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Incident

FAA incident report · Head AX888HEAD · Bradenton, FL · August 7, 1997

Date: August 7, 1997 · 07:20 local
Place: Bradenton, FL
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N45290
Reported as: Head AX888HEAD
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 400 total

N45290Registration cancelled Apr 5, 2005 · Head Balloons AX8-88S/N 204 · Built 1992 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.

Thursday, 7 August 1997, Dr. James h. wood, holder of certificate no 1615541, operated a hot air balloon on a commercial flight carrying three passengers. During the flight, the balloon was overtaken by a rain-shower. Moisture from the shower put out the pilot light of the burner. Unable to reignite the pilot light, the balloon cooled and settled to a landing in shallow water near the shore line of the manatee river. One passenger received minor injury from the landing. Weather conditions were forcast VFR during the period of flight.

As the FAA filed it

THURSDAY, 7 AUGUST 1997, DR. JAMES H. WOOD, HOLDER OF CERTIFICATE NO 1615541, OPERATED A HOT AIR BALLOON ON A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT CARRYING THREE PASSENGERS. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE BALLOON WAS OVERTAKEN BY A RAIN-SHOWER. MOISTURE FROM THE SHOWER PUT OUT THE PILOT LIGHT OF THE BURNER. UNABLE TO REIGNITE THE PILOT LIGHT, THE BALLOON COOLED AND SETTLED TO A LANDING IN SHALLOW WATER NEAR THE SHORE LINE OF THE MANATEE RIVER. ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURY FROM THE LANDING. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FORCAST VFR DURING THE PERIOD OF FLIGHT.