Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 850; Flight Crew Type 200
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
While conducting skydiving operations; I placed a two-minute call to ZAB center per the Letter of Agreement (LOA) between ZAB and the skydive operator. Center then called traffic seven miles out. He advised it was fast moving; but did not specify a speed or an ETA.Per the LOA; I was supposed to call the traffic as either 'in sight' or 'no factor' before releasing the jumpers. Not having the traffic in sight; but believing it was far enough away as to not be a factor; I released the jumpers and inadvertently omitted the 'no factor' call to Center. The traffic passed close enough to the jumpers to cause the ZAB controller some concern. Typically; traffic that is seven miles out will not be a factor at the two minute mark. However; this traffic was fast moving and I failed to take that into account in making my determination. Contributing to this was my inexperience as a skydive pilot. As of the date of this incident; I had been working in the position less than three months. This was my first day conducting skydive operations away from the airport where I usually work.
Sky dive pilot reported releasing jumpers without proper coordination with ATC; resulting in reduced separation between jumpers and other traffic.