19990704046189A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Camron N-77 · Battle Creek, MI · July 4, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: July 4, 1999 · 07:45 local
Place: Battle Creek, MI
Airport: W K Kellogg Regional
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N7517L
Reported as: Camron N77

N7517LRegistered now · Cameron Balloons US N-77S/N 5819 · Built 1993 Airframe modelCameron Balloons US N-77 Engine modelNONENone

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.

(-23) Pilot stated that he was over 50' above the wires trying to land when a gust of wind pushed his balloon down onto the power lines. The balloon made contact with the power lines (top wire contacted the basket cables just below the burner support bracket and the second power wire contacted the basket about halfway down the basket) causing arching. The basket u-tubed had a burn hole of about 1/2" by 1" and one of the two basket cables on one end of the basket had the protective plastic covering melted. The cable had two strands cut. Pilot stated that he flew on to land at the first safe landing site a little farther on.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS OVER 50' ABOVE THE WIRES TRYING TO LAND WHEN A GUST OF WIND PUSHED HIS BALLOON DOWN ONTO THE POWER LINES. THE BALLOON MADE CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINES (TOP WIRE CONTACTED THE BASKET CABLES JUST BELOW THE BURNER SUPPORT BRACKET AND THE SECOND POWER WIRE CONTACTED THE BASKET ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE BASKET) CAUSING ARCHING. THE BASKET U-TUBED HAD A BURN HOLE OF ABOUT 1/2" BY 1" AND ONE OF THE TWO BASKET CABLES ON ONE END OF THE BASKET HAD THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COVERING MELTED. THE CABLE HAD TWO STRANDS CUT. PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW ON TO LAND AT THE FIRST SAFE LANDING SITE A LITTLE FARTHER ON.