20030802018229I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Avianw MAGNUM IX · Spokane, WA · August 2, 2003

Date: August 2, 2003 · 06:50 local
Place: Spokane, WA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N16111
Reported as: Avianw Magnumix
People aboard: 6
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,700 total1,200 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N16111Registered now · Avian Balloon MAGNUM IXS/N 167 Airframe modelAvian Balloon MAGNUM IX Engine 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.

(-23) On short final approach to landing the pilot noticed electrical lines in the approach path. There was insufficient time to avoid contact. The pilot chose to pull the deflation port line which allowed the balloon envelope to make contact with the wires rather than the basket. The envelope contacted the wires just as the basket was touching down. After contacting the lines the envelope stretched the lines until failure. The envelope continued its deflation until it was flat on the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING THE PILOT NOTICED ELECTRICAL LINES IN THE APPROACH PATH. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO AVOID CONTACT. THE PILOT CHOSE TO PULL THE DEFLATION PORT LINE WHICH ALLOWED THE BALLOON ENVELOPE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE WIRES RATHER THAN THE BASKET. THE ENVELOPE CONTACTED THE WIRES JUST AS THE BASKET WAS TOUCHING DOWN. AFTER CONTACTING THE LINES THE ENVELOPE STRETCHED THE LINES UNTIL FAILURE. THE ENVELOPE CONTINUED ITS DEFLATION UNTIL IT WAS FLAT ON THE GROUND.