19990509004829A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Arostr RX 8 · Morgan Hill, CA · May 9, 1999

Date: May 9, 1999 · 07:50 local
Place: Morgan Hill, CA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N70290
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX99FA177
Reported as: Arostr RX8
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2

N70290Registration cancelled Oct 27, 1999 · Aerostar International RX 8S/N RX8-3214 Airframe modelAerostar International RX 8

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.

Aerostar RX-8 hot air balloon struck high power lines shortly after take-off and subsequently crashed, all 3 POB have serious injuries, the acft was destroyed, other circumstances ae unknown. (-23)on takeoff from a field, the balloon drifted onto a powerline which may have ignited the 10 gallon lifuid propane tank. The balloon then became engulfed in flames and crashed in a farm field.

As the FAA filed it

AEROSTAR RX-8 HOT AIR BALLOON STRUCK HIGH POWER LINES SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED, ALL 3 POB HAVE SERIOUS INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES AE UNKNOWN. (-23)ON TAKEOFF FROM A FIELD, THE BALLOON DRIFTED ONTO A POWERLINE WHICH MAY HAVE IGNITED THE 10 GALLON LIFUID PROPANE TANK. THE BALLOON THEN BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND CRASHED IN A FARM FIELD.

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 LAX99FA177Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportMorgan Hill, CAThe pilot's selection of an inadequate takeoff site that did not allow sufficient horizontal clearance from obstacles in the takeoff path, and, his failure to ensure that all burners were connected to fuel sources, which reduced the available climb capability…May 9, 1999 · Destroyed