19971231041399I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Knox, IN · December 31, 1997

Date: December 31, 1997 · 21:45 local
Place: Knox, IN
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: GJNEE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total3 in this make and model4 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: appendixes did not vent. The bottom of the gas cell exploded downward as the balloon approached it's ceiling of about 21,000 ft. the balloon was flown down using burners. As helium leaked out, the balloon got progressively heavier. Approximately 2 hours after rupture, the balloon was landed in a field near Knox, IN. The rip system failed to deploy and the balloon dragged into an irrigation pipe.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: APPENDIXES DID NOT VENT. THE BOTTOM OF THE GAS CELL EXPLODED DOWNWARD AS THE BALLOON APPROACHED IT'S CEILING OF ABOUT 21,000 FT. THE BALLOON WAS FLOWN DOWN USING BURNERS. AS HELIUM LEAKED OUT, THE BALLOON GOT PROGRESSIVELY HEAVIER. APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS AFTER RUPTURE, THE BALLOON WAS LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR KNOX, IN. THE RIP SYSTEM FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE BALLOON DRAGGED INTO AN IRRIGATION PIPE.