19970413005829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Head AX888HEAD · San Diego, CA · April 13, 1997

Date: April 13, 1997 · 18:53 local
Place: San Diego, CA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N380P
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97LA159
Reported as: Head AX888HEAD
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 40 total40 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N380PRegistration cancelled Apr 29, 2013 · Head Balloons AX8-88S/N 207 · Built 1993 Airframe modelHead Balloons AX8-88 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.

Balloon came down fast, hit ground, explosion, balloon went back up, another explosion hit powerlines, brush fire. (.4)the pilot of the hot air balloon intentionally induced a high sink rate to avoid power lines with insufficient altitude remaining to return to a nominal sink rate prior to impact with the ground. All occupants were ejected from the basket, and the balloon then drifted away until it was brought to rest by contact with some nearby power lines.

As the FAA filed it

BALLOON CAME DOWN FAST, HIT GROUND, EXPLOSION, BALLOON WENT BACK UP, ANOTHER EXPLOSION HIT POWERLINES, BRUSH FIRE. (.4)THE PILOT OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON INTENTIONALLY INDUCED A HIGH SINK RATE TO AVOID POWER LINES WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE REMAINING TO RETURN TO A NOMINAL SINK RATE PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE BASKET, AND THE BALLOON THEN DRIFTED AWAY UNTIL IT WAS BROUGHT TO REST BY CONTACT WITH SOME NEARBY POWER LINES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97LA159Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Diego, CAThe pilot's decision to increase sink rate to avoid flying into an obstacle with insufficient altitude remaining to reduce the sink rate prior to impact with the ground.Apr 14, 1997 · Substantial damage