What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The blimp had a history of unresolved electrical system charging problems. The ground crew were given rides after the last revenue flgt. As one of th e ground crew got in for his ride, he accidently moved the mixture and killed the engine. The pilot restarted the engine then said he had a low-batery warning light, but thought he had enough of a charge to make one more circuit. The passenger said the low-battery light remained on for the entire flight. On approach, the pilot went around due to a wind gust. On the second downwind, the voltage dropped to 4 and the pilot turned directly toward the landing area. At that point, the electrical servos which move the control surfaces stopped working due to the low voltage. The blimp hit the grass short of the landing zone and bounced along the ground until it stopped near the top of a berm. The pilot told the passenger to get out and hold the blimp down. The passenger tripped as he got out and rolled down the hill. When he got back on his feet, the blimp was rising with the pilot holding on to a hold down rail. The pilot lost his grip and fell from 200 feet. Postaccident tests of the electrical system revealed that a short in the starter switch was constantly draining the battery. The switch wiring was not installed in accordance with factory standards or the maintenance manuel. (.19) see narrative #LAX95LA121
As the FAA filed it
THE BLIMP HAD A HISTORY OF UNRESOLVED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHARGING PROBLEMS. THE GROUND CREW WERE GIVEN RIDES AFTER THE LAST REVENUE FLGT.AS ONE OF TH E GROUND CREW GOT IN FOR HIS RIDE, HE ACCIDENTLY MOVED THE MIXTURE AND KILLED THE ENGINE. THE PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINE THEN SAID HE HAD A LOW-BATERY WARNING LIGHT, BUT THOUGHT HE HAD ENOUGH OF A CHARGE TO MAKE ONE MORE CIRCUIT. THE PASSENGER SAID THE LOW-BATTERY LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. ON APPROACH, THE PILOT WENT AROUND DUE TO A WIND GUST. ON THE SECOND DOWNWIND, THE VOLTAGE DROPPED TO 4 AND THE PILOT TURNED DIRECTLY TOWARD THE LANDING AREA. AT THAT POINT, THE ELECTRICAL SERVOS WHICH MOVE THE CONTROL SURFACES STOPPED WORKING DUE TO THE LOW VOLTAGE. THE BLIMP HIT THE GRASS SHORT OF THE LANDING ZONE AND BOUNCED ALONG THE GROUND UNTIL IT STOPPED NEAR THE TOP OF A BERM. THE PILOT TOLD THE PASSENGER TO GET OUT AND HOLD THE BLIMP DOWN. THE PASSENGER TRIPPED AS HE GOT OUT AND ROLLED DOWN THE HILL. WHEN HE GOT BACK ON HIS FEET, THE BLIMP WAS RISING WITH THE PILOT HOLDING ON TO A HOLD DOWN RAIL. THE PILOT LOST HIS GRIP AND FELL FROM 200 FEET. POSTACCIDENT TESTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT A SHORT IN THE STARTER SWITCH WAS CONSTANTLY DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE SWITCH WIRING WAS NOT INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FACTORY STANDARDS OR THE MAINTENANCE MANUEL. (.19) SEE NARRATIVE #LAX95LA121
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.