19980701024779A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amblmp ABCA60 · Lockhaven, PA · July 1, 1998

Date: July 1, 1998 · 11:05 local
Place: Lockhaven, PA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N760AB
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD98LA074
Reported as: Amblmp ABCA60
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,022 total2,000 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

N760ABRegistered now · American Blimp A-60+S/N 007 · Built 1993 Airframe modelAmerican Blimp A-60+Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

Dirigible encountered laarge down draft. Unable to control and descended into trees. XMU11074 (.4)the pilot received a weather briefing in person from the flight service station at the departure airport. The predicted headwinds for the planned airship flight over mountainous terrain were 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. An AIRMET issued for the proposed route of flight 45 minutes after takeoff called for occasional moderate turbulence over rough terrain due to strong low-level winds. In cruise flight approximately 500-600 feet above ground level, the airship encountered '...a severe sustained downdraft...' That could not be overcome with full power and full up elevator. The airship subsequently collided with trees. An update to the same AIRMET one hour after the accident called for occasional moderate and isolated severe turbulence over rough terrain.

As the FAA filed it

DIRIGIBLE ENCOUNTERED LAARGE DOWN DRAFT. UNABLE TO CONTROL AND DESCENDED INTO TREES. XMU11074 (.4)THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING IN PERSON FROM THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE PREDICTED HEADWINDS FOR THE PLANNED AIRSHIP FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WERE 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. AN AIRMET ISSUED FOR THE PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLIGHT 45 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF CALLED FOR OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURBULENCE OVER ROUGH TERRAIN DUE TO STRONG LOW-LEVEL WINDS. IN CRUISE FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 500-600 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE AIRSHIP ENCOUNTERED '...A SEVERE SUSTAINED DOWNDRAFT...' THAT COULD NOT BE OVERCOME WITH FULL POWER AND FULL UP ELEVATOR. THE AIRSHIP SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH TREES. AN UPDATE TO THE SAME AIRMET ONE HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT CALLED FOR OCCASIONAL MODERATE AND ISOLATED SEVERE TURBULENCE OVER ROUGH TERRAIN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD98LA074Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLock Haven, PAthe pilot's encounter with unforecasted downdrafts.Jul 1, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N760AB · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19941231043419ILevel Off Touchdown · Orlando, FLWindshift on landing caused high unrecoverable sink rate. Impact damaged airship landing gear.Dec 31, 1994 · Reported as Amblmp ABCA60 · Minor damage