Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 22; Flight Crew Total 8115; Flight Crew Type 215
Training / Qualification; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
On the let down into the Phoenix area; East North East of Lake Pleasant; I had a near miss with a guy hanging from a parasail. I was talking to Phoenix Approach Control at the time and had just been issued a frequency change to contact Luke Approach Control. My eyes were temporarily in the cockpit while dialing in the new radio frequency and I did not see the parasail until alerted by a passenger in the back seat. We were in a highly-traveled corridor used by commercial and general aviation aircraft and the near miss occurred as the aircraft was descending through 6100 ft. I estimated vertical separation of 100 ft and lateral separation of 300 ft when the parasail was spotted off our left wing; close enough to make out the man's facial features. I reported the near miss to Luke Approach Control.
C182 pilot reported a near miss with an individual operating a parasail in the vicinity of PHX.