What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on April 28, 1998, at approximately 1143 CST (1643 gmt), a airship industries model 600 airship N602SK operating as a 14 CFR 91 sight seeing and public relations flight on behalf of fuji films experienced a deflation of the airbag envelope while maneuvering for landing and mooring at the Birmingham international airport, Birmingham, AL. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Winds were not exceeding 18 knots, but were gusty and variable (like a wind shear). The pilot made his approach to the non-movement area designated for their use just east of runway 36, which was closed. There was a NOTAM indicating this runway closure. Approaching his landing point, the pilot experienced wind shear and began drifting to the north. The pilot applied engine power and rudder to correct this, and noticed that the right propeller was stuck in the "reverse" position. The crew tried to correct this and started a single engine go-around when the airship drifted over a 12 ft high runway closure sign, struck it and deflated the bag. There are two major safety issues that facilitated this incident. The first was the initial failure of the right ducted prop, which stayed in reverse and failed to respond to the pilot's inputs to return to a normal ("pc" or forward pitch)mode. This event made a single engine go-around on a windy, gusty day very difficult. The second issue was the use of a metal x-shaped runway closure sign. This 10 to 12 ft tall metal structure came into contact with the airship and ripped open the lower part of the airship airbag, allowing the helium gas to escape and thus deflate the airship. If this metal sign had not been there, the airship would not have deflated. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON APRIL 28, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1143 CST (1643 GMT), A AIRSHIP INDUSTRIES MODEL 600 AIRSHIP N602SK OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 91 SIGHT SEEING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FLIGHT ON BEHALF OF FUJI FILMS EXPERIENCED A DEFLATION OF THE AIRBAG ENVELOPE WHILE MANEUVERING FOR LANDING AND MOORING AT THE BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BIRMINGHAM, AL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. WINDS WERE NOT EXCEEDING 18 KNOTS, BUT WERE GUSTY AND VARIABLE (LIKE A WIND SHEAR). THE PILOT MADE HIS APPROACH TO THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA DESIGNATED FOR THEIR USE JUST EAST OF RUNWAY 36, WHICH WAS CLOSED. THERE WAS A NOTAM INDICATING THIS RUNWAY CLOSURE. APPROACHING HIS LANDING POINT, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED WIND SHEAR AND BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE NORTH. THE PILOT APPLIED ENGINE POWER AND RUDDER TO CORRECT THIS, AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS STUCK IN THE "REVERSE" POSITION. THE CREW TRIED TO CORRECT THIS AND STARTED A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND WHEN THE AIRSHIP DRIFTED OVER A 12 FT HIGH RUNWAY CLOSURE SIGN, STRUCK IT AND DEFLATED THE BAG. THERE ARE TWO MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES THAT FACILITATED THIS INCIDENT. THE FIRST WAS THE INITIAL FAILURE OF THE RIGHT DUCTED PROP, WHICH STAYED IN REVERSE AND FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE PILOT'S INPUTS TO RETURN TO A NORMAL ("PC" OR FORWARD PITCH)MODE. THIS EVENT MADE A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND ON A WINDY, GUSTY DAY VERY DIFFICULT. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS THE USE OF A METAL X-SHAPED RUNWAY CLOSURE SIGN. THIS 10 TO 12 FT TALL METAL STRUCTURE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE AIRSHIP AND RIPPED OPEN THE LOWER PART OF THE AIRSHIP AIRBAG, ALLOWING THE HELIUM GAS TO ESCAPE AND THUS DEFLATE THE AIRSHIP. IF THIS METAL SIGN HAD NOT BEEN THERE, THE AIRSHIP WOULD NOT HAVE DEFLATED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
Other reports on N602SK · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.