glider I was towing; further away from the parachute jump zone and no parachutists came within 1000-1500 ft of the pawnee or glider. While this was happening I radioed the jump plane; a twin otter; to state that parachutists were coming out of clouds; and to ask how many there might be so I could avoid them. I received no response from the twin otter. On the second occasion I was towing a glider climbing through 1000 ft AGL (1760 ft MSL) over the upwind end of the airport; circling to keep the glider close to the airport and to tow it slightly downwind; away from possible parachute activity. On this occasion the clouds were lower than before and I observed 3 parachutes descending out of a large cloud to my left; over the downwind end of the airport; near their intended landing area. I also observed one other parachute to my right (over the upwind end of the airport). This parachutist was relatively close; perhaps 500-600 ft abeam of the pawnee and the glider I was towing. I banked away from the parachutist; and the parachutist altered course behind me. There was no imminent collision between the tow plane; glider or parachutist; but the situation was close. I radioed the jump plane on the CTAF while he was descending from 14500 ft and again asked if he was aware that jumpers were coming out of the clouds. He denied that it happened. Had the parachutist been visible in clear air in accordance with far 105.17(a) and (B) (and not obscured until he was clear of cloud vertically and laterally) there would have been ample time to plan flight paths to see and avoid any close encounters. Contributing factors: marginal visibility about 5 mi and low; rapidly changing cloud bases. Corrective actions: 1) adherence to far's. The tow plane also needs to maintain VFR cloud clrncs for its own operation; as was the case of this situation. 2) plan parachute lndgs away from active runways so that parachutists do not descend through or near airport traffic patterns. 3) arrange airport traffic patterns such that parachutists and light aircraft (including gliders) do not use the same airspace. With such a suggestion keep in mind that both gliders and parachutes normally need to maintain a position slightly upwind of the traffic pattern until they enter the traffic pattern and land. 4) increase standard cloud clrncs for descending parachutes. 5) recognizing that this is an unpalatable suggestion: do not conduct glider operations and parachute operations during times of marginal VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TOW PLANE PLT REPORTS PARACHUTISTS ARE FAILING TO ABIDE WITH FARS REGARDING CLRNC FROM CLOUDS RESULTING IN CONFLICTS WITH OTHER USERS IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE TOWING A GLIDER WITH A PIPER PAWNEE PA25 FROM ZZZ ARPT I OBSERVED PARACHUTE JUMPERS DSNDING OUT OF CLOUDS NEAR THE TOW PLANE. THIS HAPPENED ON 2 OCCASIONS THAT AFTERNOON. ON THE FIRST OCCASION I WAS TOWING A GLIDER SLIGHTLY DOWNWIND OF THE CTR OF THE ZZZ ARPT AT ABOUT 1800 FT AGL (2560 FT MSL) ABOVE GND WHEN 2 PARACHUTE JUMPERS WERE OBSERVED FLYING IN AND BTWN CLOUDS OVER THE ARPT IN APPARENT VIOLATION OF FAR 105.17(A) AND (B). THE BASE OF THE BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AT THE TIME OF SIGHTING THE PARACHUTISTS WAS ABOUT 3500 FT MSL. HAVING OBSERVED THE PARACHUTISTS; I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE PAWNEE AND THE GLIDER I WAS TOWING; FURTHER AWAY FROM THE PARACHUTE JUMP ZONE AND NO PARACHUTISTS CAME WITHIN 1000-1500 FT OF THE PAWNEE OR GLIDER. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING I RADIOED THE JUMP PLANE; A TWIN OTTER; TO STATE THAT PARACHUTISTS WERE COMING OUT OF CLOUDS; AND TO ASK HOW MANY THERE MIGHT BE SO I COULD AVOID THEM. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWIN OTTER. ON THE SECOND OCCASION I WAS TOWING A GLIDER CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT AGL (1760 FT MSL) OVER THE UPWIND END OF THE ARPT; CIRCLING TO KEEP THE GLIDER CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND TO TOW IT SLIGHTLY DOWNWIND; AWAY FROM POSSIBLE PARACHUTE ACTIVITY. ON THIS OCCASION THE CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN BEFORE AND I OBSERVED 3 PARACHUTES DSNDING OUT OF A LARGE CLOUD TO MY L; OVER THE DOWNWIND END OF THE ARPT; NEAR THEIR INTENDED LNDG AREA. I ALSO OBSERVED ONE OTHER PARACHUTE TO MY R (OVER THE UPWIND END OF THE ARPT). THIS PARACHUTIST WAS RELATIVELY CLOSE; PERHAPS 500-600 FT ABEAM OF THE PAWNEE AND THE GLIDER I WAS TOWING. I BANKED AWAY FROM THE PARACHUTIST; AND THE PARACHUTIST ALTERED COURSE BEHIND ME. THERE WAS NO IMMINENT COLLISION BTWN THE TOW PLANE; GLIDER OR PARACHUTIST; BUT THE SITUATION WAS CLOSE. I RADIOED THE JUMP PLANE ON THE CTAF WHILE HE WAS DSNDING FROM 14500 FT AND AGAIN ASKED IF HE WAS AWARE THAT JUMPERS WERE COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS. HE DENIED THAT IT HAPPENED. HAD THE PARACHUTIST BEEN VISIBLE IN CLR AIR IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 105.17(A) AND (B) (AND NOT OBSCURED UNTIL HE WAS CLR OF CLOUD VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY) THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AMPLE TIME TO PLAN FLT PATHS TO SEE AND AVOID ANY CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MARGINAL VISIBILITY ABOUT 5 MI AND LOW; RAPIDLY CHANGING CLOUD BASES. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) ADHERENCE TO FAR'S. THE TOW PLANE ALSO NEEDS TO MAINTAIN VFR CLOUD CLRNCS FOR ITS OWN OP; AS WAS THE CASE OF THIS SITUATION. 2) PLAN PARACHUTE LNDGS AWAY FROM ACTIVE RWYS SO THAT PARACHUTISTS DO NOT DSND THROUGH OR NEAR ARPT TFC PATTERNS. 3) ARRANGE ARPT TFC PATTERNS SUCH THAT PARACHUTISTS AND LIGHT ACFT (INCLUDING GLIDERS) DO NOT USE THE SAME AIRSPACE. WITH SUCH A SUGGESTION KEEP IN MIND THAT BOTH GLIDERS AND PARACHUTES NORMALLY NEED TO MAINTAIN A POS SLIGHTLY UPWIND OF THE TFC PATTERN UNTIL THEY ENTER THE TFC PATTERN AND LAND. 4) INCREASE STANDARD CLOUD CLRNCS FOR DSNDING PARACHUTES. 5) RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS AN UNPALATABLE SUGGESTION: DO NOT CONDUCT GLIDER OPS AND PARACHUTE OPS DURING TIMES OF MARGINAL VFR.

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.