19970119008869I

Incident

FAA incident report · Thundr AX8105 · Las Cruces, NM · January 19, 1997

Date: January 19, 1997 · 09:00 local
Place: Las Cruces, NM
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N826TC
Reported as: Thundr AX8105
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 831 total50 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N826TCRegistered now · Thunder & Colt Airborne Amer AX8-108 S.1S/N 2647USA · Built 1994 Airframe modelThunder & Colt Airborne Amer AX8-108 S.1 Engine modelNONENone

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.

Narrative: on 01/19/97 am MST, a thunder colt AX8-108 hot air balloon (N826TC) contacted powerlines while landing. The incident occurred in a plowed field, approximately 3/4 mile south of interstate 10 and east of the rio grande river in Las Cruces, NM. The aircraft had participated in a pleasure flight. The pilot stated he did not see the powerlines until it was too late to avoid striking them. The lines were abandoned, and there was no electrical power present, which precluded damage to the aircraft or injury to the occupants. The aircraft is registered to scott f. visniewski, privacy data omitted visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. Mr. Visniewski holds a U.S. Commercial pilot certificate #570569928.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON 01/19/97 AM MST, A THUNDER COLT AX8-108 HOT AIR BALLOON (N826TC) CONTACTED POWERLINES WHILE LANDING. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A PLOWED FIELD, APPROXIMATELY 3/4 MILE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 AND EAST OF THE RIO GRANDE RIVER IN LAS CRUCES, NM. THE AIRCRAFT HAD PARTICIPATED IN A PLEASURE FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT SEE THE POWERLINES UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID STRIKING THEM. THE LINES WERE ABANDONED, AND THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER PRESENT, WHICH PRECLUDED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO SCOTT F. VISNIEWSKI, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. MR. VISNIEWSKI HOLDS A U.S. COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE #570569928.