Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 3.4; Flight Crew Total 279; Flight Crew Type 279
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Bird / Animal
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy
After practicing radio work and 8 Takeoffs and Landings at ZZZ (base airport) I went back to the tie down area to plan a flight to ZZZ1. I checked the weather; winds varied between calm and 100. Using ForeFlight; I selected the procedure 'Cross-midfield; Teardrop' for Runway 10. I wrote down the UNICOM and pattern altitude for ZZZ1 (122.8 and 2000 FT respectively). I departed ZZZ on Runway 13; enroute to ZZZ1. At 3;000 FT MSL I called ZZZ1 UNICOM to announce that I was 7 miles southeast of the field inbound for Runway 10 and would be crossing mid-field at 3;000 FT.I called UNICOM a 2nd time stating that I was 4 miles southeast of the field; inbound for Runway 10 and would be crossing mid-field at 3;000 FT for a tear-drop into the left down-wind for Runway 10. At 3;000 FT I called UNICOM a third time to announce that I was directly south of the field at 3000 FT turning to cross midfield. 4th call to UNICOM: When I was about to cross the airfield I announced that I was crossing midfield at 3;000 FT. Within seconds of my call a parachute jumper dropped in my view at about the 11 o'clock position and approximately 1;000 feet away. He was wearing a red jumpsuit and using a red and white parachute. We made eye contact. I banked to the right and flew northeast out of the airport vicinity. I called UNICOM for a traffic advisory concerning jumpers in the area. Mr. X; at ZZZ1 FBO; called back and said no jumpers are being reported at that time. I told him one just jumped right in front of me --- midfield at 3;000 FT. A 2-minute warning was called out over UNICOM instructing that jumpers were in the area and to not fly over the airport. I stayed northeast of the field at 3;000 FT for quite a while. I called out to Mr. X to get advice as to whether I should return to ZZZ. He said I could go ahead and land when the area was clear. I called UNICOM specifically asking traffic in the area to state their position. They said they were on Final. I stayed in the northeast area at 3;000 FT. I called UNICOM again asking traffic to state their position. They said they were on the ground.  I proceeded into the downwind for Runway 10 on a 45 and landed without incident. After tying my plane down and speaking with Mr. X at the FBO about the near-miss I drove over to the Sky Diving School. I spoke with 3 instructors leaving the building. They denied that there had been a near-miss. But; if it had happened it was because my radios were faulty - or I had stepped on the Sky Diving pilot's transmission when he gave the 2 minute warning - or my calls to UNICOM were stepped on. Regardless; the pilot was an airline pilot and with lots of experience. I went inside to find the owner or manager. [The manager] behind the desk was very helpful and made several calls to find out what happened. She called the owner; he did not speak to me and told [her] that there was not a near-miss; saying that he had been on the radio and heard the 2 minute warning call. After several calls [she] confirmed that the jumper involved in the near-miss was a new instructor. She called and talked to him for quite a while. I could only hear her side of the conversation. He told her they had done a Hop N' Pop where they let out one diver out at a low altitude of 5;000 FT before release the other divers at a higher altitude. She directly asked him if he had almost gotten hit by a plane. I got the impression that he said 'No.' After several more questions she relayed to me that he did remember seeing me but I was already on the ground and he was at 200 FT. [The manager] called [the owner] back to tell him what she had learned. [The owner] asked to speak to me. He said there had not been a near-miss and that the 2 minute warning was given and that there was nothing else to discuss. I called the FAA Center and reported the Near-Miss. What I believe caused the problem:1. After the incident I reviewed the Airport Directory and it states 'avoid over flights of airport. I should have gone around the airport and entered the downwind of Runway 10 on a 45. 2. The airport is identified on the Sectional as ZZZ1 but is also referred to as ZZZ1 X. I used both names in my transmission but this could have been confusing to the other pilot. I will confirm with the local FBO the preferred call name to use. 3. I believe that the Skydiving Pilot did not call out the 2 minute warning for the diver/ instructor on the Hop N' Pop.4. The diver was released 2;000 FT above me and had little time to react.5. I fly a high wing with limited visibility above me and didn't see the parachute until he was directly in front of me. I will need to get advice from my instructor on what to do different in the future.
The pilot of a C172 was surprised to observe a skydiver falling nearby as he crossed over a non-towered airport. He did not hear a pre-drop call from the skydiver's aircraft and suspects that one skydiver exited prior to the announced drop.