20041223033699I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Stnson V-77 · Santa Rosa, CA · December 23, 2004

Date: December 23, 2004 · 10:30 local
Place: Santa Rosa, CA
Airport: Sonoma County
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N45109
Reported as: Stnson V77
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 100 total60 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days

N45109Registered now · Cameron Balloons US V-77S/N 5882 · Built 1994 Airframe modelCameron Balloons US V-77 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 December 23, 2004 at 1030 am, hot air balloon, N45109, cambal-V-77, departed luther burbank field (southeast Santa Rosa airport sts, CA). Due to high winds, pilot attempted three landings in a field near doyle elementary school, Sonoma blvd. On the fourth attempt to land, pilot made an emergency landing in congested downtown Santa Rosa skidding across the ground with the balloon envelope draping over several parked cars. Minor damage to balloon envelope. Minor injury to passenger. Pilot stated that winds were approx. 2 knots during departure and "cranking" about 8 knots during landing attempts.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 23, 2004 AT 1030 AM, HOT AIR BALLOON, N45109, CAMBAL-V-77, DEPARTED LUTHER BURBANK FIELD (SOUTHEAST SANTA ROSA AIRPORT STS, CA). DUE TO HIGH WINDS, PILOT ATTEMPTED THREE LANDINGS IN A FIELD NEAR DOYLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SONOMA BLVD. ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT TO LAND, PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN CONGESTED DOWNTOWN SANTA ROSA SKIDDING ACROSS THE GROUND WITH THE BALLOON ENVELOPE DRAPING OVER SEVERAL PARKED CARS. MINOR DAMAGE TO BALLOON ENVELOPE. MINOR INJURY TO PASSENGER. PILOT STATED THAT WINDS WERE APPROX. 2 KNOTS DURING DEPARTURE AND "CRANKING" ABOUT 8 KNOTS DURING LANDING ATTEMPTS.