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19970323011299I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Head AX888HEAD · Columbia, MO · March 23, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 23, 1997 · 08:15 local
Place
Columbia, MO
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N4502A
Reported as
Head AX888HEAD
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
36 total36 in this make and model1 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.

Narrative: on March 23, 1997, MS. Mary jane waters operated Head lighter than air, free balloon, N4502A, as pilot in command in the vicinity of Columbia, Missouri. She departed the balloon launch site at the boone county fairgrounds at 0720 CST, on a solo flight for the purpose of currency. At approximately 0815 CST, while on a landing approach, MS. Waters contacted a powerline, owned by boone electric cooperative, which broke off one pole at ground level and resulted in a line break. The power line breakage cut service to 515 customers for 35 minutes and 59 customers for 2 hours, 49 minutes. Ms. Waters stated that the winds had increased substantially after the launch and were an estimated 12 knots when she made her landing approach. The chase crew chief said he thought the winds were about 10 knots. However, the winds in the Columbia area at the time of the incident were reported to be six knots. Ms. Waters said she was concentrating on setting up a high wind landing and reacted too slowly when attempting to clear the powerlines. There were no injuries anad no damage to the balloon. privacy data omitted This incident report is closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 23, 1997, MS. MARY JANE WATERS OPERATED HEAD LIGHTER THAN AIR, FREE BALLOON, N4502A, AS PILOT IN COMMAND IN THE VICINITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI. SHE DEPARTED THE BALLOON LAUNCH SITE AT THE BOONE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS AT 0720 CST, ON A SOLO FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CURRENCY. AT APPROXIMATELY 0815 CST, WHILE ON A LANDING APPROACH, MS. WATERS CONTACTED A POWERLINE, OWNED BY BOONE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, WHICH BROKE OFF ONE POLE AT GROUND LEVEL AND RESULTED IN A LINE BREAK. THE POWER LINE BREAKAGE CUT SERVICE TO 515 CUSTOMERS FOR 35 MINUTES AND 59 CUSTOMERS FOR 2 HOURS, 49 MINUTES. MS. WATERS STATED THAT THE WINDS HAD INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY AFTER THE LAUNCH AND WERE AN ESTIMATED 12 KNOTS WHEN SHE MADE HER LANDING APPROACH. THE CHASE CREW CHIEF SAID HE THOUGHT THE WINDS WERE ABOUT 10 KNOTS. HOWEVER, THE WINDS IN THE COLUMBIA AREA AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE SIX KNOTS. MS. WATERS SAID SHE WAS CONCENTRATING ON SETTING UP A HIGH WIND LANDING AND REACTED TOO SLOWLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR THE POWERLINES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES ANAD NO DAMAGE TO THE BALLOON. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THIS INCIDENT REPORT IS CLOSED.