NASA · Aviation Safety Reporting System
A Center Controller reported an NMAC between parachute jump aircraft and a VFR aircraft.
What is ASRS?
The Aviation Safety Reporting System is NASA's voluntary, confidential, non- punitive incident-reporting system, established 1976. Pilots, controllers, dispatchers, and maintenance technicians file reports describing safety- relevant events. NASA de-identifies every report before adding it to the public database. Reports are not investigated by NASA, the FAA, or the NTSB — they represent the reporter's perspective.
Pilot narrative
Verbatim from the de-identified NASA record. First-person account by the
reporter. NASA strips identifying details (names, company, specific time);
anonymization placeholders are ZZZ,
X, Y.
Aircraft X had previously conducted parachute jump operations. Aircraft Y was a VFR overflight southbound passing east of the airport. Aircraft Y had been handed off to Approach and a communication change completed. I observed a beacon code east of the airport climbing toward Aircraft Y. I suspected the beacon code was Aircraft X. I quickly confirmed beacon code assignment with the EDST (En route Decision Support Tool). Even though Aircraft X hadn't called on frequency, I issued a traffic alert to Aircraft X to turn left immediately just hoping the aircraft was monitoring my frequency. Aircraft X was on frequency and turned left immediately. I gave additional information on the traffic type and location. Aircraft X saw traffic and barely avoided it. Radar targets nearly merged at the same altitude. Aircraft X then stated that traffic information just appeared on "the box." Normal operations then resumed. [I suggest the jump operator] call via land line 10 minutes prior to initiating jump operations to allow for tactical adjustment of non-participating aircraft. [ATC could] sterilize the airspace in a 10 mile radius around the airport from initial call for jump operations until last jump completed. ATC should conduct quarterly telephone conferences and yearly face-to-face meetings with jump operators to ensure that existing procedures are being adhered to and to make any necessary adjustments.
NASA classification — Anomalies
- ATC Issue
- Conflict
- Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural
NASA classification — Assessments
- Contributing Factors / Situations
- Company Policy · Human Factors
- Primary Problem
- Human Factors
ASRS reports are voluntarily submitted, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective. The presence of reports on a topic cannot be used to infer prevalence in the National Airspace System. The authoritative source is the NASA ASRS Database Online at asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗.