😮
I was shown a digital video clip on Monday at Sibson that shook me to the core. On Saturday at around 1700 local the Peterborough Parachute Centre were operating from Sibson and jumping onto their DZ some 500 metres from the ARP.
Two groups of parachutists had left the LET410 from 12,000 with around 10 seconds separation. The first group’s parachutes deployed causing a Chipmunk tracking along the right hand side of the A1 southbound to do a steep avoiding turn to the right which brought him directly under the second group of paras who were still in freefall. One of them was wearing a video camera helmet which captured the Chipmunk below as it turned under him. He kept looking at it as he fell past probably doing around 120 mph with a miss distance I would estimate as being in the order of 15 feet. His expletive as he appreciated the proximity was not suitable for publication.
The Sibson DZ is clearly marked on the chart and is frequently active up to FL150 with parachutists anywhere within a radius of around 3 NM. Clearly this was an avoidable near catastrophe and I have no doubt that the video will be made available as a warning to pilots of the dangers involved in flying over or near to a published parachute DZ.
There is little doubt if the pilot concerned reads this he will know now only too well the danger so narrowly avoided.
Trapper 69
By: mike currill - 10th August 2004 at 07:54
Whenever I’m flying anywhere near a drop zone I always try to find out whether or not it’s active — either by talking to the local LARS station if they’re working or the airfield itself. In my experience Lakenheath for instance are very good about notifying anybody on their frequency about drops over Old Buckenham. Last time I was out that way you’d have had to be deaf (or NORDO) not to know about it.
Last time I flew past Sibson I gave them a call to double-check, and indeed they were dropping, so I gave them a wide berth to the west. It’s not as if diverting a couple of miles to either side of the DZ adds much if anything to your flight time.
Skybolt — by what distance do the parachutists like us to avoid the zones? Is a couple of miles enough?
Even if it does add an appreciable time to your journey so what? more time in your log book and no accident sounds good to me. Any way better to lose a minute in life than life in a minute
By: Skybolt - 9th August 2004 at 14:45
🙂
The CAA has given me the following advice.
They believe the system put in place in about 1999 is proving to be about as good as you can get, and its functioning is auditable. The most important thing is that the system must be fail safe.
Those interested should refer to the UK AIP Section ENR 1.1.5 and the frequencies for Drop Zone Activity Information given on CAA charts.
If they desire more direct liaison with the parachute clubs they should get a copy of BPA Form 192, available on the British Parachute Association website – www.bpa.org.uk and follow the links >Office> >Documents on-line>
>F192 DZ frequencies and contacts.
Here is the complete link –
http://www.bpa.org.uk/forms/docs/Fo…%20Contacts.doc
From the CAA perspective, the DZ activity notification system is set up to ensure that, for example, the pilot of a foreign corporate turboprop should be able to receive strategic information about a DZ that has been notified by the club as being active. Very often this information will be offered by the nominated ATSU without it even being requested. The nominated ATSU should also be able to provide the local frequency used by the club when asked. In addition, pilots who are more familiar with local operations can obtain up to date tactical information direct from the club (within the constraints that this is not an official information service – since when you call you have no idea who you are talking to or the quality of the information they provide).
It seems to work, and BPA does actively promote the system and monitors that the clubs are doing what they are supposed to do.
It is certain that any amount of measures will not prevent every wayward aeroplane from flying into danger, whether the errors are negligent or not.
The CAA hope this information will be of assistance.
They take the point about the protocols needing to be easily understood and will be pleased to consider sensible suggestions if it can be better explained. The limitation is that we cannot appear to give official sanction to any elements that are unofficial.
This puts the official perspective on the matter and I do think that there will be increased emphasis on the dangers present in and near parachute club DZ’s in future CAA safety evenings and GASIL publicity.
Hope this will assist in minimising the possibility of any repetition.
Cheers,
Trapper 69
By: David Burke - 4th August 2004 at 23:11
Damien – I have flown in the area a lot and we tend to call Cottesmore on take off and then speak to Wittering as we route south. Clearly anyone who doesn’t like to talk in such busy airspace is asking for trouble.
As for Sibson -it’s a very well known parachuting centre so there is no reason for not giving it a wide berth. Certainly I can recall a helicopter infringing their zone a few years ago. It’s just not on.
By: met24 - 4th August 2004 at 16:52
Whenever I’m flying anywhere near a drop zone I always try to find out whether or not it’s active — either by talking to the local LARS station if they’re working or the airfield itself. In my experience Lakenheath for instance are very good about notifying anybody on their frequency about drops over Old Buckenham. Last time I was out that way you’d have had to be deaf (or NORDO) not to know about it.
Last time I flew past Sibson I gave them a call to double-check, and indeed they were dropping, so I gave them a wide berth to the west. It’s not as if diverting a couple of miles to either side of the DZ adds much if anything to your flight time.
Skybolt — by what distance do the parachutists like us to avoid the zones? Is a couple of miles enough?
By: Moggy C - 4th August 2004 at 16:51
As you say, clearly marked on the chart.
Not marked as such on handheld GPSs though.
Moggy
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August 4, 2004 at 4:30 pm