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20040911024629I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Ultmag S-90 · Albuquerque, NM · September 11, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 11, 2004 · 08:15 local
Place
Albuquerque, NM
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N90UM
Reported as
Ultmag S90
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
400 total11 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N90UMRegistered now · Ultramagic S-90S/N 90/50Airframe modelUltramagic S-90Engine 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 09/11/04, approximately 0845 mountain daylight time, an ultra magic S-90 (N90UM), hot air balloon registered to and operated by Mr. Paul j. english, privacy data omitted contacted power lines during a landing approach in the north valley of Albuquerque, NM. The pilot-in-command holds a private pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air, balloon rating. Neither the pilot, nor his two passengers were injured. Visual meteoorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed balloon fiesta park, Albuquerque, NM, under 14 CFR part 91. During a telephone interview, the pilot stated he had selected an open area near 2nd street and lost ranchitos as his landing site, and was maneuvering toward the area. He and his passengers scanned the area for obstructions and noticed a two-wire electrical service line that appeared ran along the downwind side of his landing area. As the balloon descended he noticed a second set of wires, on the upwind side of the area, which had been masked by the dark colored ground and trees. The balloon gondola contacted the wires and pulled the top wire loose from the insulators and transformer on theadjacent poles. The pilot initiated a climb and flew onto a suitable landing site.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 09/11/04, APPROXIMATELY 0845 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ULTRA MAGIC S-90 (N90UM), HOT AIR BALLOON REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MR. PAUL J. ENGLISH, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED POWER LINES DURING A LANDING APPROACH IN THE NORTH VALLEY OF ALBUQUERQUE, NM. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A LIGHTER-THAN-AIR, BALLOON RATING. NEITHER THE PILOT, NOR HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. VISUAL METEOOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED BALLOON FIESTA PARK, ALBUQUERQUE, NM, UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED HE HAD SELECTED AN OPEN AREA NEAR 2ND STREET AND LOST RANCHITOS AS HIS LANDING SITE, AND WAS MANEUVERING TOWARD THE AREA. HE AND HIS PASSENGERS SCANNED THE AREA FOR OBSTRUCTIONS AND NOTICED A TWO-WIRE ELECTRICAL SERVICE LINE THAT APPEARED RAN ALONG THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF HIS LANDING AREA. AS THE BALLOON DESCENDED HE NOTICED A SECOND SET OF WIRES, ON THE UPWIND SIDE OF THE AREA, WHICH HAD BEEN MASKED BY THE DARK COLORED GROUND AND TREES. THE BALLOON GONDOLA CONTACTED THE WIRES AND PULLED THE TOP WIRE LOOSE FROM THE INSULATORS AND TRANSFORMER ON THEADJACENT POLES. THE PILOT INITIATED A CLIMB AND FLEW ONTO A SUITABLE LANDING SITE.