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20040605015069I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Arostr RX 8 · Clermont, FL · June 5, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 5, 2004 · 12:55 local
Place
Clermont, FL
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3645Q
Reported as
Arostr RX8
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
N3645QRegistration cancelled Jul 12, 2017 · Aerostar International RX 8S/N RX8-3061 · Built 1990Airframe 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) "Industrial incident-no intent to fly" on June 5, 2004 at approximately 1250 hrs. While moored at the harley davidson shop of Clermont, hot air balloon registration N3645Q piloted by Mr. Robert wilamoski commercial pilot certificate #263396518 was participating in a dealership promotion. According to witnesses, the balloon had been moored for approx. 90 minutes hovering 50 ft. off the ground, as sudden storm clouds appeared, the pilot immediately began to land and deflate the balloon when a sudden strong gust of wind (described by witnesses as a "micro burst"), resulted in the balloon becoming airborne and breaking free from 4 of the 5 tethered lines. As the balloon struck a tent, then a building roof, and finally the embankment adjacent to highway 27. There were two minor injuries, one female dealership employee who was in the basket with the pilot, and one male observer who grabbed one of the ropes used to moor the balloon. Both injured parties were treated and released from the hospital. The balloon sustained a minor fabric tear, and no damage to the basket or other equipment.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) "INDUSTRIAL INCIDENT-NO INTENT TO FLY" ON JUNE 5, 2004 AT APPROXIMATELY 1250 HRS. WHILE MOORED AT THE HARLEY DAVIDSON SHOP OF CLERMONT, HOT AIR BALLOON REGISTRATION N3645Q PILOTED BY MR. ROBERT WILAMOSKI COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE #263396518 WAS PARTICIPATING IN A DEALERSHIP PROMOTION. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE BALLOON HAD BEEN MOORED FOR APPROX. 90 MINUTES HOVERING 50 FT. OFF THE GROUND, AS SUDDEN STORM CLOUDS APPEARED, THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO LAND AND DEFLATE THE BALLOON WHEN A SUDDEN STRONG GUST OF WIND (DESCRIBED BY WITNESSES AS A "MICRO BURST"), RESULTED IN THE BALLOON BECOMING AIRBORNE AND BREAKING FREE FROM 4 OF THE 5 TETHERED LINES. AS THE BALLOON STRUCK A TENT, THEN A BUILDING ROOF, AND FINALLY THE EMBANKMENT ADJACENT TO HIGHWAY 27. THERE WERE TWO MINOR INJURIES, ONE FEMALE DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEE WHO WAS IN THE BASKET WITH THE PILOT, AND ONE MALE OBSERVER WHO GRABBED ONE OF THE ROPES USED TO MOOR THE BALLOON. BOTH INJURED PARTIES WERE TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. THE BALLOON SUSTAINED A MINOR FABRIC TEAR, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE BASKET OR OTHER EQUIPMENT.