What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Hot air balloon was landing when it struck two powerlines and crashed, the gondola sepatated from the balloon and fell 40 feet. Pilot and 11 pax suffered serious inj, 1 pax suffered fatal inj. (.19) on October 5, 1998, approximately 0908 mountain daylight time, a cameron A-250 balloon, N4557W, was destroyed following a loss of control during approach to a landing and the subsequent impact with wires on kirtland air force base, near Albuquerque, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and 11 passengers were seriously injured; however, one passenger was fatally injured. The balloon (named the wayfinder) was being operated by the pilot under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the across town flight which originated approximately 63 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, as he was approaching a large field for landing, a "wind shear" forced him down. He said that the balloon impacted wires and "skyrocketed upwards." The pilot further stated that the balloon "still appeared airworthy" and he set up a stabilized descent to another landing field. As he approached the field, a second "wind shear" forced his balloon down, impacting wires a second time. This impact separated the basket from the envelope, which subsequently fell between 15 to 25 feet to the ground. (.4) the balloon was making a landing approach on a 165 degree heading. The pilot said that he thought he was 50 to 60 feet above the oncoming wires when the balloon began to descend. The balloon impacted the wires, and was subsequently extracted from them due to a large heat input just prior to wire impact. The balloon proceeded eastbound and climbed 600 feet AGL. The pilot began a stabilized descent, and the balloon again turned southbound. The pilot selected a landing site which had transmission wires on the approach edge of the field. The pilot began a descending approach over the wires believing that he had approximately 20 feet of clearance. The balloon's descent suddenly increased, and the pilot began heating the envelope. The balloon impacted the second set of wires, and the basket fell to the ground. Balloon training procedures recommend that during a landing over wires, the wires be approached in level, or ascending flight. The balloon's flight manual states: 'if contact with electric wires becomes inevitable, rip out the top to ensure that the basket is as close to the ground as possible before contact.' (-23) high winds prevented numerous balloon pilots from launching at the balloon festival. However pilot thompson launched from irving and coors road. The pilot hit power lines at landing site at kirtland air force base n.m. the balloon was able to free from power lines only to hit others approximately 4500' from first impact site. 1 pax was killed. All others and pilot went to hospital.
As the FAA filed it
HOT AIR BALLOON WAS LANDING WHEN IT STRUCK TWO POWERLINES AND CRASHED, THE GONDOLA SEPATATED FROM THE BALLOON AND FELL 40 FEET. PILOT AND 11 PAX SUFFERED SERIOUS INJ, 1 PAX SUFFERED FATAL INJ. (.19) ON OCTOBER 5, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 0908 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CAMERON A-250 BALLOON, N4557W, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING APPROACH TO A LANDING AND THE SUBSEQUENT IMPACT WITH WIRES ON KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND 11 PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED; HOWEVER, ONE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE BALLOON (NAMED THE WAYFINDER) WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE ACROSS TOWN FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED APPROXIMATELY 63 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AS HE WAS APPROACHING A LARGE FIELD FOR LANDING, A "WIND SHEAR" FORCED HIM DOWN. HE SAID THAT THE BALLOON IMPACTED WIRES AND "SKYROCKETED UPWARDS." THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT THE BALLOON "STILL APPEARED AIRWORTHY" AND HE SET UP A STABILIZED DESCENT TO ANOTHER LANDING FIELD. AS HE APPROACHED THE FIELD, A SECOND "WIND SHEAR" FORCED HIS BALLOON DOWN, IMPACTING WIRES A SECOND TIME. THIS IMPACT SEPARATED THE BASKET FROM THE ENVELOPE, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY FELL BETWEEN 15 TO 25 FEET TO THE GROUND. (.4) THE BALLOON WAS MAKING A LANDING APPROACH ON A 165 DEGREE HEADING. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS 50 TO 60 FEET ABOVE THE ONCOMING WIRES WHEN THE BALLOON BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE BALLOON IMPACTED THE WIRES, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EXTRACTED FROM THEM DUE TO A LARGE HEAT INPUT JUST PRIOR TO WIRE IMPACT. THE BALLOON PROCEEDED EASTBOUND AND CLIMBED 600 FEET AGL. THE PILOT BEGAN A STABILIZED DESCENT, AND THE BALLOON AGAIN TURNED SOUTHBOUND. THE PILOT SELECTED A LANDING SITE WHICH HAD TRANSMISSION WIRES ON THE APPROACH EDGE OF THE FIELD. THE PILOT BEGAN A DESCENDING APPROACH OVER THE WIRES BELIEVING THAT HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET OF CLEARANCE. THE BALLOON'S DESCENT SUDDENLY INCREASED, AND THE PILOT BEGAN HEATING THE ENVELOPE. THE BALLOON IMPACTED THE SECOND SET OF WIRES, AND THE BASKET FELL TO THE GROUND. BALLOON TRAINING PROCEDURES RECOMMEND THAT DURING A LANDING OVER WIRES, THE WIRES BE APPROACHED IN LEVEL, OR ASCENDING FLIGHT. THE BALLOON'S FLIGHT MANUAL STATES: 'IF CONTACT WITH ELECTRIC WIRES BECOMES INEVITABLE, RIP OUT THE TOP TO ENSURE THAT THE BASKET IS AS CLOSE TO THE GROUND AS POSSIBLE BEFORE CONTACT.' (-23) HIGH WINDS PREVENTED NUMEROUS BALLOON PILOTS FROM LAUNCHING AT THE BALLOON FESTIVAL. HOWEVER PILOT THOMPSON LAUNCHED FROM IRVING AND COORS ROAD. THE PILOT HIT POWER LINES AT LANDING SITE AT KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE N.M. THE BALLOON WAS ABLE TO FREE FROM POWER LINES ONLY TO HIT OTHERS APPROXIMATELY 4500' FROM FIRST IMPACT SITE. 1 PAX WAS KILLED. ALL OTHERS AND PILOT WENT TO HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.