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20000318004069A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Adams A55S · Los Lunas, NM · March 18, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 18, 2000 · 09:50 local
Place
Los Lunas, NM
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4035T
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN00LA062
Reported as
Adams A55S
Fatal injuries
0
N4035TRegistered now · Adams Balloon A55SS/N 139 · Built 1984Airframe modelAdams Balloon A55SEngine 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.

(.4)The st. patrick's balloon rally weather briefing indicated calm surface winds. Winds aloft were greater than 20 knots, and the level was expected to drop later that morning. On a previous flight, the winds aloft had been negligible, then varied between southeasterly at 5 knots to westerly at 3 knots. On a later flight, the wind was 'variable and slow,' then became 'predominantly to the west at approximately 2TO 3 knots.' The pilot landed the balloon in an open field 'unassisted and standing up.' The envelope was not deflated at that time because the wind was calm and the chase crew had not yet arrived. When the chase crew did arrive, 'the wind seemed to change direction to the southeast,' and wind speed 'increased dramatically...from the northwest at approximately 10 to 15 knots.' The balloon ascended about 15 to 20 feet. The balloon 'throat collapsed and [the pilot] could not burn to compensate for false lift.' He attempted to vent the envelope, but the top would not open because it was cold from standing on the ground. The false lift dissipated, the balloon struck the ground, and was dragged across the field.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE ST. PATRICK'S BALLOON RALLY WEATHER BRIEFING INDICATED CALM SURFACE WINDS. WINDS ALOFT WERE GREATER THAN 20 KNOTS, AND THE LEVEL WAS EXPECTED TO DROP LATER THAT MORNING. ON A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, THE WINDS ALOFT HAD BEEN NEGLIGIBLE, THEN VARIED BETWEEN SOUTHEASTERLY AT 5 KNOTS TO WESTERLY AT 3 KNOTS. ON A LATER FLIGHT, THE WIND WAS 'VARIABLE AND SLOW,' THEN BECAME 'PREDOMINANTLY TO THE WEST AT APPROXIMATELY 2TO 3 KNOTS.' THE PILOT LANDED THE BALLOON IN AN OPEN FIELD 'UNASSISTED AND STANDING UP.' THE ENVELOPE WAS NOT DEFLATED AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THE WIND WAS CALM AND THE CHASE CREW HAD NOT YET ARRIVED. WHEN THE CHASE CREW DID ARRIVE, 'THE WIND SEEMED TO CHANGE DIRECTION TO THE SOUTHEAST,' AND WIND SPEED 'INCREASED DRAMATICALLY...FROM THE NORTHWEST AT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 KNOTS.' THE BALLOON ASCENDED ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET. THE BALLOON 'THROAT COLLAPSED AND [THE PILOT] COULD NOT BURN TO COMPENSATE FOR FALSE LIFT.' HE ATTEMPTED TO VENT THE ENVELOPE, BUT THE TOP WOULD NOT OPEN BECAUSE IT WAS COLD FROM STANDING ON THE GROUND. THE FALSE LIFT DISSIPATED, THE BALLOON STRUCK THE GROUND, AND WAS DRAGGED ACROSS THE 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 DEN00LA062Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLos Lunas, NMThe pilot's decision not to deflate the envelope. A factor was the wind gust.Mar 18, 2000 · Substantial damage