# Incident 19971231041399I: Knox, IN, December 31, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 31, 1997, 21:45 local time
- Place: Knox, IN
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.2910° N, 86.6212° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Knox, IN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.2910&lon=-86.6212&mi=10
- Aircraft: GJNEE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 600 total, 3 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971231041399I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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