# Accident 19980523026879A: Aerstr S81A, Smoketown, PA, May 23, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 23, 1998, 05:50 local time
- Place: Smoketown, PA
- Airport: Smoketown Airport
- Phase of flight: Starting Engines
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.9793° N, 76.1795° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9793&lon=-76.1795&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7165E (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AERSTR S81A
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 950 total, 17 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA114) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980523026879A

## Narrative

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

(.4) THE BALLOON EXPERIENCED A FIRE WHILE PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE SHUT OFF THE BALLOON'S PROPANE TANKS, AND TRIED TIGHTENING ALL THE PROPANE FITTINGS TO PREVENT ANOTHER FIRE.  EXAMINATION OF THE BALLOON'S FUEL DELIVERY AND STORAGE SYSTEMS DID NOT REVEAL THE FIRE'S FUEL SOURCE.                                                     (-23)MR. DAVID GAITHER PERFORMED HIS REQUIRED PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE BALLOON FUEL SYSTEM AND BURNERS. MR. GAITHER SAID EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. PRIOR TO THE COLD INFLATION OF THE BALLOON, HE CONNECTED AN EXTERNAL FUEL TANK TO THE BURNER SYSTEM. THIS WOULD ALLOW HIM TO BEGIN HIS FLIGHT WITH FULL FUEL TANKS ON BOARD THE BALLOON. WHEN CONNECTING THE EXTERNAL FUEL SYSTEM TO THE BURNER, ONE OF THE THREE INTERNAL FUEL TANKS WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE FUEL LINE CAPPED. MR. GAITHER CLEARLY RECALLS CHECKING THE DISCONNECTED TANK TO ENSURE THAT THE FUEL VALVE WAS CLOSED. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE DISCONNECTED INTERNAL TANK WAS DRAPED OVER THE PILOT'S COMPARTMENT AT ABOUT WAIST HEIGHT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC98LA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA114), May 23, 1998: Aerostar S81A (N7165E), Strasburg, PA, no damage. Probable cause: A fire of undetermined origin.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.