# N81DS: 1981 Raven S55A, registration cancelled 2002-05-15

- Type: Cancelled registration (FAA registry, deregistered aircraft)
- Cancelled: May 15, 2002
- Status when cancelled: Triennial form not returned
- Airframe: [Raven S55A](https://openairdocs.org/model/raven-s55a) (registry code 7480402)
- Engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000)
- Data sheets: [TCDS A15CE](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/A15CE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Serial number: S55A-748
- Year built: 1981
- Type of aircraft: Balloon
- Engine type: None
- Airworthiness: Standard, balloon
- Airworthiness date: March 4, 1981
- Certificate issued: October 18, 1994
- Last registry action: October 17, 2000
- Mode S code: AB075F
- Owner when cancelled: [Brown Chester P](https://openairdocs.org/faa-owner/BROWN%20CHESTER%20P)
- Location: [Albuquerque, NM](https://openairdocs.org/faa-place/NM/Albuquerque)
- Owner type: Individual
- Owner's area on the map: 35.0723° N, 106.5783° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at the center of ZIP code 87108, within about a mile (OpenAirDocs). The owner's mailing address, not where the aircraft was based
- The mark today: https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81DS
- FAA registry: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=81DS
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N81DS-2002-05-15

From the FAA registry file of October 29, 2026, cancelled registrations. Owners' street addresses are left out. The Mode S code belongs to the N-number, not the airframe.

ADs and bulletins for the Raven S55A: https://openairdocs.org/model/raven-s55a.md

## NTSB investigations (2)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DEN88LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN88LA081), Feb 28, 1988: Raven S55A (N81DS), Los Lunas, NM, substantial damage
- [NTSB DEN85LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN85LA078), Jan 13, 1985: Raven S55A (N81DS), Littleton, CO, substantial damage

## FAA accident and incident reports (2)

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [Accident 19880228005479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880228005479A), Feb 28, 1988: Raven S55A (N81DS), Los Lunas, NM, Substantial damage. Pilot suffered broken kneecap trying to land in a high wind. Gondola hit twice, rose up and made high wind landing.
- [Accident 19850113000779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850113000779A), Jan 13, 1985: Raven S55A (N81DS), Littleton, CO, Substantial damage. Precautionary landing due to increasing wind speed. Wind dragged balloon over a fence and draped it over powerline.

## Other aircraft with N81DS

- [Registered now](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81DS): Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40, S/N 40.406, built 2004

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.