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20030215002979A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aerstr S-71A · Scottsdale, AZ · February 15, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 15, 2003 · 10:00 local
Place
Scottsdale, AZ
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5285M
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX03LA099
Reported as
Aerstr S71A
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
10,800 total100 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N5285MRegistered now · Aerostar International S-71AS/N S71A-3023Airframe modelAerostar International S-71AEngine 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.

(.19) On February 20, 2003, about 1000 mountain standard time, an Aerostar S-71A balloon, N5285M, made a precautionary landing between power lines near the intersection of jomax street and Scottsdale road, Scottsdale, Arizona. After landing, while the pilot and passengers were still inside the basket, the envelope struck a power line. A volt of electricity struck the wire pyrometer and sent electricity through the envelope and basket. The basket and envelope were substantially damaged. The certificated airline transport pilot and five passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area sightseeing flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from the corner of Scottsdale road and highway 101 in Scottsdale about 0830 the morning of the accident. The flight was scheduled to terminate in the same general location. According to the pilot, he had received weather briefings from the prescott flight service station (fss), as well as deer valley airport and Scottsdale airport. At the time of the accident the pilot indicated that there were no winds and he was using more fuel than normal. He was traversing power lines at an angle whenhe noted an open area between power lines. He elected to make a precautionary landing in the area. After touchdown the envelope "leaned" over and struck a power line. (-23) pilot was conducting a sight-seeing flight in hot air balloon. The weather was broken clouds at approximately 2000 feet MSL. During the flight the balloon flew over powerlines. At that time the wind shifted and kept pilot over the powerlines. Pilot was unable to maneuver balloon to a higher altitude due to clouds above him. As time past, fuel became critical and the pilot was finally able to maneuver the balloon between power lines and touched down safely. While the envelope was deflating it struck powerlines causing substantial damage to the envelope and basket. No injuries to passengers or pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 20, 2003, ABOUT 1000 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSTAR S-71A BALLOON, N5285M, MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BETWEEN POWER LINES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF JOMAX STREET AND SCOTTSDALE ROAD, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA. AFTER LANDING, WHILE THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE STILL INSIDE THE BASKET, THE ENVELOPE STRUCK A POWER LINE. A VOLT OF ELECTRICITY STRUCK THE WIRE PYROMETER AND SENT ELECTRICITY THROUGH THE ENVELOPE AND BASKET. THE BASKET AND ENVELOPE WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND FIVE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE CORNER OF SCOTTSDALE ROAD AND HIGHWAY 101 IN SCOTTSDALE ABOUT 0830 THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE IN THE SAME GENERAL LOCATION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD RECEIVED WEATHER BRIEFINGS FROM THE PRESCOTT FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS), AS WELL AS DEER VALLEY AIRPORT AND SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO WINDS AND HE WAS USING MORE FUEL THAN NORMAL. HE WAS TRAVERSING POWER LINES AT AN ANGLE WHENHE NOTED AN OPEN AREA BETWEEN POWER LINES. HE ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE AREA. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE ENVELOPE "LEANED" OVER AND STRUCK A POWER LINE. (-23) PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT IN HOT AIR BALLOON. THE WEATHER WAS BROKEN CLOUDS AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET MSL. DURING THE FLIGHT THE BALLOON FLEW OVER POWERLINES. AT THAT TIME THE WIND SHIFTED AND KEPT PILOT OVER THE POWERLINES. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER BALLOON TO A HIGHER ALTITUDE DUE TO CLOUDS ABOVE HIM. AS TIME PAST, FUEL BECAME CRITICAL AND THE PILOT WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MANEUVER THE BALLOON BETWEEN POWER LINES AND TOUCHED DOWN SAFELY. WHILE THE ENVELOPE WAS DEFLATING IT STRUCK POWERLINES CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENVELOPE AND BASKET. NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS OR PILOT.

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 LAX03LA099Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportScottsdale, AZthe pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to cross over four sets of power lines with the existence of a known low fuel state and lack of wind, and failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the power lines during the landing, which resulted in the envelope…Feb 15, 2003 · Substantial damage