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20031007026379I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Arostr RX 8 · Albuquerque, NM · October 7, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 7, 2003 · 09:20 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9126B
Reported as
Arostr RX8
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
169 total96 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days
N9126BRegistered now · Aerostar International RX 8S/N RX8-3179 · Built 1994Airframe modelAerostar International RX 8Engine 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 October 7, 2003, at approximately 0920 MST an Aerostar RX-8, N9126B, collided with trees while landing 1/2 east of zia pueblo, NM. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured and the godoa was damaged. The aircraft was being operated as part of the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta by the road runner balloon club under 14 CFR part 91 when the incident occurred. The flight originated from the Albuquerque international balloon fiesta field at approximately 0800 MST. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time with clear skies and wind gusts of 12-14 m.p.h. at the time of the incident. Upon landing, the pilot was avoiding power lines in the area, and scraped the gondola of the aircraft through the top of a juniper tree. Damage to the gondola included 10 broken vertical wicker pieces and one wooden "broomstick" upright. Damage to the horizontal weave was approximately 32 inches high by 25 inches wide. Hidden damage inspection revealed no further damage to the gondola or envelope.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 7, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 0920 MST AN AEROSTAR RX-8, N9126B, COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE LANDING 1/2 EAST OF ZIA PUEBLO, NM. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED AND THE GODOA WAS DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS PART OF THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA BY THE ROAD RUNNER BALLOON CLUB UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 MST. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME WITH CLEAR SKIES AND WIND GUSTS OF 12-14 M.P.H. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. UPON LANDING, THE PILOT WAS AVOIDING POWER LINES IN THE AREA, AND SCRAPED THE GONDOLA OF THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE TOP OF A JUNIPER TREE. DAMAGE TO THE GONDOLA INCLUDED 10 BROKEN VERTICAL WICKER PIECES AND ONE WOODEN "BROOMSTICK" UPRIGHT. DAMAGE TO THE HORIZONTAL WEAVE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32 INCHES HIGH BY 25 INCHES WIDE. HIDDEN DAMAGE INSPECTION REVEALED NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE GONDOLA OR ENVELOPE.