33.7106° N, 117.9511° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of Fountain Valley, CA, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
May 8, 1982 · 12:45 local
Place
Fountain Valley, CA
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
GBJZC
Reported as
Thundr AX765
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
850 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Balloon was wrenched free of ground crew during buoyancy test. A passenger was ejected as balloon struck a vehicle.
As the FAA filed it
BALLOON WAS WRENCHED FREE OF GROUND CREW DURING BUOYANCY TEST. A PASSENGER WAS EJECTED AS BALLOON STRUCK A VEHICLE.