20070921021539I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Camron N-160 · Westport, MA · September 21, 2007

Date
September 21, 2007 · 07:00 local
Place
Westport, MA
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N74033
Reported as
Camron N160
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total2,000 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

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) Aero naught stated he launched his balloon with six passengers on board from the head of the Westport river around 0645. He further stated that the wind picked up from the north so he climbed to 1100 feet. As he was going across the field approaching sodom road the balloon started descending rapidly. He stated that he turned both burners to full and also the liquid burner. The balloon continued to drop toward the wires on sodom road. He instructed the passengers to get low. When the balloon hit the wires the sparks caused minor burns to one passenger and burned the jacket sleeve of another passenger. The balloon broke the telephone pole and a normal landing was initiated across the street at privacy data omitted without further injury or major damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AERO NAUGHT STATED HE LAUNCHED HIS BALLOON WITH SIX PASSENGERS ON BOARD FROM THE HEAD OF THE WESTPORT RIVER AROUND 0645. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE WIND PICKED UP FROM THE NORTH SO HE CLIMBED TO 1100 FEET. AS HE WAS GOING ACROSS THE FIELD APPROACHING SODOM ROAD THE BALLOON STARTED DESCENDING RAPIDLY. HE STATED THAT HE TURNED BOTH BURNERS TO FULL AND ALSO THE LIQUID BURNER. THE BALLOON CONTINUED TO DROP TOWARD THE WIRES ON SODOM ROAD. HE INSTRUCTED THE PASSENGERS TO GET LOW. WHEN THE BALLOON HIT THE WIRES THE SPARKS CAUSED MINOR BURNS TO ONE PASSENGER AND BURNED THE JACKET SLEEVE OF ANOTHER PASSENGER. THE BALLOON BROKE THE TELEPHONE POLE AND A NORMAL LANDING WAS INITIATED ACROSS THE STREET AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITHOUT FURTHER INJURY OR MAJOR DAMAGE.