20011013029399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Raven S57A · Albuquerque, NM · October 13, 2001

Date
October 13, 2001 · 07:55 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3636Z
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA014
Reported as
Raven S57A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
60 total60 in this make and model13 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.

(.19) On October 13, 2001, at 0755 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar Raven S57-A hot-air balloon, N3636Z, was substantially damaged during landing near Albuquerque, new Mexico. The balloon was registered to and operated by private individuals. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured, and one passenger sustained a serious injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the balloon fiesta park, at 0715. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that the intended flight was to be short; however, after takeoff, the wind increased and the balloon over flew the intended landing area. The pilot then selected a field at the del norte high school in which to land. The field had wires along its edge. As the balloon was clearing the wires, the pilot vented the balloon, but the balloon continued to float past the field, impacting a wooden post located near a building. The balloon rotated, struck the building, and came to rest with its basket on a fence. The balloon's envelope, basket, and basket uprights were damaged. (-23) on October 13, 2001 at 0755 MDT, a Aerostar balloon S57A, N3636Z registered to debbie heckes, tom fisher, and bradley rice, collided with a wooden post and a building on landing at del norte high school, Albuquerque, NM while on a pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The balloon was substantially damaged and one passenger suffered a broken wrist. The flight originated at balloon fiesta park at Albuquerque, NM on October 13 at 0715 MDT. (.4) on October 13, 2001, at 0755 mountain daylight time, an Aerostar Raven S57-A hot-air balloon, N3636Z, was substantially damaged when it collided with a building during landing near Albuquerque, new Mexico. The balloon was registered to and operated by private individuals. The private pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries, and one passenger sustained a serious injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The flight originated from the balloon fiesta park, at 0740. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that the intended flight was to be short; howeve r, after takeoff, the wind increased and the balloon over flew the intended landing area. The pilot then selected a field at the del norte high school in which to land. The field had wires along its edge. As the balloon was clearing the wires, the pilot vented the balloon, but the balloon continued to float past the field, impacting a wooden telephone post located near a building. The balloon rotated, struck the building, and came to rest with its basket on a fence. The balloon's envelope, basket, and basket uprights were damaged. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, the wind had increased to approximately 30 knots with gusts to 35 knots. At 0750, the Albuquerque international sunport airport (abq), located approximately 7 miles southeast of the accident site, reported the wind from 010 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 7 degrees c, dew point -13 degrees c, altimeter 30.01 inches of mercury (hg).

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON OCTOBER 13, 2001, AT 0755 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSTAR RAVEN S57-A HOT-AIR BALLOON, N3636Z, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE BALLOON WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BALLOON FIESTA PARK, AT 0715. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE INTENDED FLIGHT WAS TO BE SHORT; HOWEVER, AFTER TAKEOFF, THE WIND INCREASED AND THE BALLOON OVER FLEW THE INTENDED LANDING AREA. THE PILOT THEN SELECTED A FIELD AT THE DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL IN WHICH TO LAND. THE FIELD HAD WIRES ALONG ITS EDGE. AS THE BALLOON WAS CLEARING THE WIRES, THE PILOT VENTED THE BALLOON, BUT THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO FLOAT PAST THE FIELD, IMPACTING A WOODEN POST LOCATED NEAR A BUILDING. THE BALLOON ROTATED, STRUCK THE BUILDING, AND CAME TO REST WITH ITS BASKET ON A FENCE. THE BALLOON'S ENVELOPE, BASKET, AND BASKET UPRIGHTS WERE DAMAGED. (-23) ON OCTOBER 13, 2001 AT 0755 MDT, A AEROSTAR BALLOON S57A, N3636Z REGISTERED TO DEBBIE HECKES, TOM FISHER, AND BRADLEY RICE, COLLIDED WITH A WOODEN POST AND A BUILDING ON LANDING AT DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL, ALBUQUERQUE, NM WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE BALLOON WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND ONE PASSENGER SUFFERED A BROKEN WRIST. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BALLOON FIESTA PARK AT ALBUQUERQUE, NM ON OCTOBER 13 AT 0715 MDT. (.4) ON OCTOBER 13, 2001, AT 0755 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSTAR RAVEN S57-A HOT-AIR BALLOON, N3636Z, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A BUILDING DURING LANDING NEAR ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE BALLOON WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BALLOON FIESTA PARK, AT 0740. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE INTENDED FLIGHT WAS TO BE SHORT; HOWEVE R, AFTER TAKEOFF, THE WIND INCREASED AND THE BALLOON OVER FLEW THE INTENDED LANDING AREA. THE PILOT THEN SELECTED A FIELD AT THE DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL IN WHICH TO LAND. THE FIELD HAD WIRES ALONG ITS EDGE. AS THE BALLOON WAS CLEARING THE WIRES, THE PILOT VENTED THE BALLOON, BUT THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO FLOAT PAST THE FIELD, IMPACTING A WOODEN TELEPHONE POST LOCATED NEAR A BUILDING. THE BALLOON ROTATED, STRUCK THE BUILDING, AND CAME TO REST WITH ITS BASKET ON A FENCE. THE BALLOON'S ENVELOPE, BASKET, AND BASKET UPRIGHTS WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND HAD INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS. AT 0750, THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL SUNPORT AIRPORT (ABQ), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE WIND FROM 010 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKY CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 7 DEGREES C, DEW POINT -13 DEGREES C, ALTIMETER 30.01 INCHES OF MERCURY (HG).

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.