20000825036319A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Raven S55A · Lincoln, IL · August 25, 2000

Date: August 25, 2000 · 18:20 local
Place: Lincoln, IL
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N1073R
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI00LA270
Reported as: Raven S55A

N1073RRegistration cancelled Mar 1, 2001 · Raven S55AS/N S55A-260 Airframe modelRaven S55A

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)The pilot of N1073R, a Raven hot air balloon, lifted off from the logan county fairground racetrack, Lincoln, Illinois, in a free flight balloon event with additional participants in their respective balloons. The pilot became preoccupied with radio transmission to his ground crew regarding the whereabouts of the chase vehicle keys. The pilot located the keys in his pants pocket and threw the keys to the ground. The balloon had subsequently descened to a point where contact with power lines, near HSI takeoff, was imminent. The ballon sustained burn damage as the power line arched, and the balloon continued its descent to a position where the occupant basket was near the ground. Both the pilot and his passenger jumped to the ground and the balloon drifted into a second set of power lines before coming to a rest. The pilot and passenger received no injuries during this event and the balloon envelope was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)THE PILOT OF N1073R, A RAVEN HOT AIR BALLOON, LIFTED OFF FROM THE LOGAN COUNTY FAIRGROUND RACETRACK, LINCOLN, ILLINOIS, IN A FREE FLIGHT BALLOON EVENT WITH ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BALLOONS. THE PILOT BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH RADIO TRANSMISSION TO HIS GROUND CREW REGARDING THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE CHASE VEHICLE KEYS. THE PILOT LOCATED THE KEYS IN HIS PANTS POCKET AND THREW THE KEYS TO THE GROUND. THE BALLOON HAD SUBSEQUENTLY DESCENED TO A POINT WHERE CONTACT WITH POWER LINES, NEAR HSI TAKEOFF, WAS IMMINENT. THE BALLON SUSTAINED BURN DAMAGE AS THE POWER LINE ARCHED, AND THE BALLOON CONTINUED ITS DESCENT TO A POSITION WHERE THE OCCUPANT BASKET WAS NEAR THE GROUND. BOTH THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER JUMPED TO THE GROUND AND THE BALLOON DRIFTED INTO A SECOND SET OF POWER LINES BEFORE COMING TO A REST. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES DURING THIS EVENT AND THE BALLOON ENVELOPE WAS DESTROYED.

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 CHI00LA270Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLincoln, ILThe pilot failed to maintain clearance with the power lines. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's attention was diverted and the power lines which the balloon contacted.Aug 25, 2000 · Substantial damage