OpenAirDocs.org

20000328016429I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Colt COLT180A · Santa Rosa, CA · March 28, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 28, 2000 · 07:50 local
Place
Santa Rosa, CA
Airport
Sonoma County
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N61406
Reported as
Colt COLT180A
People aboard
9
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
950 total600 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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)Balloon incident as sts, heildsburg, CA. A balloon piloted by privacy data omitted, carry 8 passengers. The balloon contacted the upper portion of a tree upon take off from rodney strong vineyards, approximately 3 miles north os sts. This occurred approximately 50 feet AGL. There were no injuries, there was damage to the lower envelope fabric. Because there was no suitable landing area and the close proximity of the vineyards, the flight was continued to sts. On approach to the eastern corner of the airport, the balloon was descending and did not clear the upper portion of a line of trees that were bordering the eastern edge of the airport. After brushing the tree and further tearing the lower portion of the envelope, the balloon landed on the airport. The basket remined upright and the balloon was deflated. There were no injuries to occupants or the pilot. The envelope was sent to a repair station(QLFR6601) for inspection and repair. The inspection revealed the balloon had torn 17 panels in a-f section. This is in the lower third, no load tapes were damaged.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)BALLOON INCIDENT AS STS, HEILDSBURG, CA. A BALLOON PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA ^, CARRY 8 PASSENGERS. THE BALLOON CONTACTED THE UPPER PORTION OF A TREE UPON TAKE OFF FROM RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NORTH OS STS. THIS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LOWER ENVELOPE FABRIC. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SUITABLE LANDING AREA AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE VINEYARDS, THE FLIGHT WAS CONTINUED TO STS. ON APPROACH TO THE EASTERN CORNER OF THE AIRPORT, THE BALLOON WAS DESCENDING AND DID NOT CLEAR THE UPPER PORTION OF A LINE OF TREES THAT WERE BORDERING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE AIRPORT. AFTER BRUSHING THE TREE AND FURTHER TEARING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE ENVELOPE, THE BALLOON LANDED ON THE AIRPORT. THE BASKET REMINED UPRIGHT AND THE BALLOON WAS DEFLATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO OCCUPANTS OR THE PILOT. THE ENVELOPE WAS SENT TO A REPAIR STATION(QLFR6601) FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THE BALLOON HAD TORN 17 PANELS IN A-F SECTION. THIS IS IN THE LOWER THIRD, NO LOAD TAPES WERE DAMAGED.